A Visit To Singer Island

A while back I started reading a series of mystery novels by A.J. Stewart featuring a private detective named Miami Jones and his wife Danielle, a FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) agent. This is another one of those self-published novels that are sold on Amazon. These days there are only 4 major book publishers, and so many authors who used to get published have resorted to publishing on their own. This particular series caught my eye because Miami Jones and his partner Ron have an office in West Palm Beach, and Miami and Danielle live on nearby Singer Island, in a ranch house on the intercoastal waterway, near Riveria Beach Municipal Beach. And Stewart's description of Singer Island really surprised me. The last time I explored the beachfront there it was the site of a deserted mall, with nothing else around. Of course, that was over 20 years ago. In Stewart's books, he describes it as a thriving beach community. And so, this past Saturday, I drove back to see Municipal Beach, and it is indeed a thriving and attractive area, as seen in the photograph above. Amazing how things can change in a mere quarter of a century. I also looked around for a 1950s era ranch house located right on the intercoastal, and although there were plenty of ranch houses, I did not see a single one on the water - just condos and very upscale homes. I definitely think that house must be artistic license. Much better to have your hero ruminating about a case while gazing out at the water than a ranch house across the street, right? In any case, I enjoyed seeing the area very much, and even found a parking spot at the beach. A win-win situation, as they say.

A Different Vibe At Sailor's Return

My sister Susan and I stopped at Sailor's Return, a restaurant located in Stuart, Florida's Sunset Bay Marina, this past Friday evening to have a beer and admire the view of the St. Lucie River from the outdoor patio. But I should have realized that Friday night during "The Season" (January thru March) is very much different than the rest of the year. We did find a parking spot, but when we got to the patio, every vacant table had a "reserved" sign on it, and the only seat available in the whole place was at the end of the bar. Susan took that one and I discreetly took a stool from one of those reserved tables and extended seating at the bar by one. I really like this place, but we couldn't see the water from where we sat, and that is what we go there for. Plus, it soon got crowded, and the staff seemed pretty stressed trying to take care of everyone. No friendly chats with the bartender that night.

The view from the walkway was as nice as ever, of course, and we did get to see a bit of the sunset on the walk back to the car, but when we got there, we were boxed in. Evidently on busy nights like this, the valets park the cars left with them in long rows in front of the cars in the parking spaces. I had to walk back to the valet stand and ask if they would move a car so I could pull out. I understand why they have to do that, but it is a bit irritating. One of these days we will go back on a non-weekend night and see if happy hour is a little less hectic, and if you can actually sit at a table with a view. If not, there is always next summer. During the month of August, there are lots of tables available, and the bartender is always happy to chat. What's a little heat when you have such a great view, right?

It's March! The 49th Anniversary Of My Parents Move To Florida

My parents Nelson and Mary and I visited my Uncle Bill (my mother's brother) and Aunt Elsie in Stuart, Florida back in April of 1975, where they had bought a condo at the Monterey Yacht and Country Club a few years earlier. My Uncle Bill and Aunt Elsie gave us the grand tour, taking us to see the House of Refuge, an historic rescue station built in 1875, a Jai-Alai match in Fort Pierce, and a visit to Stuart Beach. And my father was able to play golf once again with my Uncle Bill, which they used to do every year for two weeks when our families went up to Ontario on vacation. We even took a cruise on the St. Lucie River, where we got stuck on a sandbar and had to wait hours for the company's other boat to rescue us. I remember they dropped the price of beer to 5 cents, and my Uncle Bill spent his time singing along to the old tunes played by the piano player. It was well past dark by the time we got back to shore. And by the way, it gets very chilly out there on the water in April.  The following year, in March of 1976, my parents moved from Chicago to the same complex, but on the river side, instead of along the golf course, where Uncle Bill and Aunt Elsie lived. The photograph on the left is of my parents posing in front of their new condo right after they moved in. 

Both my mother and father loved it there, and after my father passed away, my mother continued to live there, telling me she made more friends there than any other place she had ever lived. And so, the condo has now been in our family for 49 years. My sister Susan and I took the condo back from our renters last June, and plan to stay there half the year. And I am happy to report that the place pretty much looks the same as it did years ago. Why ruin that classic 1970s look with a remodeling? Stuart, by the way, is still a great place to live. There are a lot more people living here now, along with a lot more traffic, of course, but these days Stuart is a much more diversified and interesting place, with a beautiful historic downtown. Just watch your step if you decide to take a cruise on the river.