This past Wednesday afternoon around 5:00 my sister Susan and I drove to the Sailor's Return to have a beer, or in Susan's case, a glass of wine, on their outdoor patio. It is our favorite spot in Stuart, Florida to have a drink, since it is located at the Sunset Bay Marina, and allows everyone to have a drink while gazing at the yachts and to be able to watch the sun set over the St. Lucie River. But I forgot that this is "The Season" here in Florida, which runs from January through March. The parking lot at the Sailor's Return was completely full, and the valet stand was doing a booming business. In fact, those valets were parking cars right in front of the cars that were parked in the lot, forcing those drivers to ask the valet to move the car blocking them when they left. In contrast, the last time we were there, in December, we practically had the place to ourselves. In other words, there are a hell of a lot of snowbirds down here, and they make life much more difficult for the locals. And so, we drove to Ocean Republic Brewing to have a drink instead. I have never been there before, and it was a nice enough place. We sat at a table in an area with glass windows overlooking a tree-lined patio, where a child's birthday party was taking place, despite the chilly temperature. Inside, there were lots of families with kids running around, and plenty of locals at the bar, as seen in the photograph above. But it did not have a view of the yachts in the various marinas, or of the St. Lucie or Indian Rivers, or the ocean to enjoy while you had your drink. That seems to be the province of the snowbirds until April 1st, when they all fly away. I can't wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment