One of my favorite places for a day of relaxation is DuBois Park, where you can choose between…read moreswimming in the Atlantic Ocean or the Indian River Lagoon. These very waters are why an ancient people known as Jeagas chose to live here. Long before DuBois Park existed, this land was home to the Jeaga people. Although the Jeaga are now extinct, much of what we know about them comes from Jonathan Dickinson, an English merchant who was shipwrecked in 1696. Dickinson and his companions were captured by the Jeaga and taken to their village of Hobe at the Jupiter Inlet, where they were held for five days. He later recorded his experiences in a journal, providing one of the few firsthand accounts of the tribe. Today, DuBois Park is home to the historic DuBois Pioneer Home, from which the park takes its name. The house sits atop a hill that is actually an ancient Jeaga shell midden in Hobe. A midden is an archaeological term for an ancient refuse heap containing items such as shells, pottery, animal bones, and broken tools. This midden is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000 years old, making it one of the oldest known archaeological sites in the region. The site is officially protected and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Jupiter Inlet Historic and Archeological Site. A historical marker commemorates its significance, preserving the story of the Jeaga people and the rich history hidden beneath one of Florida's most beautiful waterfront parks.

I've been wanting to visit this ERM park ever since visiting its neighbor, Juno Dunes Natural Area…read more The last time I tried to visit, the very small parking lot was full. From the road, this park looks to be all scrub, but like the other park, it contains multiple habitats inside. The first paved walk leads to a very nice pavilion overlooking the River. The view was peaceful and beautiful. Trying to access the unpaved trails, however, proved problematic. We turned onto the red path, only to find that the marker stakes had most of the red faded away and were difficult to find. At one point there is a huge fork in the path with no direction on which way to go. The end of the trail is practically non existent, with no clear path, but it does return us to the park entrance. I insisted on trying to get to Ski Beach- whatever that was! It looked about a 1/3 the way of the yellow trail. The path was very sandy, and difficult to walk on for that reason, and it seemed to take forever! When we finally found Ski Beach, we found another Park kiosk, a garbage can, and a tiny path down to... a beach! and the Intracoastal. We watched fish swim by, and lots of boats go by. This could be a nice place to wade or further explore, if you lugged all of your things here. ERM, would have loved finding a bench here, so we had someplace to take our shoes on and off. We did not continue down the yellow trail due to being exhausted, but I would like to do this again. The landscape was nice- just difficult to walk in due to the white sand. We saw a cactus in bloom, a snake, and a TON of lichen. Lichen everywhere! It really looked like little fairy landscapes to me. I think I finally identified Florida rosemary too! Kudo to ERM for the map/brochures. My kids pore over every aspect of it while we walk, trying to find all the natural items pictured, excitedly matching the pictures to plants. Thank you!

Jupiter Ridge is located south of the Jupiter inlet. It is part of the Great Florida Bird and…read moreWildlife Trail. This natural area is made up of 274 acres of scrub that contain five native Florida ecosystems: scrub, scrubby flatwoods, mesic flatwoods, depression marsh and mangrove swamp, It is one of the few places you can go in Jupiter to see how Florida looked before it was developed. Thirty one plant species live here as well as threatened and endangered species like the large-flowered rosemary, the Florida scrub-jay; and the gopher tortoise. Jupiter Ridge is owned by the state Conservation and Recreation Lands project which is managed by Palm beach County. This natural area has the longest shoreline along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway of any other natural area in Palm Beach County. There is also 7,600 feet of water frontage along the Intracoastal Waterway along the Loxahatchee River/Lake Worth Creek Aquatic Preserve. There are three hiking trails, the paved Little Blue Heron Trail, (0.2 miles), the sand Scrub Lizard Trail (1.7 miles). and the sand Pawpaw Trail (0.6 miles). The sand trails really give your legs a work out and there is no shade so the sun can be brutal. The natural area has canoe and kayak access from Ski Beach and you may be able to spot manatees. There is also an observation platform on the Little Blue heron Trail that overlooks Old Lake Worth Creek. Jupiter Ridge Natural Area is open to the public, sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.

The Battle of Loxahatchee took place on Jan. 24, 1838, There is a recreation of the battle every…read moreyear in January at Riverbend Park in Jupiter. The battle was fought between the United States Army and the Seminole Indians joined by former slaves. The government had already forced the Seminoles into Florida from Georgia and they were trying to move them again to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears. The Seminoles were not willing to go and were very adept at avoiding the army by hiding in the Everglades. After the battle Major Lauderdale who Ft. Lauderdale is named for took his Tennessee Volunteers and pursued the Seminoles that had escaped after the battle. In a neighborhood in Jupiter is a small plaque and American flag that marks the site where the Tennessee Volunteers camped out while pursuing the Seminoles. They did not get along with the regular army so they established their own camp instead of staying at the army fort one mile to the west. Their animosity with the army was so great that they refused to follow Colonel Jessup into battle at Loxahatchee leading him to get shot in the face when he entered the battle thinking they were behind him. After that Jessup swore never to use volunteers again. The camp was discovered in 1989 by Richard Procyk, an hobby archaeologist who had recently moved to Jupiter. Unfortunately the area was being developed for housing. Only a little excavation took place before the site was built on although a granite marker was placed to mark the camp. At the time Palm Beach County did not have laws to protect historical sites but what happened here caused preservation ordinances to be passed.

As a dog lover I had to stop and check out this moving memorial that caught my eye in front of the…read morepolice station in Stuart. The Stuart Police Department instituted a K-9 Unit in 1998. In 2016 they added two new Belgian Malinois K9 teams. The K-9s live with their assigned officers where they live as a member of the family. The K9 Memorial was installed in 2018 during National Police Week honoring K-9 officers who have passed away. The first dog to have his name engraved was Beny who passed away from cancer after 9 years of service. He was followed by Cody who passed away after 8 years of service. The plaque on the memorial reads "Dedicated to our beloved fallen canine officers in this City of Stuart and throughout Martin County. Exemplars of loyalty, dependability, and service these canines by our side, defending and protecting us with an unbreakable bond of mutual love and respect. The unique qualifications and skills of the canine officers are an invaluable asset in our police work. We are immensely grateful to them for their heroic sacrifices in the line of duty." I love that Stuart has chosen to honor their K9 teams in this loving way.

I discovered this blue historic marker at Limestone Creek Park in Jupiter. It is part of Florida's…read moreHistorical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roads, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, colleges, historic districts, schools, and historic buildings. Marker F-890, was installed in 2015 by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society and the Florida Department of State. It tells the important story of the African-American school that once stood here, L.M. Davis Elementary School and the surrounding historic community. Limestone Creek Park occupies the site of the oldest African-American community in Jupiter. During segregation, Black children were denied access to public schools so community members created a school of their own. In 1905, they opened the first "Jupiter Colored School" inside the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The school remained there until the 1928 hurricane destroyed the church and killed 2,500 people in the community. Afterward, community leader L.M. Davis donated one acre of his homestead for a new school. Residents pooled their money and received a matching grant from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, established by Sears, Roebuck & Co. president Julius Rosenwald in collaboration with Booker T. Washington. The foundation helped fund the construction of more than 5,000 schools for African-American children across the South. With those funds, the community built a two-room schoolhouse with a kitchen and hired two teachers to educate students in grades one through eight. The school operated for years without electricity or running water. In 1941, the graduating class raised enough money to build a sidewalk, signing their names in the wet concrete. That original piece of sidewalk still survives in the park today. In 1956, the school was renamed L.M. Davis Elementary in honor of the man who donated the land. Until schools were desegregated in 1967, Mr. Davis also drove local high school students 20 miles south in a community built bus to Industrial High School in Riviera Beach. Today, the school is gone, and Limestone Creek Park stands in its place. I love that this historic site continues to be a place where children gather, play, and learn. It's a fitting tribute to the community that fought so hard to provide an education for its children. If you're interested in Jupiter's African-American history, there's another Florida Historical Marker located in nearby Cinquez Park, commemorating another important historic Black community.

Yikes! I'm living in Stuart over 2 years & this was the first time I was diverted to this crazy…read moreroundabout due to road closures, & yes - was thoroughly confused & highly intimidated by that railroad track being in the heart of it all! My IMAP stopped talking and if matters weren't bad enough, (when I decided which exit to follow after my brain finally unscrambled) some jerk started honking madly as I carefully drove straight ahead to reach US 1..It was unnerving at first but worth the adrenaline rush once I calmed down & laughed it off. Realistically though- future navigators -- please pay close attention to & avoid that RR track and ignore those nasty honkers!

What makes Confusion Corner in historic downtown Stuart Florida so confusing? It is the eight…read moreroads! that come together in one intersection. Hold your breath and say a prayer as you attempt to make it safely through Flagler Avenue, East Ocean, West Ocean Blvd, Colorado Avenue, A1A both North & South, and Dixie Highway where they join in a roundabout, creating a Stuart landmark. If that wasn't enough, throw a train track in there too. How do you know you are at Confusion Corner? Stand in front of the April Daze boutique and watch the show. You will know you are in the right spot as you watch the cars swing around and hear the horns honking. If you have driven in downtown Stuart, you have passed through Confusion Corner. This intersection is so famous that the legendary Charles Kuralt came to Stuart in 1979 to film an episode for his popular "On the Road" series. There is even a song about it on You Tube by Clifford Buckosh & Okeechobee Records and if you survive the drive you can purchase a T Shirt to commemorate it at Harbor Wear. Despite all the confusion, the only deadly accident to happen there took place in the 1940's. So buckle up that seatbelt, as you swing yourself around Stuart's Confusion Corner.

I went for an early morning walk on the Roosevelt Bridge to catch the sunrise, and it was…read moreabsolutely beautiful! The views were stunning, making it a peaceful and refreshing experience. There was a section of the bridge under construction, but it didn't take away from the overall experience--it was still an easy walk.

The Roosevelt Bridge is a major highway segmental bridge across the St. Lucie River in Stuart,…read moreFlorida. Carrying U.S. Route 1, it was built to supersede the old Roosevelt Bridge, which had twin parallel drawbridges, one for northbound traffic and the other for southbound. The bridge is only 24 years old and recently has had cracks and concrete falling. Repairs are being done.

It's obvious that every source of electrical power generation has advantages and disadvantages, yet…read morethe generation of electricity remains one of the most controversial topics of our times. Whether these concerns are over global warming and its impact on the environment for future generations, the immediate risk and safety concerns of the surrounding communities or simply the cost justifications behind regulation or deregulation. There are groups on both sides of these arguments working tirelessly to justify their convictions for it or against it, but both sides can agree it's a vital part of our existence. In the case of nuclear power those advantages are both a clean and environmentally friendly method of electrical generation that's affordable, safe and reliable. The St. Lucie Power Plant located off of A1A on Hutchinson Island approximately 8 miles southeast of Fort Pierce, has been producing safe, reliable and low-cost electricity since 1976 when its first nuclear reactor was put online producing about 1 megawatt of electricity (1 megawatt = 1 million watts) of electricity -- enough power to supply the annual needs of more than 1 million homes. The second unit of equal size began operating in 1983 doubling the capacity of this generating station. This location was chosen because of its low-risk seismic zone, although St. Lucie is located in the lowest hazard zone for earthquakes according to the (USGS) this facility was constructed to withstand earthquakes and other natural events stronger than ever recorded in the region. The plant is elevated 20 feet above sea level to protect against flooding and extreme storm surges and successfully withstood the back- to-back impact of two hurricanes in 2004. This nuclear-power plant was built to withstand winds in excess of 195-mph and also the effects associated with these types of events with an abundances of redundant controls and emergency power supplies. This facility has been rated as one of the top performing U.S. nuclear power plants and has maintained a reasonable safety record since its commissioning. Although we would like to assume there are no inherent risk, in this industry it's more about how these risks are managed and the over-sight by a variety of agencies that fully understand the complexity of this technology and assumes responsibility to protect people and property. This plant is one of the many reasons Floridian's have some of the lowest cost per kilowatt hour in the country and a record of reliability that rivals more regions in the U.S. In order to educate the public this plant operates a visitor center, called the Energy Encounter, it allows visitors to experience interactive exhibits on electricity, nuclear energy and the environment and the admission is free it's open to the public Tuesdays & Thursdays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. a visit here may put your mind at ease and certainly give you a better understanding of the demands facing the country's energy producers in today's world, who doesn't expect the lights to come on when we flick the switch, it's not magic you know it requires a never ending commitment by the men and women living in our community that work in this demanding industry to provide this service for all of us, the most privileged people on earth.

The energy center has lots of information and cool demonstration "toys"…read more The power plant provides clean energy in "bulks" compared to solar or wind energy.