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Published: March 1st 2013
We based ourselves on Hutchison Island near Jensen Beach & Stuart for a few days. A big thank you to our hosts, Laura (LJ) and Joe Vanderwerker for welcoming to their beach side condo. LJ was in charge of the itinerary which included a trip to Fort Lauderdale. The highlight had to be the Bonnet House and Garden, 35 acres of beachfront property where artist Frederick Barret built a "plantation-style" home that his friends and family enjoyed as a casual winter retreat for years and years! The home and gardens are chock full of art, artifacts, globally influenced collectibles, and botanicals! The Barret's easy, casual lifestyle is remarkable. They had no need to put on airs. Tickets for a docent tour by the charming, John, for the four of us totaled $64. An addition $2 each gave us a grounds tour (in a double golf cart) with great commentery about the flora and fauna of Bonnet.
We shared Rubens at the Irish pub along the "River Walk" in the Port of Fort Lauderdale and headed for a cruise of the harbor and canals of this, the Venice of America. A wonderfully sarcastic and interesting captain's narrative took liberal pot shots
at the current real estate situation. We were amused to learn that the majority of the folks now owning waterfront homes in Fort Lauderdale are a.) absent, b.) annoyingly tax law savvy, and c.) have scarfed up quaint little family owned propeties as "tear downs" to put up large new homes that somehow all resemble each other. I don't think our captain works for the Chamber of commerce; but it was an entertaining speil.
We scurried out of town and our hosts picked the wonderful, riverside, Guanabanna in Jupiter for dinner and still had time for a few hands of cards back at the condo before turning in.
A morning beach walk for all, afternon golf for the guys, and lunch (at the Pawn Shop in Stuart) and shopping (Unique Boutique, Patchingtons and the Gauze Shop) for the girls, and meeting back for a really fun and delish dinner at the Wahoo ended the day. I would love to re-visit Wahoo when the marina isn't socked in with fog.
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Bea Patterson
non-member comment
Vacation in Ft. Lauderdale
We went with friends for a few days to Ft. Lauderdale this past summer and loved it! It is much more cosmopolitan that North East Florida where we currently live. So enoyed our Riverwalk trip on the public taxi. And the ocean is sooo beautiful. Cant wait to go back!