Saturday was the day for our date....After we had our coffee and for me some breakfast we dressed and did our chores then headed to Jacksonville. We headed north on highway 309 picking up highway 17, then northeast on highway 207. Instead of taking scenic highway 13 north along the St John's River, Jim chose to hit I-95 north for a faster trip. It's about an hour and a half drive and the Cummer Museum is on the north side of the river right in Jacksonville.
By the time we got there we were both hungry and Jim had planned it that way! There is a cafe in the museum, Tree Cup and you can eat outside on the patio or inside overlooking the patio. We chose outside and it was lovely. No wind so the cooler temperature wasn't that bad although I ordered hot herbal tea while Jim had some iced tea. The light menu allows you to choose something tasty to eat. Since Jim was hungry we each had starters, he chose the cheese plate for one and I had bruschetta. Presentation was very nice, artsy, as an art museum should be!
This water fountain kept some of the traffic noise muted. As we sat there we could see people walking back a forth from The Riverside Arts Market a couple blocks down the road.
For our actual lunch we each had sandwiches. The veggie burger was quinoa and black bean with grilled onions plus lettuce and tomato, so I opted to try that and it was very good but huge! Jim had a French dip and he managed to finish his. Sandwiches come with a choice of salad and I had the house salad while Jim chose the orzo salad. We skipped dessert!
A few weeks back I had suggested this museum because of the large collection of Meissen Porcelain. Anyone who knows me, knows I love dishes! And I was not disappointed. I chose not to take pictures because everything is behind glass and I didn't want to be disappointed with the results. If you like this style of porcelain and you're in the area you must see this exhibit as it's part of the permanent collections.
We also enjoyed strolling the galleries of Medieval and Renaissance art. Fascinating art and the colors!
Outside on the river side are the gardens. Not much color going on this time of year but walking around warmed us up after the chilly galleries inside.
By the time we got there we were both hungry and Jim had planned it that way! There is a cafe in the museum, Tree Cup and you can eat outside on the patio or inside overlooking the patio. We chose outside and it was lovely. No wind so the cooler temperature wasn't that bad although I ordered hot herbal tea while Jim had some iced tea. The light menu allows you to choose something tasty to eat. Since Jim was hungry we each had starters, he chose the cheese plate for one and I had bruschetta. Presentation was very nice, artsy, as an art museum should be!
This water fountain kept some of the traffic noise muted. As we sat there we could see people walking back a forth from The Riverside Arts Market a couple blocks down the road.
For our actual lunch we each had sandwiches. The veggie burger was quinoa and black bean with grilled onions plus lettuce and tomato, so I opted to try that and it was very good but huge! Jim had a French dip and he managed to finish his. Sandwiches come with a choice of salad and I had the house salad while Jim chose the orzo salad. We skipped dessert!
A few weeks back I had suggested this museum because of the large collection of Meissen Porcelain. Anyone who knows me, knows I love dishes! And I was not disappointed. I chose not to take pictures because everything is behind glass and I didn't want to be disappointed with the results. If you like this style of porcelain and you're in the area you must see this exhibit as it's part of the permanent collections.
We also enjoyed strolling the galleries of Medieval and Renaissance art. Fascinating art and the colors!
Outside on the river side are the gardens. Not much color going on this time of year but walking around warmed us up after the chilly galleries inside.
Diana of the Hunt greets you on the upper tier
The English Garden is on the right
The Italian Garden is on the left
I found the Italian Garden more photogenic!
this boat interrupted my stroll, he was heading down river
Not sure where this Gargoyle came from, no plaque, but he belongs in this garden.
We didn't see all the gardens and I'd like to go back in spring to see what's blooming.
As we drove away from the museum we passed through the Historic 5 Points area and spotted a Starbucks so Jim turned around and we stopped in for hot coffee and a pumpkin muffin. Great way to end our date. I think another visit to this area would be fun. We spotted some old, big homes and of course a park and lots of condos and apartments.
We drove home via Roosevelt Dr, US Highway 17 south to Palatka and over the St John's River to Welaka. All in all a very nice afternoon.
139 days
- 12,043,295 seconds
- 200,721 minutes (rounded down)
- 3345 hours (rounded down)
- 139 days (rounded down)
- 19 weeks (rounded down)
