Palm Beach, Florida: Warm thoughts for those chilly days

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Whenever the weather turns just the slightest bit cold up this way (Baltimore, MD), my very first thought is, why am I here?

The Breakers Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places (Wikipedia)

Wouldn’t it be better to be on a beach watching the waves, the sea and the new swimming fashions on the ladies? Much better to be applying sun tan lotion than scraping car windows.

Those warm thoughts usually are centered in Palm Beach County Florida. I have been there many times so I know my way around. Of course if I head east I will eventually wind up at the Atlantic. During my last trip to Palm Beach I recall two wonderful days at The Breakers. It is one of Florida’s great and historic hotels.

Admittedly, I can’t spend all my time on a beach blanket since there is so much to do down this way. One of my favorite attractions to visit is Lion Country Safari. This is basically a cageless zoo with all kinds of animals, from rhinos to giraffes and from lions to monkeys and many more.

The park also features a petting zoo, lions not included, water slide, restaurant, maze, playground and lots of demos with the animals.You stay in your car and the trip throughout the park can take two to three hours, depending on how long you stop to observe.

On another one of those warm Florida days try the Arthur Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. This is 221 acres featuring migratory birds and thousands of animal species. Hiking, canoeing, boating and kayaking are permitted in designated areas. The fee is $5.00 per car.

The beach (Eddie Applefeld)

For shopping you can visit Clematis Street in West Palm. This is a historic main street with retail, dining and nightlife. Then there’s Northwood Village, kind of an artsy area. Antique Row, perfect for the antique connoisseur. And of course Worth Avenue, the high end of high end shopping.

This article could go on and keep you reading for a hour if I mentioned all there is to do. So let me simply list a few attractions to consider — the Manatee Lagoon, Palm Beach Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Flagler Museum, baseball spring training, City Place, Harbourside Place, Mizner Park and Lake Okeechobee. Towns in Palm Beach County include Palm Beach of course, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth, Delray and Jupiter.

Seasonal rates will be adjusted after Easter. Meaning they will be lower and lower still in summer.

To me there’s something special about South Florida. I really like driving almost anywhere and seeing palm trees, blue skies almost everyday and no snowblowers.

For more information go to the thepalmbeaches.com.

Top photo: Palm Beach, FL (Wikipedia)