On Saturday 08/30/24, we took a road trip to the Pompano Beach area to sight see the area. We found…read morerecommendations to see the Hillsboro Lighthouse, Roy L. Rogers Park, and the museum. We love to visit lighthouses when we can and decided to see one this also. At Hillsboro Park, also called Roy L. Rogers Family Park, we came across this small but pretty park and museum and decided to explore. It is a one room museum filled with information about the lighthouse that was built in 1907. You can sign up for boat tours to visit the Lighthouse once a month thru the museum. It is free. Only 8 people can comfortably fit inside, so there is a waitline. But it goes fast. Some people choose to climb up the outside of the Lighthouse at their own risk. Others climb the 175 stairs inside to get to the top. The tours are short and they are once a month. Sign up at the museum. It is an active Lighthouse that still send signals. This is worth seeing close up.

Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse is an easy Five Stars. Growing up in South Florida and being Aquarius I…read morelove lighthouses. This one was one of the first lighthouses I remember as a child. I really miss seeing it now. It's been beatified a lot over the years. The lighthouse was constructed in 1907. It's automated now and flashes every 20 seconds. If you're in the area check it out.

The one mile T-Rex Trail is a greenway, meaning a linear pathway closed to vehicular traffic where…read moreyou can safely ride a bike, walk, and jog. No you won't finding any menacing dinosaurs like Jurassic Park as you exercise. The trail is named after the T-Rex Corporate Complex (former IBM property) that it runs alongside. On the other side of the trail is a canal. You can access the T-Rex Trail from the Yamato Road Tri-Rail station where it is adjacent to the El Rio Trail. The T-Rex Trail goes from the Yamato Road Tri-Rail station, along Technology Way, under Spanish River Blvd, to Countess DeHoernle Park. During my exploration of the trail I saw a number of cyclists as well as lizards and birds sunning themselves on the banks of the canal. Unfortunately portions were overrun with invasive plants. During periods of heavy rain the trail has a tendency to flood out and portions have been washed out in the past or closed during area construction. When it is fully open the best feature of the trail is the safety it provides cyclists from traffic.

Another great attempt by the City of Boca Raton to provide a useful and cool perk for locals to…read moretravel on foot or bicycle between Yamato Road and Spanish River Boulevard... but it's not perfect. The trail starts on the south end at Countess De Hoernle Park on the south side of Spanish River Boulevard and travels north along the east side of Boca Raton Innovation Campus (formally the T-Rex Commerce Center and originally the IBM Campus which kinda put Boca on the map). The trail is separated from the Commerce Park by a thin run of dense trees and a drainage canal. The trail ends at the Boca Raton Tri-Rail Station to the north (at Yamato Road. The whole trail is roughly 1 mile; not the best for an exercise route but convenient for accessing the Tri-Rail and travel off the roadways and keeping bicycles away from the automobiles (safety is the key here). The only real dilemma is numerous times we attempt to pass through and the bulk of the trail (the entire section along the canal) is closed for one thing or another. I always assume it's related to improvements of the path where it is deteriorated or widening but once the trail reopens each time it appears to be the same as before it opened.

Prismatica is a free new art installation located along in Plaza Real in Mizner Park in Boca Raton…read more The art installation is 25 six-foot pivoting holographic prisms. Prisms have flat, polished surfaces that are designed to refract light. At least one surface must be angled to be considered a prism. I think of prisms as being glass but they can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed. The panels of these prisms seem to be made out of some kind of plastic which reflect various rainbow colored lights that change color depending on the angle you view them. The installation is the creation of RAW Design, a Toronto-based architectural firm who had 30 architects and designers from the fields of applied science, technology, art and architecture come together to create Prismatica.. The installation is sponsored by Quartier des Spectacles Partnership of Montreal. After Boca Raton Prismatica will continue to tour the United States. The prisms are set up on the sidewalk in front of the shops. The interactive part of the art is you can spin them to see the colors change. You can also look through them to see the street change color. I tried to take a few pictures shooting through the prisms. At night the prisms light up making even more colors. I used to use a prism as a kid to make rainbows around my bedroom. Playing with these large prisms brought back those childhood feelings of wonder and discovery. I love what is happening in Mizer Park. First we get the world famous Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibit at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and now that they have packed up these fun and colorful prisms made their debut on March 3rd in time for spring. If you want to see and play with the prisms though you will have to hurry. There are only here for one month and will be departing on April 3.

Rocket is a public art piece located at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus. It is part of the Art in…read morePublic Places Initiative in South Florida. This office park used to be the research and development headquarters of IBM in 1970. It contains architecturally iconic historical buildings created by Marcel Breuer in the 1960s. The first IBM personal computer was invented here along with the first smartphone. This campus was at the forefront of early robotics technology and other tech inventions. Rocket is the creation of Virginia artist Hubert Phipps who is well known for his abstract sculptures and paint pigment drawings He is also a champion race car driver and aviator. He took inspiration for Rocket from his love of aero dynamic forms. First he drew the model and created it out of clay. It was then rendered in 3D using Maya, a software modeling program. The rocket design is meant to represent the intersection of science and art while celebrating modern engineering. The 30-foot, 9.8 ton corrosive resistant stainless steel rocket was manufactured in 2019 at the Tany Foundry in Hangzhou, China. From there it experienced several Covid related delays crossing the Pacific Ocean and traveling through the Panama Canal before arriving 8,000 miles away in Boca Raton through a partnership with the Boca Raton Museum of Art and developer CP Group. The rocket sculpture is valued at 1.5 million dollars will be here for a five year loan period. I loved discovering this public art. The park like setting adds even more beauty to the sculpture. You can walk through it and discover the perfect spot to take a picture or selfie of yourself making it interactive art. Come out and experience it before it jets off to galaxies unknown.

As I drove up towards the BRiC building, the art installation caught my eyes!…read more This once was a technology facility. Now, it is the Boca Raton Innovation Campus. To represent this forward-thinking presence, the Rocket sits in the very front as you drive through the round-a-about parking lot. Hubert Phipps' 30-foot stainless steel sculpture "Rocket" traveled over 8,000 miles to arrive as the new centerpiece at Boca Raton Innovation Campus, 5000 T-Rex Ave. Inspired by the artist's love of aerodynamic forms, the steel sculpture's full-scale fabrication began in 2019 at the Tany Foundry in Hangzhou, China. "The sculpture by Hubert Phipps was conceived as that intersection between art and science, and celebrates the heroics of modern engineering, as also seen in Marcel Breuer's historic building designs for IBM's North American Research and Development Headquarters," said Irvin Lippman, the Executive Director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. The gleaming, stainless steel reflecting Rocket was two years in the making, with a nod to Sci Fi retro futurism. The Campus encourages visitors to walk around and underneath it, to enjoy their funhouse mirror images on the shiny surface. The monumental new sculpture Rocket by Hubert Phipps was been selected for an Art in Public Places initiative in South Florida, for the BRiC, the historic tech landmark where the first IBM Personal Computer was invented. This new public art program is part of a cultural partnership between the Boca Art Museum and CP Group, the owner of BRiC and a premier developer and operator of commercial real estate. South Florida officials heralded this announcement with an unveiling ceremony at BRiC, officially welcoming Rocket as one of the largest outdoor sculptures ever chosen for a public art initiative in Palm Beach County. The Phipps sculpture is valued at $1.5 million, stands 30-feet tall, weighs 9.8 tons, and took more than 7,000 square feet of stainless steel to construct. The Rocket sculpture towers alongside a waterfront panorama of iconic architecture designed by Marcel Breuer in the 1960s. This celebrated architectural style by Breuer is rarely seen at this grand of a scale, spanning so many acres. The new sculpture by Phipps and the historic buildings designed by Breuer marry each other well in the Brutalist style, creating a powerful visual impact.

In 2012 the City of Pompano Beach adopted an ordinance to place public art in the city. Works are…read morechosen by the Public Art Committee and the Old Town Mural is part of the public art program. It's so much fun finding new art popping up in different places in the city. There is a ten year master plan that proposes 27 new pieces of art. Periodically Pompano will list a call for artist submissions on their public arts page and at that time artists can submit their work for consideration for the next project. The Old Town Mural was created by South Florida artist Carlos Gonzalez. He won the competition held by the Public Arts Committee and his design was chosen. The mural is located on an exterior wall in the Old Town section of Pompano located across the street frrom the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. In bright colors, the 98 foot high mural depicts the landmarks and historic sites in Pompano Beach. Scenes include the Pompano Beach pier, the Hillsboro Lighthouse, fruilts and vegetables from when Pompano Beach started out as a farming community, historic buildings, and a Pompano fish. The best time to come and see this mural is during Old Town Untapped, a food arts, and shopping event held on the first Friday of every month. The city planted some flowers in front of the mural and it is the perfect back drop for taking pictures. I really love this mural and am excited to see what the committee approves next.

Kudos to the artist . We were near the mural in the small park listening to a free rock band …read more Apparently they have free monthly concerts near the old town mural . Yippy to free concerts and beautiful art .

TASTEMAKERS 2014 The…read morefirst year my husband and I went to Tastemakers was five years ago. There were over twenty restaurants participating and the price was twenty dollars. Last year the number of restaurants went down to eighteen and the price was thirty dollars. This year the number of restaurants was down to thirteen and the price was still thirty dollars. For anyone who is not familiar with Tastemakers- You are given a passport with each participating restaurant listed. When you get to a restaurant they sign your passport and give you a small serving of food and a drink, either wine or a cocktail. You can go to all the restaurants in one night or spread it out over two nights. I wanted to finish all thirteen restaurants on the first day, but the rains came. We waited and waited before making a run for our car. We had three more restaurants and decided to return on day two. Our first stop was DECK 84. We were lead to an outside area near the rear of the restaurant. The drink was a Dark n' Stormy and the food was a spoonful of ahi tuna ceviche. We found a seat at a picnic table. The drink was really delicious and was a good size for a sample. The ceviche was delicious also, but I wanted more then a spoonful. CAFFE' LUNA ROSA. They had lobster and crab bisque and Riesling. Both the bisque and wine were good but they should have been ashamed to give such a small serving. There was little more then a spoonful of soup and wine. (see my picture). They also didn't have anywhere to sit. It wasn't exactly welcoming. 50 OCEAN was next door. What a contrast. We took an elevator to the second floor, where we were directed to a room where they were making grouper tacos and cilantro ginger coolers. The drink was gin, ginger cognac, lime, orange juice, cilantro, and soda. The fish taco was delicious and the drink was great. There were plenty of places to sit either inside in the air conditioning or outside on their patio. Our next stop was DIG. They served a small plate with a mini hummus trio and their drink was Sauvignon Blanc. Both the food and wine was good, although the servings were small. There were plenty of tables and chairs on their beautiful patio. LEMONGRASS served Hawaiian fried rice and a lychee martini. My fried rice had shrimp and cashew nuts and the serving size was good. The person who came after me were disappointed because she just got fried rice with nothing added. The drink was good but small. They only had one table with chairs which was full. It would have been nice to be able to sit while I was eating. MUSCLE BEACH gave three muscles and rose' wine. Very tasty. They allowed you to sit inside the restaurant or outside. THE OFFICE gave out a fried green tomato and sangria. The tomato was so delicious and the full glass of sangria was refreshing. They had plenty of outside tables and chairs. SOLITA did better than last year. They gave one meatball. Although it wasn't large, it was bigger then the tiny one they gave out last year. The drink was a full glass of sangria. They had plenty of places to sit on the outside patio. EL CAMINO gave a taco and a margarita. The taco was really tasty and I enjoyed the margarita. They allowed you to sit in the restaurant, although it was pretty crowded. FYI Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream was wonderful. I had their pistachio almond ice cream and it was delicious. The serving size was about a cup which was great. I also got to taste a few of their others flavors. The two brothers that wore working there were so enthusiastic and friendly. They have a covered patio with tables and chairs. DAY 2 We started out at VIC & ANGELOS. They served a small plate of rigatoni Bolognese. It was really delicious. I plan to go back to the restaurant to get more. The drink was your choice of a tiny serving of red or white wine. Most of their outside tables had reserved signs even though there weren't any outside customers. It was obvious they didn't want you to sit there. They had one outside couch but it was full. CABANA served an anticucho, which is marinated steak on a stick with onion salsa. Mine was very tasty but my husband said his was stringy. Their drink was a small glass of plain or strawberry caipirinha. I loved the drink. They let you sit at their outside bar. Our last stop was at our favorite Thai restaurant ZIREE. They gave two fried wontons and a salad with their special dressing. It was delicious. I enjoyed their drink which was a saketini. They had tables and chairs set up on their patio in front of the restaurant. I loved that each restaurant had a place for trash and recycling. Most of the restaurants were great. MY PICK FOR THE WORST WAS LUNA ROSA. Their bisque was delicious, but the serving was very tiny and they didn't have any place to sit.

The wine tasting was such a treat! What a great night with our girlfriends. Denise, the Chief Wine…read moreOfficer taught us about the history of wine, wine pairing and more.

Denise was a life saver. She helped me out to put together a scavenger hunt + food tour in record…read moretime. She was available at 8:30s on Sunday to help me save the day for our team building activity after weeks of disappointments and poor customer services from Sur la Table. Her team jumped in to do what they know better excellent customer service with ton of fun.

Beautiful nature center with scenic boardwalks where you can look at tropical birds and alligators…read more There's no admission fee. You can check in at the main building to see if there are any guided tours. The volunteers ate very dedicated and helpful, and made this a very welcoming place. There's no fee for parking, and I found the spaces plentiful. The best part for me are the amazing wild birds. This is a birder's paradise, and I found that several experienced birders were able to share the location of some of the most hidden species. I was able to see 6 lifetime species.

Really great place to walk on a boardwalk to see lots of birds and nature. A little crowded at…read moremidday but still worth the visit.

REcycled REef is a public art piece installed in 2022 near the entrance of South Beach Park in Boca…read moreRaton. It is part of the Art in Public Places Program. This art work was created out of the inspiration to come up with creative ways to repurpose, recycle, and conserve. REcycled REef is the vision of local artist Gregory Dirr who often uses nature as a theme in his artwork. Dirr received his BFA from Ringling College of Art and Design. During his art career he has been involved in exhibitions, curating, public sculptures, murals, woodworking, metalworking, masonry, art direction, installation, photography, video, music, fine jewelry making, printmaking, textiles, set design, and prop making. Dirr created the pink and blue hued reef out of discarded materials found in the ocean, canals, and waterways of Boca Raton. The core structure of the reef was created with recycled metal rebar, wire mesh, and concrete. Discarded plastics were attached with concrete mortar to the outside. Gregory personally collected all the plastic used in the project. The plastic was then treated, primed, and painted with UV coating. I love the message of REcycled REef which was designed to educate the community about the harmful effects of pollution and plastics on marine life while inspiring sustainable actions through an eye catching artistic creation. This piece is located near where sea turtles nest, driving home its critical message even further. Help our ecology by reducing, reusing, and recycling!

Endurance is a public art piece located in the West Settlers Historic District in Delray Beach…read more Originally called the sands for it's sandy soil, it was established in 1894 as Delray Beach"s first African American community. Settlers came from north and west Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina in order to work in the agriculture industry. The neighborhood is located from NW 2nd Ave to NE 6th Ave. Houses are in the frame vernacular style, bungalow, and mission revival styles that were popular in the 1920's. The neighborhood was added to the Local Register of Historic Places in 1997. Endurance is a 12 foot steel and glass mosaic public art work created by artist Cheryl Foster and installed in June of 2012 to celebrate this community. It was placed in the West Atlantic Plaza which was renamed in August of 2012 in honor of Elizabeth "Libby" Jackson Wesley, a longtime resident and community activist. On the back of the art piece is Cheryl's mission statement which tells how the piece was inspired by Delray Beach's early Afro American and Caribbean Pioneers who brought their agricultural and fishing skills from their homelands to Delray Beach. The art piece features a woman carrying a basket of harvested food on the left and a man fishing on the right. The piece was paid for by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. I discovered this piece while grabbing lunch next door at the Bear Snack Shack. I knew quite a bit about the history of this area and was delighted to discover this piece of art work that celebrates the contributions made by this community of settlers as well as their rich cultural history.