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.