ST. LUCIE / MARTIN COUNTY, FL

Saturday, January 26, 2019. I poked my head out the tent and looked around. It was still dark outside. The wind had picked up overnight and now it was chilly. I wrapped myself in one of the soft, comfy blankets I’d bundled up with the night before and stepped out onto the sand. It was almost 6 am. Sunrise would be at 7:04. I should probably pack my tent, I thought.

In the closest restroom I could find, I brushed my teeth and threw some water on my face. Then I hustled down the road to fill up the tank and get some coffee.

I made it back to the beach in time for sunrise, had there been one. “Looks like we got robbed of our sunrise” a local man said to me as I walked up the steps. I took a sip of my coffee and agreed as I looked out to sea. The clouds off the coast that had moved in were dark and ominous. There were two ladies in bicycle gear standing there who also looked disappointed. They had ridden in from the neighboring town just to see the sunrise on Jensen Beach.

It wouldn’t happen that day. “So what else is there to do around here besides the beach?”, I asked. They recommend I check out the nearby town of Stuart.

Stuart is a small picturesque fishing community about a ten minute drive south of Jensen Beach. It was early morning and I had plenty of time to kill so I parked at the town square and gave myself the grand tour. Turns out there was quite a bit to see in this sleepy little seaside town! They had historical museums, a riverwalk, a marina (where at the right time of year you might see manatees), shops, and restaurants. You could fish on boardwalk or under the causeway. They also offered boat tours.

After about an hour and a half of walking around I felt inspired to write. So I went to a nearby Starbucks and started blogging.

A strikingly beautiful woman with an air of elegance sat down at the table to my left. She offered a friendly smile a “good morning”. We exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a minute or two, during which she suggested I check out Vero Beach while in the area. (Unfortunately, the rains later that day would not allow it.)

After an hour I was starting to get hungry. I already knew where I wanted to eat. My old friend, Len Jones had mentioned a place nearby that he’d seen on an episode of Man, Fire, Food that was supposed to be pretty damn good.

Mrs. Peters Smokehouse turned out to be another great tip! (My boys Len and Swoop had both been ON POINT with every single recommendation so far!) That little joint had THE BEST smoked fish! With various selections too! The kind ladies that ran the place were very helpful and generous with the samples!

I bought a small sampling of Cajun smoked shrimp and wahoo, and a piece of smoked salmon for the road. Then I was on my way north via A1A once again.

That area of coastline, known as Florida’s Treasure Coast, has numerous beaches, one right after the other. I would spend the next several hours stopping at as many of them as I could along the way.

There was Hutchinson again, where I collected some seashells for my buddy back in Katy. Old Man Izzy is what I like to call her! I call her that because she’s wise beyond her years. (Just kidding. I call her that because she’s grumpy like an old man! 😜) Seriously though, she’s a sweet girl with a bright future. And if I ever have a daughter, I hope she turns out just like her.

Then there was Fort Pierce, where I walked out to the jetty and watched the kite-surfers get air and do tricks.

From there I headed to Pepper Beach and visited the National Navy UTD-SEAL Museum. That was something to see! Artifacts from Benghazi, to Osama Bin Laden, to 911. It was a sobering and thought provoking place.

Finally, I would end up at Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral. I got to the NASA visitors center right at closing time. (Abnet Lydia, I looked around for your bro Noah but never saw him!)

All in all, it had been a productive day of site-seeing. But now I was fatigued from all the driving. Time to find a rest stop. Tomorrow Daytona.