SOUTHEAST WINTER

Huge Kapok tree on the Waterway path

Flagler Home and Museum

Palm Beach from the bridge

View of PB across Intracoastal Waterway

Worth Ave., Palm Beach

Where have such diverse characters as Rod Stewart, Rush Limbaugh, Donald Trump, the Kennedys, Michael Jackson, E.F. Hutton and Howard Stern made their home at one time or another? Palm Beach, Florida, one of the most exclusive addresses in the world. 

Scott, Anne and Ron

With Saskia and Per

Having decided to spend this winter in the southeast, we rented an apartment in Boca Raton for a month and one in West Palm Beach for a month and a half. The latter was only a block from the Intracoastal Waterway and the bridge to  Palm Beach. At one time, the servants were sent off island to live in West Palm. Now it is a thriving city with museums, convention center, performing arts center, shops and movies. We could walk to all of it from our place but our favorite walk was along the Palm Beach path that runs beside the Waterway. There you find the oldest home on the island and the Flagler estate, home of the man who started it all. He made Florida  accessible by building the Florida East Coast Railway. Aside from countless Florida landmarks, Flagler built the renowned Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. We could also walk right across the island to the beach or enjoy a leisurely stroll along Worth Ave., shopping mecca for the rich and famous.

With George and Jeannette

Classic Charleston

Rainbow Row, Charleston

The best part of this trip was seeing friends who  live in Florida part or full time or those who came to see us. Kevin visited from California for a few days and our Chicago friends Anne and Scott came to celebrate Ron's birthday. On our way up the Florida coast, we spent a few days with Julia and Frank, friends from Colorado who recently bought a second home in Florida. While in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, my godson Per and his finance Saskia came from New York for a brief visit. 

Upon leaving Florida, we stopped in Beaufort, South Carolina for a few days. The second oldest city in the state after Charleston, it is known for its beautiful setting on the water and antebellum architecture. We were there the day beloved resident and author Pat Conway (Prince of Tides and The Great Santini) died. 

Then it was on to Mount Pleasant, the popular suburb of Charleston. While there our friends Jeannette and George arranged lunch and a walking tour of Charleston. Though we have been here a number of times, we saw and learned much more about the history of this beautiful city. It is the oldest city in the state and was once the 5th largest city in North America. Almost 40% of the 400,000 Africans who were sold in America landed at nearby Sullivan's Island. From the walkway along the harbor, you can see Fort Sumter where the first shots of the civil were fired.  

On Sunday, Jeannette prepared a gourmet brunch for us at their beautiful home on the tidal waters north of Charleston.

I'm afraid I have been neglecting this blog as my other one (www.gerioneill.com) takes up so much time. I will try to do better in the future as we gradually work our way north along the Atlantic Coast.