A Visit to Historic? Jacksonville

Question: What do you do on a Saturday morning in Jacksonville, N.C.?
Answer: Not a lot.

We decided to visit the Marine Corp museum in town. The problem was, when we reached downtown where it was located, we were told that it hadn't been built yet. So...plan B.

Downtown Jacksonville is a small "Mayberry-ish" sort of place. The buildings are all very old and worn. The places where the plaster is coming off of the walls reveals their age. Most of the buildings look abandoned but are in the process of revitalization.

Since the museum was nonexistent, we asked for directions to the New River Waterfront Park and took off on foot toward the river. It just wasn't going to be our day. The park consisted of a couple piers, a very short boardwalk, some picnic tables, and a sign warning us not to feed the birds and ducks. "Aren't ducks birds?" my travelling companion asked.

Small remnants of a Confederate past revealed themselves during our walk. We came across a monument to Confederate soldiers in front of the local courthouse and a couple of grave headstones of Confederate soldiers laid to rest in a small graveyard of four lonely headstones (two of which were broken in two with the names of the occupants missing).

Even though the morning walk was uneventful, it was very peaceful. The architecture and small town atmosphere provoked whisperings in my mind; I swore I could hear the voices of southern belles sitting on the porch swings sipping mint juleps and darning socks between bits of gossip.

Do you think Augustus Duggins is turning over in his grave with that American flag flying overhead?