I ended up in West Palm Beach because:
1) I had never heard of it before and
2) It was between Florida Keys and Jupiter (not the far away, round one).
Really!
I was patting myself on the back for this choice by the time I left 3 days later.
I stayed at the Stay Inn Hotel because:
1) It was the cheapest thing I could find
2) It was the cheapest thing I could find
It actually was not a bad little place: spacious rooms, quiet (as long as you don’t face the pool – they were kind enough to shift me when I asked for a change). Yah, not bad.
TIP: Off the beaten path thing to do according to the reception at the hotel – dog racing.
I didn’t go.
Quick stroll through this little town.
It is super quaint and very pretty.
One thing that struck me about this place was the absence of a McDonalds or 7Eleven on every corner… or anywhere for that matter! I was told that this was one of the most exclusive towns in the US of A and that they selected all establishments very, very carefully and the likes of *those* were not allowed to hang here.
One of the first things I notice in the little park at the end of Clematis street.
I wonder what the story is, as I always do 😉
Paneterie
Perfect little place for a snack pit-stop.
Also perfect to sit by the street and people-watch.
I had a quiche and it was YUM!
I also got this delicious cookie as a gift from the lovely man who was answering my endless questions… maybe he did it to shut me up?? It worked – it really was super tasty!
Drop by peeps.
Here are their details.
Getting around West Palm Beach – and for free!
WPB is very tourist-friendly and there are surprisingly many ways to get around here for free, compliments of the kind folks in the City of WPB.
One of them is the super cute Trolleys that have a few different routes; the blue, green and orange line. Yep – free.
Click here for details.
Deliciously retro looking – love!
This is my friend Brady who was driving the trolley.
He was delightful.
He also gave me his email address so I can write a story about him – but I think it was the wrong one. So Brady, if you are reading this – find me.
If you’re Brady’s friend – please tell him 😀
Palm Beach Free Ride
Another way is to explore this pretty place is to go on the free taxis.
They are electric cars (so quiet!!) and are supported by the ads on them.
Win-win.
This is how I met my friend Greg who was driving one of these, who is a retired corrections officer, and he ended up joining me on my ice-cream pit stop as I tried to convince him to move out of the States and to the Far East or South America where he can enjoy his retirement. I’m watching you Greeeg 😀
So, these rides are free but do give them a tip in appreciation of them taking you safely from A to B.
Note though that there are restrictions as to where they can go so, yah, do ask before they come over or check this link here.
But if you are mostly a walker like myself, walk! This place is perfect for it.
South Cove Natural Area Boardwalk
This is just a long boardwalk that goes way onto the middle of the water.
Bring a snack with you and sit on one of the benches and enjoy the boats going back and forth, the big bridge opening heavenward to let them through. Watch the fishies in the mangroves.
Good place to just be.
Click
here to see where it is.
Sights and sounds.
Always some beauty tucked away so don’t just look: SEE!
Oh.
This big, towering, gigantic Tree stops me dead on my tracks.
Yes, I’ve seen trees before.
But this one is different.
Sometimes you just *know* in your heart when it’s different, right?
Quick – who’d you think of?!! 😉
Ok, outta your heart and back to Tree.
I stand there rooted via magic magnet and stare at it like an idiot with too much time to spare.
It was blissful, soothing…
I was there a good while stalking the giant stalk.
Here is the location, go and see if you feel the same.
Their very famous hotel.
It was pretty.
I did a small walk through – lots of lovely function rooms, popular for weddings, conferences.
Had a small cup of coffee and a muffin at their coffee shop, people-watched and read my book (well, kindle).
Beautiful sandy beaches a few minutes walk from the hotel.
Dipped my feet in the water (‘water’ = Atlantic Ocean 😀 ) but didn’t stay.
Meet Henry Flagler!
This photo is a statue of him at the Breakers Hotel.
Why is he all over thew place you ask?
‘Cause, you know Florida?
He made it!
Let’s start saying Mr. Flagler leaves home at the age of 14 with just a few bucks in his pocket.
Who needs school? (I mean that.)
(Click
here and read the details of what happened in between.
It really is one hell of a story so you should actually get a cup of tea then read it.
Yalla, get your tea/wine/coffee – I’m waiting and so is Mr. Flagler.)
So fast forward:
Mr. Flagler’s first wife was poorly and he was advised to move to warmer climates. This is what initially made him move to Florida. She passed away. Her caretaker Ida Alica remained and became the second Mrs. Flagler.
She had red hair.
She was insane.
(Only the guilty will take offense to those two lines sitting there together.)
Mr. Flagler, through various shenanigans, managed to divorce Ida Alice and marry another lady, Mary Lily, and this was his 55 room wedding gift to her.
He called it home, they called it Whitehall, but now it’s called the Flagler Museum.
Grand and impressive.
I asked the guards if it was haunted and they said no.
Phhhffff what would they know!!
Read this instead 😉
(BTW the people working there were really quite lovely.)
I think these were the stairs that he fell from that eventually led to his death.
Corner of the ceiling or corner of his mind – Mr. Flagler seemed to have a bit of an eye for the ladies it seems. He drove them crazy! (His lovers in a good way, wives in a bad way.)
One of the instruments in the music room.
Lavish much?
I wonder if he picked this piece himself… I think he did.
Perhaps symbolic of the time he was lusting after Mary Lily?
How delicious is forbidden fruit for some…
You can actually get a recording and do the guided tour properly as you listen.
I didn’t – not because of the ‘I get bored easily’ Pisces-with-Sagittarius-rising thing but because I came in too close to closing time.
Had I been all prompt and did-my-homework-with-Virgo-precision-and-arrived-in-perfect-time thing, I would have probably been able to furnish you with the slip-and-fall incident better.
Next time.
One of the sitting rooms.
Master bedroom.
The master bathroom.
We have many a strange saying in my country and one touches upon how taking a poop makes one come up with ideas. Perhaps this bathroom was where some his brilliant ideas were birthed?
Servants rooms. They apparently also had rooms for the servants of the visitors.
Coming from Dubai this is quite normal to me.
Lots of guest rooms upstairs all can be separated or interconnected, each with walk in closets and anything else required.
RIP Mr. Flagler.
I wonder what kind of karma you had, why you succeeded amazingly in miraculous feats, were a shrewd and cunning businessman but had such tragedy or bad luck and with the ladies… why is that such a common story?
Your biography is on my to-read list and you are in my prayers tonight.
