Directions to Ortega Bridge
“Ortegan Gateway”, by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Arches 140 lb Cold Press paper, 17 3/4” x 22 1/2”.
The Plein Air Watercolor Class will meet 10:00 am on the westside of town at Stinson Park which is on the WEST side of the Ortega Bridge. This is a quaint little park with nice views of the Ortega Bridge, Downtown Jacksonville, the Ortega and Avondale neighborhoods, the St. Johns & Ortega rivers and also nearby marinas. There is a small dock, sailboats moored close by and the park is also a nice green space. There are picnic tables and a parking lot with about a dozen parking spaces. My recollection is that there are no restroom facilities though I may be wrong so, keep that in mind.
There is another small park/plaza across the street from Stinson Park. It's official name is Baker Point Park. There are nice views from there as well. I urge you to be very careful crossing San Juan Avenue; due to the curvature of the road, it is sometimes difficult to see oncoming traffic. BE CAREFUL.
The weather will be partly cloudy in the upper-60s to mid-70s with a 25% chance of rain starting at 12 pm. You might bring a rain jacket and/or umbrella.
Let’s gather at one of the picnic tables - promptly at 10:00 am - and we will have a group critique first thing. Bring your work from last week.
Below are the directions and maps to the location. If you have any questions, always feel free to text, email or call me at (904) 401-2904 or robertleedy@mac.com
DIRECTIONS TO THE ORTEGA BRIDGE:
From the Northside & North Beaches:
Take I-95 South to I-10 West; Right after 95 & 10 merge, get over into the left lane and exit to McDuff Ave / Highway 17 (Roosevelt Blvd.) Turn left at San Juan Avenue, cross Herschel Street (marked by a traffic light) and continue on to the bridge several blocks down. Stinson Park is on your right.
From Southside & Beaches using J Turner Butler:
Take I-95 North, once on the Fuller Warren Bridge, stay in the middle lane to exit onto I-10 West; get over into the left lane and exit to McDuff Ave / Highway 17 (Roosevelt Blvd.) Turn left at San Juan Avenue, cross Herschel Street (marked by a traffic light) and continue on to the bridge several blocks down. Stinson Park is on your right.
From Orange Park & Mandarin (using I-295):
Take Highway 17 North. Turn right at Verona Avenue; turn left at Ortega Blvd. When the road takes a hard curve to the left, you are now on Grand Avenue (which turns into San Juan Avenue once you cross the Ortega Bridge); cross the Ortega Bridge and immediately turn left into Stinson Park.
These maps were pulled off of Apple Maps in 2019; I seem to recall on my last class visit there, a little confusion arose as “Lakeside Park” is a typo on Apple’s part and the correct name is “Stinson Park”.
