Two Fifty Year Anniversaries, One Not Very Golden

Exactly fifty years ago today, April 30th, 1975, I was sitting in a cottage on the banks of the Indian River in Jenson Beach, Florida, listening to radio coverage of the fall of Saigon, a momentous day marking the end of the Vietnam War. I can remember that war when I was going to school back at Fort Dearborn Grammar School in the South Side Brainerd of Chicago. I registered for the draft while attending Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa when I turned 18, and I most definitely remember heading to the campus bookstore at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago after classes to get a copy of the Chicago Daily News, to see what my lottery number was (it was over 300, thank God). And now it was all over, 58,220 American soldiers killed, 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong dead, up to 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers killed, and between 2 and 2.5 million civilian causalities. All for nothing. Very sad. But this was also when my mother Mary, father Nelson, and I visited Stuart, Florida for the first time. I took the photograph on the left of them in front of the cottage during that trip.

We had driven down to Stuart from Chicago via Biloxi, Mississippi, Panama City Beach, and other areas along the Gulf of Mexico to visit my Uncle Bill (my mother's brother) and Aunt Elsie, who had bought a condo at the Monterey Yacht and Country Club in Stuart and retired there from South Euclid, Ohio 3 years earlier. My father had just retired after years of being a dentist, a job he hated, and was looking to see if he and my mother might like to retire there, too. My father and uncle used to play golf for two weeks together at a resort in Ontario, Canada, and Monterey had a 9-hole course that he and my uncle could play every day instead of just once a year. Although there was a yacht club, there were no boats, since Monterey was not allowed to dredge along the St. Lucie River, but no problem. You don't need a boat to have parties at the yacht club, right? My father went down and purchased a condo on the river side of the complex later that year, and they moved to Stuart in the spring of 1976. And both loved it there. And is that cottage we stayed at 50 years ago still there? The complex is now called River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp, seen in the photo on the right, and it very well might be. However, there are no trespassing signs all over the place and since this is Florida and everyone and their brother seems to be armed, I did not want to wander around and find out. After all, I already have a photo of the place.

Red Star Falling

I just finished reading Red Star Falling, the latest adventure novel by Steve Berry. Most of Berry's thrillers feature Cotton Malone, a retired agent for a top-secret U.S. intelligence service called the Magellan Billet. Although Malone is retired and owns a bookstore in Copenhagen, he is frequently called back to help deal with especially tricky situations. However, this new novel features Luke Daniels, a fellow Magellan Billet agent and a character featured in the Malone series. The plot revolves around the news that a CIA agent believed dead after disappearing during an assignment in Russia is actually alive and imprisoned in a remote Russian prison. The CIA wants Daniels to investigate to ascertain if this is true. And after verifying the agent's location at the prison and pulling off a daring prison escape, Daniels learns of a plan to crash an up-to-now forgotten Soviet era nuclear armed satellite into the Kremlin during a party congress, killing not only all the delegates but also the Vladimir Putin like Russian president, blaming it all on the U.S. This was a worthwhile read and has an exciting finish, but I still prefer the Cotton Malone series. However, I'll take this one until the next Cotton Malone thriller comes out.

Two Sunday Markets - One Crowded And Fun, One Not So Much

I decided to visit the Stuart Market on Main yesterday afternoon, which takes place in downtown Stuart, Florida every Sunday at Flagler Park, located along the St. Lucie River. Parking is a challenge there on Sundays, since in addition to that very popular market, Rock'n Riverwalk also takes place every Sunday, featuring various local bands performing in front of a stage along the river. And yesterday was no exception - not a parking space anywhere. I should have just biked there in the morning, but never even thought of it. This market sells all kinds of items, not just produce and other farm produced items, and so it is fun to just walk around, check out the booths, and do a bit of peoplewatching. However, after half an hour of searching for a parking space, I gave up.

Later that afternoon, just by chance, I came across The Market at Harbourside Place in Jupiter. This event takes place the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month, and although there was no street parking, this mixed-use development has a large parking garage, which made checking out this event much easier. The Market at Harbourside Place does not contain any produce or farm produced items at all. There were booths selling hats, clothing, knick-knacks, and other such items, but it was not very well attended. It is, however, a beautiful place to walk around, very nicely landscaped and located right along the Intercoastal Waterway. I took the photograph on the right from the walkway that parallels the river. Harbourside Place is where The Woods is located, an upscale restaurant owned by golfer Tiger Woods. I have checked the menu online, but it does not have any prices on it. However, I did read a review and one of them stated that the service was great, the food good, but they thought $32 for a hamburger was a bit much. And I definitely have to agree. I wonder if that burger comes with fries, and if Tiger is the one who actually brings it out to you?

I have to say that unlike the Stuart Market on Main, which has booths selling artwork, crafts, photographs, jewelry, homemade treats, and everything else under the sun, the items offered at The Market at Harbourside were not all that interesting, and so I naturally focused on the Intracoastal, the boats at the dock, and the nice landscaping, as seen in the photograph on the left. Harbourside Place is very upscale, with expensive shops and restaurants. It is also home to the Wyndham Grand Jupiter, which has rooms that start at $359, which is about $300 more than I expect to pay at the various Motel 6 Resort Hotel and Spas I usually stay at when I travel. In other words, I do not plan on hanging out here much, if at all. Next time I'll just get up earlier and bike to the Stuart Market on Main. Lesson learned.

An Interesting Fact About Fort Pierce, Florida And The P.P. Cobb Building

I was in Fort Pierce, Florida yesterday afternoon and took the photograph above of the P.P. Cobb building, which was built in 1882 by the Hogg family as a trading post. I read the historical plaque in front of the building and found out that at the time, it was the only commercial building in Florida between St. Augustine and Key West, which is saying something. That is virtually the entire east coast of Florida. Of course, things started happening fast in Florida right after that, thanks to Henry Flagler. A partner with John D. Rockefeller in the founding of Standard Oil, Flagler resigned from day-to-day operations with the company after a visit to St. Augustine, and in 1888 opened the Ponce de Leon Hotel there. He then built the Florida East Coast Railroad to take wealthy visitors there from up north. Soon he extended the railroad south and founded Palm Beach as a resort and West Palm Beach to house the workers, eventually extending the railway to Miami and Key West. And so very soon, that trading post was no longer the only commercial building between St. Augustine and Key West. The building became the home of a seafood canning company in 1885 and was purchased by Peter P. Cobb in 1896. He turned it into a grocery store, post office, meeting place, and unofficial bank. The town grew around the store, but alas, it did not become a major resort like Palm Beach and Miami. But the building remains, a reminder of what a wilderness this area was when it was built.

Walk A Mile To Get Naked? Hell No!

I decided to stop at Little Mud Creek on Hutchinson Island yesterday afternoon as I was driving from Stuart to Fort Pierce, Florida. I have passed this spot many times, and the parking lot always seems to be packed, especially on weekends. I finally decided to find out what the attraction was. With a name like Little Mud Creek, it does not sound all that inviting, right? As soon as I parked, I noticed the sign in the photograph on the left stating that the "Clothing Optional Beach is Located at Blind Creek, 1 mile south," and that "Nudity Is Not Permitted Here at Little Mud." And I should hope not. In any case, I headed onto the path toward both the beach and the ramp allowing you to launch your boat into Little Mud Creek, which leads directly to the Indian River. 

I took the beach path and noticed still another sign at the entrance, as seen in the photograph on the right. Not only did the sign once again mention that clothing was required, but even displayed a map showing in yellow where clothing was required, and the area in red where clothing was optional. Everything certainly seemed normal - just typical beach goers heading to and from the beach with their aluminum chairs in tow. I headed up that path looking to find out what made this beach so special.

And when I got to the top of the dune, I took a photograph of the ocean in front of me and then noticed that the guy in that photograph was naked. And as I got a little closer, I looked to my right and saw a very old guy, also buck naked, slowly shuffling to the water. Evidently the signs are just ignored, and Little Mud Creek Beach appears to be popular with those who are too lazy, too stupid, or too old to walk a mile down the beach to the area where they are supposed to be.

On my way back to the car, I checked out the boat ramp and pier at Little Mud Creek, where I took the photograph on the right. It is actually a very pretty place, contrary to its name. And as I approached my car, I realized that there were far more cars in the parking lot than there were beach goers. When I checked on the internet later, I learned that the parking lot at Blind Creek Beach, which is clothing optional, was undergoing renovations, and most of the people who left their cars at Little Mud actually must have made the one-mile trek down there. In any case, I must admit I do not understand the mindset. It reminds me of Bill Bryson, the English American travel writer and humorist, who wrote in his book "Neither Here nor There" about staying in a B&B in Germany and perusing a magazine - Der Spiegel? -  in the common area. He found a story with lots of photographs about life at home for a German couple, typical in every way except that they were nudists. And spent every minute doing chores around the house or whatever else completely naked. His conclusion - there are a lot of strange people in this world, and I definitely have to agree.

Palm Beach Impressions

I have visited Palm Beach, Florida many times, and I must say, it is a pretty interesting place to explore. Worth Avenue, seen in the photograph on the left, is filled with exclusive shops, and just behind them are a series of beautifully landscaped, fountain-filled courtyards, many of which have pricey, but interesting looking restaurants. Not that I would ever consider dining at one, but it makes for great peoplewatching. However, I do find it annoying to see Rolls Royces parked on Worth Avenue that you know must cost $400,000 at the very least, and then keep driving until you reach Lake Worth, where there are mega yachts docked there that can cost $85 million or more. And we won't even begin to discuss the cost of those massive mansions along the ocean, occupied by billionaires that have more money than they will ever need. What the hell do they do with all that space, anyway? We have definitely entered a new Gilded Age, with Exhibit A being our beloved president, Donald Trump.

Speaking of Donald Trump, I have noticed that when he is not in residence at Mar-a-Lago, the entrance to that famous club is wide open, as seen in the photograph on the right. I imagine that means the place is open to the public for viewing, kind of like the British nobility throwing open their homes to tourists to help defray expenses. I myself did not have time to stop, but I suggest that anyone in the area and curious about the place should pull up and tell the secret service guy at the gate that you want to walk around the grounds and the house and is there a fee? I am sure he will be happy to tell you where to go.

Of course, not everyone on Palm Beach is a billionaire, or for that matter, a measly millionaire. Palm Beach actually has a beach, as seen in the photograph on the left, and this is the beach that residents of West Palm Beach use when they want to head to the ocean. It is so popular that getting a parking space on South Ocean Boulevard can be very tough. And if you do snag a spot, you can only pay for parking by downloading some damn app onto your smartphone. Not a single ugly pay station in sight. Talk about a pain. In any case, I read in the paper recently that billionaires are now pricing millionaires off the island, forcing them into buying a place in West Palm Beach, with the result that WPB has been transformed into a real estate hotspot over the past few years. Someone should definitely set up a Go Fund Me Page to help keep those poor millionaires on the island.  Perhaps one of you could put up a notice about it on the bulletin board at Mar-a-Lago when you visit.

Who's Watching Who At The Loggerhead Marinelife Center These Days?

After spending an hour or so at the Busch Wildlife Center in Jupiter, Florida this past Tuesday and not seeing a single loggerhead turtle, or for that matter even a small tortoise, I decided to stop at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach on the way home to see if I could get a photograph of a loggerhead there. And I did, as seen in the photograph above of a sea turtle and a young child involved in some sort of staring contest. This non-profit describes itself as a "sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education, and conservation center." Years ago, sea turtles needing rehabilitation were placed in the basement of the House of Refuge Museum in Stuart, Florida. When my parents and I first visited Stuart in 1975, I remember seeing them down there, but it was such a small space, larger quarters were needed, resulting in the modern facility now in Juno Beach. And just last week, the Loggerhead Center hosted a double sea turtle release at the beach across the street for two turtles named Giraffe and Audrey Hepburn. I would have attended, but unfortunately, found out about it too late. I will just have to keep an eye out for the next release, hopefully with two turtles named something a bit more colorful, such as Thelma and Louise. Be sure to check out their website at https://marinelife.org/.

A Visit To The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

My sister Susan and I visited the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed it. This non-profit organization's mission is to "rescue and rehabilitate wildlife and educate the community about environmental conservation." Although they have been around for 40 years, they opened this new facility about a year and a half ago, and it is very impressive. One of the animals currently undergoing rehab is the Florida bobcat seen in the photograph on the left. I am not sure what the staff member is feeding that kitty, but it really seems to like it. My guess is Jai Alai IPA, a local favorite, but I could be wrong.

I originally thought the animal in the photograph on the right was a Florida panther, which is an endangered species. The population has gone from a mere 10 back in 1967 to 200 in recent years, but it is still threatened. It is the only subspecies of mountain lion left in the eastern United States. As I looked at that cat, I marveled at how big it was - far larger than the Florida panthers I have seen on television. However, as I was sitting on a bench, I overheard a volunteer explaining to another visitor that the animal was actually a California mountain lion. He explained that they have not had a Florida panther at the sanctuary in 15 years, and since there are no longer panthers in the area, they decided to bring in a couple of those California mountain lions for visitors to view. All well and good, but why does the cage still say Florida Panther on it? Next time I'll just have to ask.

I have never seen an owl in person before and so was happy to see the one in the photograph on the left. It was in a very dark enclosure, and I assume that is because they are nocturnal creatures and feel more comfortable in the dark. And I have to say, that owl did not take its eyes off me the entire time I was there. Perhaps it blames me for his or her incarceration. I have to assume that it is in there to be rehabilitated, and that once it is ready to be released into the wild, it will be. I tried to explain that, but it just kept staring. You do what you can, right?

And then there are the alligators, one of which was in the pond and seen in the photograph on the right. As you can see, it is keeping a low profile, with its eyes just barely above the surface. Alligators, not to mention many other types of wildlife, are being threatened by Burmese pythons, which are an invasive species in South Florida. They breed like crazy and are steadily moving to the north. A typical female can lay up to 50 eggs every other year. The State of Florida has been trying to reduce the population, but so far has not had much success. They even hold a python hunting contest every year called the Python Hunting Challenge, providing cash prizes for the most and longest pythons (they can grow up to 20 feet long). In any case, the alligator in that pond shouldn't have to worry about those pythons, at least until it is released back into the wild. I can just see that poor alligator now, begging to please please let me stay.

Stuart, Florida - A Great Biking Town!

Stuart, Florida is surrounded on three sides by the St. Lucie River, which empties into the Indian River Lagoon, which then empties into the Atlantic Ocean. All of which make for some great biking. It takes almost an hour to bike to Stuart Beach from my condo, and so if I don't have that much time, I bike along the South Fork of the St Lucie to downtown and from there through an upscale neighborhood just to the east. Along the way are great views of the water. On the way home from my bike ride, I took the photograph on the left at Hildabrad Park, located in that upscale neighborhood, which the sign says is a private park only to be used by HOA members. As I was taking that self-portrait, a car stopped and lingered in the street until I finished taking the photo, and so I think they really mean business. Fortunately, they did not shoot at me. You never know with HOAs.

From there I biked past a stretch along the St. Lucie populated by high-end law and medical offices, including cosmetic surgery centers, until I reached Colorado Avenue Park, seen in the photograph on the right and located right downtown. It is one of my favorite spots to just sit down, relax, and enjoy the view. Right next to it is the Owl House River Retreat, which is owned by the Old Colorado Inn just up the street. It was built in 1904 and features "wide water views and a grand back lawn fronting the St. Lucie River." It has 5 bedrooms and sleeps 14 people. Trust me - it is indeed very nice. However, the standard rate is a whopping $870 per night. Granted, divided by 14 people that is a mere $62.14 a night, but that will probably mean that if you are single, you might be sharing a room with an insomniac or snorer, or perhaps be sleeping on the sofa in the living room, which will make for a long, long weekend retreat.

At the Colorado Avenue Park, the downtown boardwalk begins, and I biked onto it and past a rather pricey restaurant called The Boathouse and the Downtown Stuart Stage, which hosts the Rock'n Riverwalk concert series every Sunday, both of which can be seen in the background of the photograph on the left. From there the boardwalk goes past Stuart City Hall, a restaurant called WaterFront (which long ago was Huckleberry's, where our family liked to have Sunday brunch), past Flagler Park, and then under the railroad tracks and up a path to SW Old Dixie Highway. Of course, "Dixie" is politically incorrect up north, but down here, it doesn't seem to bother anyone at all.

Once across Dixie Highway, you go down a walkway past Sailor's Return, which is the location of my favorite outdoor waterfront bar, and you are then biking along the pier past Sunset Bay Marina, as seen in the photograph on the right. Once you bike past all those yachts, you enter one of the older parts of Stuart, with many houses from the 1920s. Many of these places along the water are now businesses, including a yacht broker, real estate office, a B&B, and, of course, Rose and Rebecca's Day Spa and Wholeness Center, although some of these houses are still private homes.

When you leave this neighborhood, you arrive at Shepard Park, which is quite beautiful, and features boardwalks that go out into the river, where you can admire all the yachts moored out in the river, and seen in the photograph on the left. Sunset Bay Marina has a spot for all those motorized dingies to tie up when those yacht owners come in to get supplies or have a drink at Sailor's Return's outdoor bar. From there you cross Frazier Creek and head into another one of Stuart's 1920s era neighborhoods, past The France Apartments, a waterfront gem from 1927 and reputed to be haunted, and many other 1920s era homes, all of which are happily still private homes. Eventually I reach Palm City Road, head south past the boats on Poppleton Creek, and am soon back at my condo. Quite a lot of scenery for a mere one-and-a-half-hour bike ride. And it was all free. Can't beat that.

The Fort Pierce Street Festival That Wasn't

There is a column in the Stuart News each week featuring the weekend's "Top 5 events on the Treasure Coast. " Last week, one of them was Fort20 Fest, which was to take place in downtown Fort Pierce, Florida on 2nd Street this past Saturday from 3:00 P.M. until midnight. It would feature live music, local vendors, food, drinks, and live art. Yes! Live art! And no, I have no idea what that is. In any case, I assumed it was going to be a street festival, since no specific business was mentioned. However, when I arrived in Fort Pierce precisely at 3:00, I was able to find a parking space immediately, which was an early warning sign. I walked to 2nd Street and found - nothing! There was an address given in the paper, and it turned out to be a place called Bottom's Up Public House. Evidently the yard next to that bar was where the event was taking place, as seen in the photograph on the left. There were indeed local vendors, food, and drinks available, although I did not see any "live art" taking place. As for music, there was a stage in the back that was still being set up, but no music was playing yet. Plus, there were very few people around. Evidently, this was a nightclub, and most of the action would probably be taking place later in the evening, and so I left soon after I arrived.

However, as I walked back to my car, I passed by Sailfish Brewing, which was packed with people having a good time, and seen in the photograph on the right. They were evidently celebrating both their 12th anniversary and also having a Y2K party. Yes! A Y2K party. It has indeed been 25 years since Y2K, and I remember it well. All the managers at the University of Denver Bookstore met early on New Year's Day to see if the computers, cash registers, toasters, microwaves, etc. still worked. And sadly, they did. It would be back to work and the same boring routine the very next day. But that was it - Y2K was long forgotten by January 2nd, 2000. So why celebrate Y2K's anniversary on April 19th? Once again, I have no answer to that question. All I can say is, Florida is weird. And that is NOT new news.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone! This year my sister Susan and I will be spending Easter in sunny Florida, with temperatures in the low 80s. Meanwhile, back in Denver, although the weather there is nicer today, a late spring snowstorm this past Friday caused the Colorado Rockies to postpone their game, guaranteeing there would be no Rockies loss that night (they lost yesterday, instead). In any case, this year I am featuring two Easter photos from 1957, which I know I have used before, but to be honest, I do not have many photographs taken on that holiday. I suppose I could have gone around looking for a giant Easter bunny to photograph, but on the other hand, I am old now, and so the hell with it. The photograph on the left was taken of my parents Nelson and Mary in the kitchen of our house in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago as they were preparing Easter dinner for the whole family.

The photograph on the right is of my mother posing in the dining room of our house that Easter. My father was drafted into the army in 1943 and served as a dentist on Okinawa. While he was overseas, my mother and sister lived with her parents, and when my father came back after the war in 1947, they all continued to live with my grandparents until they bought the house in Brainerd in 1949. And my mother just loved that house and hated leaving it even to go on vacation. And I think you can tell that just from looking at that photo. In any case, I hope everyone out there has a nice Easter with their family and friends, just like that gathering back in 1957. Enjoy!

A Baseball Update!

It is still just April, with plenty of baseball left to play, but I'm afraid it looks like the writing is on the wall for both my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, seen in action at Rate Field in the photograph above, and my adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies. After winning their opener at Rate Field against the California Angels 8-1, it looked like the White Sox were back, and the celebration on the South Side began. Then, after a day off, they returned to the field and reality began to sink in. They currently have a record of 4 wins and 15 losses, at this point the second worst team in baseball this year. And who is the worst? The 3 and 15 Colorado Rockies, of course, who everyone expected to be bad, but not quite this bad. Both the White Sox and Cubs are rebuilding, with many rookies on their rosters. And will they eventually get better? Yes, but sadly not this year, or for that matter, the next few years, either. But could they not just acquire a few veterans who could help them win at least a few games this season? Everyone has a dream, and that one is mine. Meanwhile, the White Sox' hated North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs, are in first place with a 13-9 record, and are expecting to make the playoffs. But they are indeed the Cubs, and so a late season fade is always a possibility, or as some cynics might say, a certainty.

The Jetty Park Controversy

One of the nicest parts of Fort Pierce, Florida is Jetty Park, located along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Fort Pierce Inlet, and seen in the photograph on the left. Fort Pierce is located on both Hutchinson Island, which is where Jetty Park is located, and the mainland. The island part of the city is fairly upscale, and the city has done a wonderful job of restoring its historic downtown on the mainland. However, other parts of the city west of U.S. 1 are not nearly as affluent.

And that is why Fort Pierce's plan to charge for parking at Jetty Park and other beaches to pay for park maintenance has become so controversial. One local columnist has pointed out that it is the well-off who live close to the ocean, and they can easily walk or bike to the beach, while the people who live on the other side of U.S. 1, who can least afford it, will be the ones who fork out the parking fees. Also, the city intends to hire a private company, PCI Municipal Services, to implement the paid parking system, a company that is facing lawsuits from several cities in South Carolina. Evidently PCI gets a percentage of the revenue raised and therefore has an incentive to be very aggressive in issuing tickets, which might result in many angry citizens. I myself plan to only get out of the car at Stuart Beach, which is free for all, once those parking fees kick in. Free, as everyone knows, is my favorite price point. 

Back To Normal At The Sailor's Return

The outside bar at the Sailor's Return Restaurant, located at the Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart, Florida, is a much more mellow place these days now that "the season" (January thru March) is over. The last time my sister Susan and I were there, every table was either occupied or had a "reserved" sign on it, and the only seat available was at the end of the bar, with no view of the marina or St. Lucie River at all. Plus, when we left, the valets had parked cars in a line right in back of the vehicles parked in the spaces, including mine, requiring me to walk back to the valet stand to ask them to move the car blocking mine. And so yesterday was a real treat - a place to park and a table with a view, from which I took the photograph on the left. And when we got back to our car, we could actually pull out without having to approach the valet. And by the way, are you supposed to tip the valet in that situation? I didn't. If you ask me, the valets should hand you a couple of free drink coupons for the inconvenience.

The Sunset Bay Marina is a really nice place to walk around and pick out your next superyacht. I took the photograph on the right of Susan as we were leaving the place and heading for the car. Of course, I really can't blame the Sailor's Return for the parking issues. That parking lot is used by the marina, too, and the people who own those boats or work there use that lot, too, which is why it is always close to full no matter the time of day. In any case, whenever we have a drink at the Sailor's Return and look out at the boats, Susan always mentions how she wants to go on a cruise and asks if we can rent one of those vessels and tootle around the river. In fact, there is a sign posted offering just that, but I imagine it would be pretty damn pricey. I myself want to wait until the Island Princess, an actual ship offering day cruises, is back in commission. It has been undergoing renovations since last summer, although last week its web site disappeared. However, when I called their phone number the other day, I was told they would be back in business next week. And I believe them. I believe. I believe.

Pettway Grocery

I have written several blog posts featuring former 19th century corner grocery stores in Colorado that have been converted to new uses, including an art studio, insurance office, and even a residence. However, it is rare to see an old grocery store that still is a grocery store. The photograph above is of Pettway Grocery, located on the corner of Pettway Street and Southeast Dixie Highway in Hobe Sound, Florida. I guessed it was from the 1920s, and after checking on Google Maps, found out I was right. It is a convenience store run by Ms. Peaches, whose father opened it back in the 1920s. Ms. Peaches also does clothing alterations, and she and the store have been given many positive reviews on various web sites, not to mention articles about the store on local history websites. It is really great to see that this community asset has survived all these years and is still going strong. A blast from the past for sure.

The 113th Anniversary Of The Sinking Of The Titanic

Exactly 113 years ago today, on April 15th, 1912, the Titanic sank below the waves after hitting an iceberg, resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 people. The ship hit that iceberg at 11:40 P.M. the previous evening and sank the following morning at 2:20 A.M., a mere two hours and forty minutes later. Since the ship was thought to be "unsinkable," many of the passengers did not believe it was in any danger, and so at first some of the lifeboats left half empty. And if fact, there were only enough lifeboats for 1,200 people, even though the ship carried over 2,200 passengers and crew members. Amazingly enough, much of life aboard the Titanic was recorded by amateur photographer and seminary student Frank Brown. His uncle gave him a first-class ticket on the Titanic from Southhampton, England to Cherbourg in France to Queenstown (now Cobh) in Ireland. Onboard the ship, he met an American couple who offered to pay his fare all the way to New York, but when he requested permission for this from his provincial in Dublin, he was told to "get off that ship." Which he did. And kept the telegram with that message in his wallet for the rest of his life. And by the way, the photograph above was taken of the Titanic in Southhampton just before it left for France. And no, I did NOT take it. I wasn't born until a few years later, after all.

The Port Of Fort Pierce Is Going Upscale

Ports are never very pretty. In addition to their main function of facilitating waterborne commerce (in Fort Pierce, exports of citrus, imports of cement and aragonite), they are also places where boats are serviced and repaired, and like warehouse districts, they are not especially concerned with aesthetics. This was confirmed for me when I got a glimpse of both the Ports of Palm Beach and Fort Pierce last year. In fact, I took the photograph on the left at the Port of Fort Pierce last summer, showing a not very pretty tugboat in for repairs.

However, I just read in the Stuart News that St. Lucie County awarded a 30-year, $37 million contract to Derecktor Shipyards a few years ago to operate a megayacht repair center at the Port of Fort Pierce. This facility has been designed for megayachts longer than 200 feet and heavier than 900 tons. The centerpiece of the operation is a $6.5 million, 85-foot-tall mobile boat hoist, which very few shipyards have and the reason why yachts from all over the world are now coming here. Derecktor Shipyards will soon be able to accommodate a dozen of these boats in their yard and four in the water, such as the one in the photograph on the right. I only started to notice these huge yachts at the Port of Fort Pierce a few weeks ago. And why was this? Because that was when the Palm Beach Boat Show took place, which featured a number of these monsters, many of which stopped at Derecktor Shipyards after the boat show for servicing on their way to the Mediterranean or other exotic locales. Seeing just one is not all that remarkable, but seeing a number of them at the same time definitely is. And yes, I do plan to stop there once I purchase my superyacht and need an oil change.

More On Conkey Joe's And The Ayers Restaurant Group

Last month I did a blog post about my sister Susan and I getting together with our cousins and their husbands at Conkey Joe's Seafood Restaurant and Bar in Jensen Beach, Florida. We all had a nice time, and the food was pretty good, too. I was at Conkey Joe's only once before, for lunch with my mother Mary, maybe 15 or 20 years ago, where someone took the photograph on the left of us. It was a much smaller operation back then. Recently, they added a 5,000-square-foot waterfront tiki bar and restaurant. The owner of Conkey Joe's, Fritz Ayers, now owns a number of other restaurants in the area, including the Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House, located on the Indian River and the former home of actress and singer Frances Langford's Outrigger Resort and Polynesian Restaurant , as well as The Catch in Sewall's Point, which used to be The Prawnbroker Grill, another one of our favorite restaurants back in the day.

A few years ago, Ayers purchased the building that used to house The Admiral's Table, still another one of our favorites before it was destroyed by a hurricane back in 2004. It has been boarded up ever since. I read in the Stuart News that he planned to restore the building and open Conkey's on the Bayou: Brewery and Kitchen, a microbrewery featuring Southern food. I kept waiting for the place to open, but every time I passed by it, it was still boarded up. The recent article in the Stuart News about Conkey Joe's expansion also mentioned that Ayers has decided against going forward with the Conkey's on the Bayou plan. Bummer. The photograph on the right is of my sister Susan posing at the bar back in August of 1995. What will become of that location is anybody's guess, but don't plan on stopping there for an IPA anytime soon.

Rough Seas Continue...

The ocean has been pretty rough this past week here on Florida's Treasure Coast. The TV weather people have been out on the beach doing their forecasts each day, warning beachgoers to stay out of the water. Most people have heeded that warning, although a few have been daring the waves, especially the surfers. Just for fun, I decided to head out around sunset yesterday to the House of Refuge Museum on Hutchinson Island to see if I could capture a photograph of the waves crashing onto the rocks there. Which I did, although I was not alone. There were all kinds of photographers there. One was taking what looked like a couple's engagement photos, another was taking photographs of a high school graduate, three teenage girls were taking turns posing for photos on top of the rocks, and one guy was just taking photographs of the waves, like me. Years ago, I remember coming here at sunset and being the only one around. Not anymore. It is still a beautiful spot, but no longer undiscovered. Which is sad, but understandable. With so many people now living here in Stuart, it had to happen. I think they call that progress.

Banyan Trees - Very Interesting, But Also Kind Of Spooky

I am not much of an expert when it comes to nature. I have seen trees like the ones in the photograph on the left all over the place here in Florida, but did not know their name. I wound up researching them on the internet and finally discovered that they were banyan trees. This photograph was taken on Southeast St. Lucie Boulevard here in Stuart. If I had paid more attention, I might have noticed that one of the cross streets going through there is called Bent Banyan, and a subdivision nearby is called Banyan Tree Estates. Plus, if I had just looked at a map on Google, I would have found Bayan Tree Tunnel clearly marked on it. I assume I must be slowly losing it. If I ever had it to begin with. And by the way, my sister Susan calls this block Halloween Street and feels it would make a great site for a Halloween block party.

There is another block of banyan trees in Hobe Sound, which you pass through right before you reach Jupiter Island, home of the ultra-rich and evidently ultra shy, judging by the very high hedges and very long and curving driveways that hide their multi-million-dollar oceanfront mansions. In any case, this past October there were a series of tornados than spun off from the remnants of Hurricane Milton that hit the east coast of Florida, including one that went right down this very street, seen in the photograph on the right. Many of these trees were uprooted, and there was concern they would be lost forever. Crews were immediately sent out to try and save them. They replanted those banyans, propped them up, and were able to restore the street to the way it was. An environmental victory in a very environmentally threatened state.

Catching A Jupiter Hammerheads Game - Not As Fun As I Had Hoped

My sister Susan and I attended the first home game of the season for the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Stadium this past Tuesday evening, and I have to say, I was pretty underwhelmed by the whole thing. One problem was that two teams play there - the Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals, but there is only one official home opener, and that was the previous Friday when the Cardinals played the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. And so, no festivities Tuesday night. My mistake. However, on the bright side, the stadium is in the Abacoa neighborhood of Jupiter, Florida, and across the street is the downtown area, with restaurants and shops and a village square, which makes for a very nice evening indeed.

We had dinner at DAS Beer Garden, a very lively neighborhood hangout. We sat outside, despite the cool temperatures (75 degrees and cloudy - it is a Florida mindset, after all). You order food at the bar at this place, and when I went in, I noticed that it was packed, mostly with a younger crowd. Outside, it was us older types, where I took the photograph of Susan on the right. The food was good, we each had a Jai Alai IPA, and then headed across the street into the stadium.  I had bought seats online, and printed them out to present at the gate, but when we got to the area our seats were in, I noticed the section was not listed. Which was no problem, since there were only 327 people at the game, and so we just sat in the first row of a vacant section, right behind home plate.

I was regretting not attending the actual home opener the previous Friday, which featured fireworks and a Friday night crowd, but when I looked it up later, the "crowd" was listed at 591, so how much livelier could it have been? In any case, the Hammerheads were awful. In 4 1/2 innings, which took over 2 hours, the Dunedin Blue Jays batted around in 3 of them. I started keeping score, but since so many players were batting twice an inning, it was difficult to do so. The Hammerhead pitchers were walking everyone, at least when they were not hitting the batter. Five pitchers in 4 innings could not throw a strike, and when we left, the score was 18-2. I checked the box scores later, and the final score was 19-5, with the Hammerheads allowing 22 walks, 3 batters hit by pitch, and 9 hits. And the game took almost 4 hours to complete. I think the manager needs to have a long talk with the pitching coach, if he ever shows up at the park again. Last summer when we attended a Palm Beach Cardinals - Jupiter Hammerheads game, there was a much bigger crowd and both teams actually played well. These guys are almost all just out of high school or college, and so perhaps you need to give these rookies a few months to adjust to professional baseball. Hopefully the next time I go to the park they can keep the walks under 20. One can always dream.

The April Mutt Of The Month

I took the photograph above of the April Mutt of the Month at Jetty Park in Fort Pierce, Florida the other day. Jetty Park is located on Hutchinson Island, starting along the ocean, and extends down the Fort Pierce Inlet, which connects the Atlantic to the Indian River. The inlet has a sandy beach running its entire length, and a lot of people seem to hang out there instead of along the ocean, including the owner of that dog. It is indeed a good place to watch the yachts go by and seems to be a nice place for a swim, too. Plus, right next door is the Square Grouper, voted the best Tiki Bar on the Treasure Coast, which is where I am sure that dog is wishing they will go next. Nothing like a nice bowl of beer on a hot sunny afternoon, right? 

Cruising The St. Lucie And Indian Rivers - Not As Easy As You Would Think

My sister Susan has for some time wanted to cruise the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers, which surround Stuart, Florida and the surrounding areas, but it is not as easy as you would think. The only boat I know which you can currently take a day cruise on, if you can call it that, is the Tiki Taxi, seen in the photograph on the left, docked at a pier in downtown Stuart and about to head out onto the St. Lucie. As the name implies, it is a party boat which charges $10 to board, and features a bar with "beer, wine, cocktails, and great music." And no, unfortunately, it is NOT an open bar. It leaves downtown Stuart on the hour and from the TideHouse Waterfront Restaurant, directly across the river, every hour on the half hour, and so I am not sure you will be able to do much sightseeing with only a half hour between each stop, but perhaps after a few beers it won't matter. Any port in a storm, right? The company which operates this boat also runs them in nearby Fort Pierce, Jupiter, and Boynton Beach. The website does not list the price of drinks, but I am sure that if it is too much, and you don't order one, they won't throw you overboard. But I will not put that in writing.

The go-to boat for a traditional day cruise around Stuart has always been the Island Princess, which I am pretty sure I cruised on with my mother Mary years ago when it docked at the Marriott Hutchinson Island. After that, it docked at the marina at Pirate's Cove in Port Salerno, and currently it is docked at the Four Fish Marina in Jensen Beach, where I snapped the photograph on the right just yesterday. I have been checking their website since last summer and it has always had the same message: "We are now under new ownership and renovating the ship! We will be updating all of the cruising packages soon!" However, I checked the site yesterday and it now says "Site Not Found," which doesn't seem very positive. They used to offer a brunch cruise, Jupiter Island cruise, sunset dinner cruise, and Indian River and St. Lucie River cruise, but as of now, I would not hold your breath about booking one soon. I did see someone up on the top deck doing something or other, but perhaps he was just picking up some personal effects before heading out of town.

I did notice a sign advertising "Treasure Coast Sailing Adventures," which start at $50 and promise that you will "Experience the Treasure Coast Waterways and wildlife with no engine disruption," but Susan, who uses a walker these days, feels this might not be the best type of adventure for an octogenarian. Plus, the price is a little steep. And I'm not so sure about being on a sailboat in these waters anyway, which have a lot of sandbars. When I first visited Stuart with my mother Mary and father Nelson, my Uncle Bill (my mother's brother) and Aunt Elsie, who had recently moved to Stuart, took us on a boat cruise, and just as Captain Bob or whatever his name was told us how tricky the waterways were around here, he landed the boat on a sandbar, and we had to wait hours until the company's other boat came back, dropped off its passengers, and then came back for us. They had a piano player, and dropped the price of beer to 5 cents, but after the sun set and the April winds coming across the water picked up, the adventure began to get kind of old. But I'm sure these sailboat guys know what they are doing, right? Right?

El Cid - The Neighborhood, Not the Medieval Spanish Hero

The El Cid neighborhood is located south of downtown West Palm Beach along Lake Worth. I have driven through this area a number of times and am quite impressed with it. Although it was homesteaded back in 1876 in order to grow pineapples, its true growth began in the 1920s during the Florida land boom and featured large homes in the Mediterranean Revival and Mission styles. The neighborhood is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Most of the houses look like the one in the photograph on the right, and driving down many of the streets is like driving through a tropical jungle. A very nice neighborhood, but a bit on the pricey side. I checked on Redfin and most of the homes for sale there range in price from $1.7 to $9.7 million, although I did see one selling for $25 million if you happen to be looking for something a bit more upscale.

I myself am not interested in buying a house there, especially at those prices, but what got me interested in the real estate there was seeing the house on the left, which is currently being renovated. It looks like an interesting place, and when I checked on the internet, it was described as an historic home built in 1910. I also looked at the National Register of Historic Places' list of homes in El Cid eligible for historic designation, and there the place was listed as being built in 1926, which makes a lot more sense, since according to the historical plaque along the waterfront, it wasn't until the 1920s that they began building Mediterranean Revival homes in the area. In any case, what interests me most is that it was sold for $2.125 million in 2022 and is available for sale after renovation for $9.75 million. Now THAT is quite a markup. If it was me, I would have preferred to buy it for the 2.125 million and just hire Molly Maids to give it a good cleaning. And then move in. I wonder if I would have been able to get all the furniture to fit in?