I booked the cheapest flight to FL for the July 4th weekend. Didn't know anything about Palm Beach. I just badly needed a beach.
Our flight arrived on time to Palm Beach, but we hovered over the city for ~1hr due to thunderstorms. Finally we were sent 20min North to Orlando to pick up some more fuel since we were running out. After fueling, we waited another half hour in Orlando due to storms, and finally headed to Palm Beach. We landed there three hours late from our scheduled arrival time.
We took a $15 cab ride from airport to Hotel Chesterfield in Palm Beach. I booked the room and breakfast option. Rates were decent and the hotel was one of the nicest Dan and I have stayed at so far. They welcomed us with fresh strawberries, warm cookies, and sherry. They also had complimentary water bottles and jelly beans. They have turndown service in the evening and that comes with Godiva squares. :)
Since we arrived there the 4th of July, we asked for directions and crossed the Royal Palm Way/Lakeview bridge on foot from Palm Beach to Downtown West Palm beach to join the 4th on Flagler Celebration wich was in full swing. The fiesta was right on the Intercoastal Water front on Flagler road and it was a smaller version of "The Taste of Chicago" only with Spanish salsas and meringues instead of jazz. I enjoyed a Mojito wine cooler and put powder sugar all over myself while eating a huge elephant's ear (fried dough). We listened to the music and people watched. It was great! That's how dusk found us. We inched closer to the water's edge as the fireworks started over the Intercostal Waters. The fireworks were to music and lasted a good half an hour.
We walked back to the hotel with the crowds, which we left in West Palm Beach. And took a quick dunk in the hotel's outdoor swimming pool despite the sign that said the pool closed at sunset.
The following day, July 5th, we went down for our complimentary breakfast. It was plentiful and both Dan and I overloaded on the fresh fruit. Florida is supposedly known for its strawberries, and indeed they were delicious.
After breakfast, we headed to Worth Ave. which was only two blocks from the hotel. It's supposed to be the "mall" of the rich during the season (December to April). Sprinkled with names I only hear on TV: Tiffany's, Gucci, Chanel, etc.. the "mall" was a ghostown during offseason. We wondered like drunken sailors through the different hidden courtyards and gaped in the windows of the stores we did not dare enter. To their credit, most stores were so desperate for any humans, they left their store doors open despite the hot and humid weather or posted signs saying "yes we're open" or "come on in". We liked the courtyards a lot, reminded me of Italy's Amalfy coast towns and even saw a sculpture exhibit by a "Romanian Prince" (I liked to imagine he's a gypsy banging a kooky old rich lady of Palm Beach.)
From Worth Ave. we concluded that if Miami is for rich young and fabulous people, then Palm Beach during "the season" is the home of these young and fabulous people's parents and grandparents. I am curious what this shopping district must look like when all its regular clientele is in town. I bet it makes great people watching.
After Worth Ave. headed, again on foot, to see the The Flager Museum. On this one mile pedestrian adventure we saw tons of lizards. It's like they invaded the island. We soon realized that they are the squirrel of the South. The only difference is that they like to cross the sidewalk just as people walk by. So much so, that I stepped on one while walking. They are that abundant and frequent in their movements to the point that I didn't want to walk anymore, afraid that a suicidal one will find itself under my soles again.
The Flager Museum was a treat visually and historically. I have seen mansions/museums before. It was on par with the European castles, with the subtle difference that it had sprinkled the "latest" technological innovations throughout (modern plumbing, central heating/cooling, servant call buttons). The museum was excellent. It was built by the behind the scenes partner of Rockefeller, Henry Flagler (owners of Standard Oil) as a bridal gift to his third wife. The museum is complete with his own personal railroad cart which he used to travel the railroad he built to modern Key West. It was neat that the museum allowed visitors to climb into the cart from one end to the other. It felt like I was at the Museum of Science and industry in Chicago.
Only hunger made us leave the museum. We asked for the nearest place we can eat, and we were directed to a local deli TooJay's. The food was excellent, affordable, and close to the museum. After lunch, we walked back to our hotel in the humid heat.
At the hotel we took a good afternoon nap and then got ready to paint the town red. We took a taxi this time to City Place in downtown West Palm Beach. This is a mall, but unlike any we are used to. There was live music playing everywhere and alcohol was being served by the glass at different stands through the mall. People were walking around this outdoor mall holding cups with different alcoholic beverages. I was so happy to see people that I didn't want to leave the mall.
Besides the beautiful beach, which was just a few blocks away from our hotel, the touristic attraction worth of mention is The Breakers Hotel. All the guidebooks recommended a stroll though this hotel. So we took a taxi to go there. The taxi driver suggested we go see the Seafood Bar. This bar has "two L-shaped aquarium bar counters" where you can "watch small fish and other marine life explore the coral stones". It was pretty neat. I had a bizarre martini that I don't remember the name of, but I do remember it was delicious. The bar had an open view of the ocean. It was wonderful. To the side of the bar there were a few plasma TVs and everyone eating there was closely following the Wimbledon game that was playing.
The hotel does not like "non guests" to roam it's premises, other then the restaurants. The oceanfront by the hotel is also guests exclusive. However, rather than walking out the front door again and taking a taxi back to the hotel, I convinced Dan to "break" into the beach area. We walked over in a secluded corner of the hotel terrace. We found a break in the concrete where the sand started. There was an empty chair there, probably a guard who took a break. We took our shoes off and walked on to the beach. We put our feet in the water and then slowly but surely walked for 30 minutes until we got to the beach that was a few blocks from our hotel. We passed a lot of people sunbathing and children playing in the water. It was a very relaxing and romantic walk.
I didn't capture all the adventures of the trip. It was too much to write about. But I hope I captured enough to enjoy later.
No comments:
Post a Comment