Hey Holiday Dreamers!!

Merry Vlogmas 2023 Day Two, Baby!!

Join me on this very foggy, wet, and humid evening along the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley, Florida! We are watching the Annual Palm Valley Holiday Lights Boat Parade as it travels up the dark waterway. The annual tradition of boat participants spans a seven mile stretch up the Palm Valley from the south to the north. 

There’s even a Christmas light decoration contest! Boat participants have their own contest, and tons of the docks along the parade route decorate as well. There’s a separate contest to judge the best decorations of the docks!

I hope you enjoy watching the boats go by with us! This is our second time spectating this magical little parade and I absolutely love it! It’s now officially become an annual, little tradition of our own. So, thanks for sharing these special holiday memories with me!

If you are new here, go ahead and SUBSCRIBE! Welcome to a community of Dreamers! LIKE this video, and SHARE out my holiday Vlogmas content with anyone you know who needs a Christmas cup of good cheer sent their way. I’ll be hanging with you each day of Vlogmas - see you tomorrow!

Love you,
Christine

For more information on the Palm Valley Holiday Lights Boat Parade, check out their website, linked below:
http://www.palmvalleyboatparade.com/

This was filmed LIVE on Saturday, December 2, 2023 in Palm Valley, Florida under the Palm Valley Bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway.

Livestream number 41.

#vlogmas2023 #palmvalley #vlogmas

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Kiss the Sun Goodnight with Me!

Happy Friday y’all! I hope you are having a fabulous start to your weekend. Join me this evening for a breathtaking sunset at the North Beach Guana River Preserve located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. This magnificent preserve is located right on the A1A Scenic Coastal Byway - just look for Ponce De Leon and you’ll find it! Actually, one of my favorite parts of driving on A1A is to look for Ponce De Leon and say I always say hello to him!

So I hope you enjoy some views of the sandy dunes in all their natural splendor, a peek at the ocean water, lots of seashells, and a heavenly sunset atop the scenic overlook. Thanks for joining me, subscribe if you’re new, and thumbs up if you’re enjoying all the sights and sounds of Florida that I am sharing with you, right here! And let’s say goodnight to that golden sun, until tomorrow my friends.

Filmed LIVE on Friday, October 20, 2023 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Livestream number 16.

#guanapreserve #pontevedrabeach #florida

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Where will we all be in July of 2029? That is the question I am pondering today. And I would like you to join me on a six year journey - together. Let’s go!

On Friday, October 13, 2023, SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy rocket for NASA into outer space. I find this quite fascinating, so I invite you to join me as I ramble on about this venture - and - let’s walk one mile together on the beach while we’re discussing this massive voyage.

This launch was SpaceX’s 8th Falcon Heavy, and NASA paid SpaceX a sum of $131 million to launch this mission. The mission cost to NASA is $1.2 billion. The spacecraft is the size of a tennis court, and is now traveling on a six year journey, going 2.2 billion miles away from us here on Earth. It will arrive at an asteroid in July, 2029, and then study its magnetic fields and chemical makeup.

Now- all of that information is WAY too complicated for me to even begin to understand. I can barely process the fact that the rocket lifted off successfully and left Earth’s atmosphere, let alone the fact that we sent something to land on an asteroid billions of miles away.

But the point I’m making here today is about the journey - the voyage itself. We are voyagers… we always have been, and we always will be. As humans, we will always be looking out at the horizon, and wonder what is beyond it. This mission acts upon that belief. And I can’t help but do some dreaming of my own today... 

About what life will be like when that spacecraft makes it to its destination?
Where will we all be?
What will we be doing?
What dreams - that we have today - will we have made come true?
What will we still be dreaming about - six years from now?
 
In this video, I invite you to add your dream, or dreams, into the comment section down below. I told you my own dreams in the video, and I’d love for you to share yours with me, and with the rest of all the dreamers out there. Think of it as sort of a form of ‘accountability’ or a declaration of sorts. There is definitely power in writing down your thoughts. So go ahead and let me know what a dream of yours is that you hope to have accomplished by the time this spacecraft meets up with the asteroid 2.2 billion miles from now, and six years from now. We can all work on our dreams together, and let’s meet up on the flip side once again. 

I’m going to check back on this video six years from now, and let’s see what we’ve dreamed along the way together. So today, I want you to dream -  dream loud, dream hard, and dream proud. I am proud of you, and you should be proud of you too.

Love ya!
Christine

Mickler’s Landing is a public beach access located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. At the intersection of A1A and Ponte Vedra Boulevard, there are bathrooms and showers on site, and this beach access is handicap accessible as well. Mickler’s Beach, as it’s also known, is an extremely popular spot to soak in the sun while in the greater Jacksonville area. Especially during the summer time, and weekends, Mickler’s Landing’s fairly small parking lot can be constantly full, with cars waiting in que to park, and a backup on the roadway. There are now lots across the main intersection that charge to park to help in the need for extra parking spaces. 

Mickler’s Landing is also a known shark tooth hunting spot. So while you may be looking out at the horizon line when you’re here, be sure to look down into the sand as well. You never know what kind of treasures you may find.

Filmed LIVE on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
Livestream number 15.
#micklerslanding #pontevedrabeach #florida

Ron On The Go:
https://www.youtube.com/@RONONTHEGO
About the mission launch:
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/13/watch-spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-nasa-psyche-asteroid-mission.html
About the mission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaizD3e--h8
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Hang out with me under the Palm Valley Bridge this magnificent evening! 

You know - Jacksonville really is a City Of Bridges. So much activity happens underneath them - never mind how many cars traverse the top of them. I find bridges really fascinating, and they’re quite a good hang out spot as well. Added bonus - Anywhere there’s a bridge in The Sunshine State, there will be some shade underneath. So whether you’re hiding from a hot sun and cooling off in the shade, fishing the day away, or simply enjoying the views, be sure to spend some time underneath a Florida bridge next time you’re here.

So I really hope you enjoy this evening live along the Intracoastal Waterway in the Palm Valley area of Ponte Vedra Beach. Situated between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. There’s so much nature to soak in here. Birds, jumping fish, hawks, tons and tons of little crabs scurrying about, and we just missed seeing a gator before going live. 

Plus, we had an absolutely phenomenal meal at the Palm Valley Outdoor Bar & Grill, just before we went live. We ordered the garlic shrimp appetizer, and then we both had the burger and fries for dinner. I highly recommend the Palm Valley Outdoor Bar & Grill. We’ve been there many, many times, and for some very special reasons - that I discuss on the livestream. I also wrote a blog article about this restaurant in the past, back from when restaurants reopened in 2020. So be sure to check that out, as it was the first restaurant we ate at after everything had been closed for a long while.

http://www.christinesfloridiandreams.com/christines-dreams---blog/75-the-first-supper-palm-valley-outdoors-bar-grill

The Palm Valley Outdoor Bar & Grill is located just under the Palm Valley Bridge at:
377 S. Roscoe Blvd. #2
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082

Filmed LIVE Saturday, September 30, 2023, in Palm Valley, Florida.

Thanks for being here with me, and I would LOVE for you to Subscribe if you’re new to my channel, and Like this video, if you enjoy seeing the sights and sounds of The Sunshine State.

Love y’all,
Christine

#palmvalley #intracoastal #florida

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Over the last few months, #lastsupper might have well been trending every single day.

Because with every conversation I have had with another human being - this meal - this act - was a topic of conversation…

Where was your last dinner out?

What did you order?

Who were you with?

And even - what did you talk about?

Ahh, who were you with??? Before quarantine took us all over.

Were you with the ones you are with right now?

Were you with loved ones you now have not seen in eight weeks?

Separated by an invisible plague.

A plague that is wreaking havoc on civilization itself.

Were you celebrating a special occasion during that final meal? Or was the dinner out nothing special at all?... Just another day, just another outing. Not really having given it a passing thought.

There are lots of meaningful moments in a person’s life. Many moments that, when they are taking place, the person does not know it’s the last time. That’s why the old adage…

Live each day as if it were your last.

OR

You don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone.

So, maybe now is the time to ask yourself: Are you living each day? Yes, even during quarantine. Are you fully alive? Each and every single day. Regardless of place? Circumstance? Location? Setting? Situation? Finances? Limitations? Roadblocks? Mystery? Scarcity? Hope? Fear?

I am. And I have been, living, each day.

For three years.

I am fully ALIVE.

Pandemic…

Or no pandemic.

I am alive. And I am living my very best life.

I was fully alive before the world changed, and I am extremely grateful to be fully alive during it. And I’m still completely and 100% alive, as the world awakens, opens up their front doors, and steps off their front porches… many, for the first time, in a very long time.

You see, I was already out there… standing in the street… looking inward, toward humanity, inside their houses. Just waiting for y'all to come on out again. And join me. In life.

Because life - in Florida - means fresh air. While it was winter, and a cold and rainy spring, in many areas of the country, during this horrific shutdown, living in Florida during this plague was an extra special blessing to be from God Himself.

I was able to still walk outside, and get fresh, warm air, every single day. I was able to sit on my balcony, outside, every single day. I was able to literally soak in my vitamin D. The vitamin they keep discussing in the news as being imperative to fight CoVid19.

So, I’m happy to FINALLY see and hear of many other people starting their own venture outward. Yes, even New York is seeing signs of hope and life again. So, as the weather turns warmer, and brighter, in other parts of the world, many others can now also soak in their daily vitamin D. Have their coffee on their balconies. And get outside.

I’m happy to be joined with the sea of humanity as they open their front doors.

Many are afraid.

Many are terrified.

Many are following guidelines, plans, and executive, gubernatorial orders, or newly enacted city ordinances.

And, yes, many are stepping off their front porch steps at the very same time.

So, I’m out here to say to those who are starting out right now...

Hello.

Welcome back.

And -

There’s a life to live out there.

Life is happening - whether we know it or not - whether we like it or not - and whether we want it to or not.

And life is, merely and once again, your reaction, to other actions.

I am showing you my reaction.

People are craving normalcy. People want to socialize. And people want to go out to eat.

Well, we, in Florida, were able to finally do just that.

For the first time in over two months.

We dined out.

We sat outside. We were far away from other humans. And we had a great meal. As we gazed at a gorgeous, waterfront setting.

We traveled down the winding Palm Valley Road toward the bridge.

Nestled and tucked under that large expanse of a hovering bridge is the Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill. Located at 377 South Roscoe Boulevard in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the location really is perfect as well.

On a bright and shiny and blue sky day, we arrived at the Grill for a lovely lunch outing.

We planned our outing to go earlier in the day, rather than later. My work schedule has me going to bed early, so we usually end up with a lot of lunches out - instead of dinners.

But considering this was a first meal of sorts, and it was a birthday celebration, both hubby and I were extra excited to arrive - no matter what the time was.

We knew it would take a while. We knew they had just recently opened to the public once again for dine-in service. We were prepared to wait, long.

And all their signage around the building told me another story… That they were open during the worst. That they were doing curbside pick up - and even dock side pick up, for boaters.

I was extra grateful to be a dine-in patron that day.

We had about a one and a half hour wait… They had told us about 35 minutes, it ended up being a lot longer, obviously.

No problem.

We knew what we were getting into by dining at a restaurant just after an official re-opening to the public. In my mind, I treated this outing as the equivalent of visiting a restaurant on their first day of operation - a new business. A restaurant’s first day is always a huge mountain to climb. Always a challenge. And yet, no one seemed to be bothered by the wait. But it’s kinda hard to be bothered with anything at all when this is the setting:

I cut my burger in half, and had the other half for dinner that night - my way of watching calorie intake during that outing.

The steak French fries were from Heaven. Because - again - key word being - fried.

We chose not to have dessert there, as I had special-ordered a few cupcakes from Cinotti’s Bakery to act as the birthday cake dessert, that we would eat at home later that evening.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. But the setting was what we especially enjoyed. And it was the action itself of dining out. Leaving the house, driving to a restaurant, reading a menu, and dining amongst others, that was most important to us on that date.

Overall, the Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill was a lovely experience. A great birthday outing. And a fabulous place to try if it happens to be your First Supper as well. The tables are spaced plenty distance apart, and the restaurant is following all the cleaning protocols in place. With employees wearing gloves, and lots of santitzing tables between customers. The setting is more than ideal, with the Intracoastal as a backdrop, and tucked just under and off to the side of the Palm Valley Bridge.

You’ll enjoy the boats coming and going. Paddleboarders going north and south. And you may especially enjoy the countless doggies - sitting on the edge of their owner’s boats. Also taking in all the sights and sounds… and smells… of the salt life, and good food.

It is my sincere hope that for those of you in states where restaurants have also been approved to reopen, just like in Florida, that you use the experience of my First Supper, as a push to get out there yourself. For those still anxiously waiting for your own First Supper. Go ahead and get ready now. Your time is coming. To start your own venture outside. To open your own front door. To step off that front porch. Find yourself an open restaurant. Wait All The Minutes. Get seated. And have a lovely meal. Have your very own First Supper. And, what the heck, maybe even order dessert while you’re at it.

It’s ok to be scared. And by all means, it’s also mostly certainly ok - to be very uncertain. And, just like The Last Supper, it’s ok if you don’t yet know when your First Supper will be. Just keep it in mind. Plan for it. Get it in your head. Because one day, and maybe when you least expect it, it will come to you.

And you can ask yourself - will you be fully alive on that fateful day? Will you be living that day like it’s your last on this Earth? Will you remember the moment - so you know what you’ve got, when it’s gone? And then, finally, who will you be with when that date arrives? ~

Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series

Well I never thought I’d live to see the day that Starbucks is closed. I mean - like - really closed. Not closed early; not closed for a holiday; not closed for training. Just - closed. With no predetermined opening date either. In the Jax Beaches area, at least.

Sigh.

The CoVid19 crisis is certainly upending all types of area businesses at this point. Large and small, local and chain. There is nothing remaining that is unaffected in some way by the coronavirus at this point.

And Starbucks has been closed for many days now - a few weeks actually. The place that I have relied upon for outings of all kinds, remains shuttered. I’ve been there on vacation, I’ve been there on the funnest days of my life. On Thanksgiving Day... On Christmas Day... I’ve been there in New Orleans, sitting inside the window, watching the electric street car go past on the outside. I’ve been there on the hardest days of my life. I’ve been there in Rochester, Minnesota, on days with the coldest sub-zero temperatures I’ve ever felt in my life. I’ve shared iced frappuccinos with my dearest friends, while standing on Main Street USA. I’ve been there for meetings. For friendship. For chatting. For reading. And, oh yeah, for some coffee, too.

So, with Starbucks literally being closed, and me still leaving the house every single day for work and life, I’ve been seeking out all the small coffee shops in town. Anyplace - and anywhere - that still has their doors open. Just like my recent outings to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry, and The Delicomb. If it’s open, I’ll be trying it.

I’ve always been a fan of all the chain shops and equally all the small shops. Which is why I started Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge to begin with. Basically, if it’s coffee - I tend to be a fan. In fact, I may like coffee just as much as I like donuts.

Yeah, I guess those bold beans are basically up there at the top of the list for me. So today I’m extremely happy to showcase another exciting and very unique coffee adventure in the greater Jax area: Chaunie’s Coffee Truck!

And all it took was a virus, a global plague, and complete and total economic destruction, to finally lead me there! And to the absolute cutest truck in town, by the way.

I have actually been searching out Chaunie and her truck for a couple of years. A few years back I had my first iced latte from Chaunie’s while they were parked at an Art Walk in Jax Beach. But considering the entire business concept of a food truck is on wheels, and moving around, my schedule has simply never matched that of her truck, since my initial introduction to it back in the day at that fest.

But then, just recently, I happened to find her Instagram page. So I followed, and started watching where she was going to be each day. Noticing a day scheduled in Ponte Vedra Beach, on my day off, and it was finally a date.

We drove around the town of Ponte Vedra Beach - the small coastal town just south of Jax Beach, and found Chaunie’s black and minimalist and very cool truck, parked in the Ponte Vedra Lakes neighborhood, next to a small pond at the very end of a cul de sac.

Metro Diner has grown significantly in recent years. And on our busy, yet lovely and leisurely Sunday, hubby and I dined at the Ponte Vedra Beach Metro Diner location. However, there are many locations throughout Jacksonville.

And we’ve been to most of them. Metro Diner is a regular part of our “dining out” experience.

The one and only original Metro Diner, located in San Marco, is the perfect and very quintessential diner. And this diner became so popular that others were built around and throughout Jacksonville. And now, very recently, Metro Diner has spread throughout the entire SouthEast and is growing at a fairly rapid pace.

But San Marco is and remains probably my favorite of their locations. Old trees. Historic neighborhood. Directly next to the gateway to Downtown Jax. Yet, this past Sunday, we stayed on the island, not venturing over the bridge, for anything.

So we chose a Beaches location to dine at. Still the same food. Still the same atmosphere, service, and friendliness. Just a different area of town, very and much closer to home.

The Jacksonville area Metro Diners are so popular, that Guy Fieri found himself making a stop to Jax, FL. He featured Metro Diner on the popular cable series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. And that stop in by Guy has only made Metro Diner even more famous.

And while it started out and is known as the place “where the locals eat” - Metro Diner has grown to be a must-visit stop on the list of business travelers, tourists, and spring-breakers, and families young and old, while they are visiting the greater Jacksonville area.

I know that I am always recommending Metro Diner to lots of out-of-town visitors. And I’ve had many a wonderful meal there myself, whether it is just with the hubby, or with lots of friends and family too.

So while I had a leisurely Sunday yesterday, it was also filled with busy and errand-filled tasks that needed to get done.

But, you know what? Life, every day, isn’t just about “getting stuff done.” Running around: doing tasks, and chores, and a list of never-ending errands…. Even if you have an errand-filled day, there’s always room for good food.

And Metro Diner was a no-brainer choice for us. We were in the Ponte Vedra Beach area, and planned lunch out at the Diner while doing my long check-list of things I knew I wanted to get done that day.

I simply added Metro Diner onto that to-do list. And it became a must-do.

And there we went.

And, in about two seconds, I chose the French Toast with a side of Bacon.

When my meal was served to me, our lovely server put it down in front of me, and before the plate even hit the table, I already smelled cinnamony goodness. My meal had the scent of a bakery. It was heavenly.

The bacon at Metro Diner is perfect, so I always recommend ordering a side if your meal doesn’t come with it.

Check out these other delicious and diner-filled stories below, why don’t ya?
16) Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come
19) Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
22) Saturday On San Pablo Island

Y’all may also enjoy:
9) Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida
*Part of ~ Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge ~
11) Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South
39) The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
40) Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
48) Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia

Have you been to Jacksonville’s Metro Diner? What’s your favorite Metro Diner location? I’d love to know! Let me know with a comment down below.