Port St Lucie - April 21-26

Sunday, April 21
Happy Anniversary to Us!!
It was a beautiful day today even though it was forecasted to be 60% chance of rain.  Wherever we were the sun was shining.  I guess it was our special day.  I posted a picture from our wedding on facebook and realized that we got married before I started to use facebook or do a blog.  Maybe I'll have to upload some of my favorite pictures one of these days (when I have nothing to do - HaHa)

After I uploaded this picture I decided I should try to look immitate the look for today.  At least blow dry my hair and put some makeup on since I knew we were going out for lunch.

So I spent a lot of time getting ready to look nice after watching Sunday Morning.  We went back to Shucker's which has become our favorite restaurant here for 2 reasons.  1 - I love eating outdoors and especially on the beach

and 2 - we love their fish tacos.

Since we saw it wasn't so crowded at 2 PM the last time we went we decided to go around that time. But last time wasn't a Sunday.

We got there after 2, got a good parking spot (may have been the last at the time) and had to wait about a half hour but then got the best table, right on the beach and half sun, half shade.  There was a father and son sitting there when we got there and Larry liked that table from the beginning and it was so weird that we just happened to get it.

The guy sitting at the table next to us took the picture after he saw that I was trying to set up the camera to do it automatically.  He was with his wife and from Scotia, NY but it turned out that she was originally from Brookview Dr in Irondequoit - small world.

On the way back we stopped at BJs which we saw was on the way the day before.  Now our closet is full of stuff we've accumulated since we got here.  Not much in the healthy category, lots of popcorners, our new favorite snack and only 3 PP for 17 of them.

Monday, April 22
By accident I discovered the differences in coffee today.  I had some Starbucks Breakfast Blend but not enough for a full pot, so I added House Blend to it and noticed the difference in color.

The Breakfast Blend is the darker one.  That was my excitement for the day.  Later on we went out to take a walk around the shopping center that's part of the Tradition community and wound up looking at some model homes in the Vidalia development.  They were really nice, much nicer than the typical Villages place and beautifully decorated too.


Tuesday, April 23
I didn't take any pictures today, so since I'm writing this on Friday and I'm thinking back to what I did, this is the day I decided I had to start planning what we're going to do on our cruise.  What tours we want to do, whether to DIY or sign up for one either from the cruise line or local.  Larry went to play golf and I focused on catching up on CruiseCritic.com and am happy to say that I arranged some group tours with some other people and am researching more places and what to see.  I still have 20 pages to catch up on, but at least I've been keeping current.


Wednesday, April 24
I thought I found a new place for us to hike today.  Well, I did find a new place and it said it had 3 miles of trails but I think you had to walk around every path that they had and it was hard to do since none of it was marked.  By the time we were done we did walk 1.7 miles.  If we didn't have a GPS we never would have found the park because it just appeared in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

 Unlike when we went to Shuckers on Sunday and got the last parking spot, here we got the first one.

 Here we are walking in the "hammocks" where it was nice and shady.

 When we got to the end of our path, we saw a turtle.  Every hike always has a turtle.

 Going back to the car we walked in the hot sun along the canal.

Now we had the looking at houses bug so on our way back we stopped at the Bedford Park at Traditions where there were some Models to look at.  From the outside they didn't look like much, just boxy cement, but the  insides were beautiful.   Then on the way back we stopped at PGA Verano to look at more houses.  These were REALLY nice but I don't know why we get so excited about these nice places when deep down we know we're never going to move.  Aside from the weather not being so great, although it probably is one of the best weather places around lately - no big snowstorms, no natural disasters (knock on wood) we have everything we want right where we are and it's in easy driving distance to everyone in our family.  At any rate, we have an appointment to get a tour of the area on Friday.  Of course, if we were to win the lottery and come into all kinds of $$$ our whole outlook would change.


Thursday, April 25
Today as part of our thinking we would buy property, we met with the manager over at PGA Village who gave us membership details and took us for a ride around the courses.  Larry was in heaven!!  Later on, we took our last trip over to Jensen Beach for a late lunch at Shucker's.  Once again we ordered the fish tacos and I had to bring one home, they are so filling!!

 A close up.  This is the first picture I remembered to take before I bit into one of them.

 Another perfect day!

 Warm enough for me to be sleeveless!

When we came back we went over to PGA Village and used their 6 hole practice pitch and putt area which was fun but very hot!  Then we had to make our last Florida trip to Publix for a lime.  We were still too full for any dinner so it was coctail and later on ice cream.


Friday, April 25
I'm writing this now, believe it or not and it's only 1 PM.  Larry hit golf balls all morning while I took a shower, updated this blog, did laundry and packed up my clothes, all the while watching my morning TV shows.  At 3 PM we go over to Verano to drool over the houses and not sign on the dotted line.

Port St Lucie - April 13-20

Saturday & Sunday, April 13-14
We arrived at the Sheraton PGA Vagation Resort around 1:00 and were able to check in early.  This is a very small resort with only 3 buildings with 12 units each.  It is very peaceful and beautiful.  We went to the pool and enjoyed the great weather.  It finally feels like Florida!!
We were greeted in our room by balloons for our anniversary coming up next Sunday.

Made our Publix stop and enjoyed appetizers and 2 vodka & tonics out on our lanai.

On Sunday we took a long walk and for the first time in ages there wasn't any wind.

 We saw the sunrise.

Went to the PGA driving range for some practice, checked out the PGA museum and then later back to the pool.

 

Monday, April 15

Trying to find something to do today, we decided to go up to Fort Pierce.  Unfortunately everything we were going to do was closed.  I guess I knew some of the things were closed like the Manatee Center, but I was totally surprised to find that the Visitor Center next door was also closed.  Guess I was so annoyed I didn't bother to take any pictures.  We were able to find the AAA office and get some maps since for the second big driving trip this year, we still forgot to put our maps in the car.  While we were there I found a fanny pack that I can use for our trip to Europe so I got that.

We crossed the bridge to A1A and went North on Hutchinson Island up to Vero Beach.  There was nothing there other than places to live.  If you ran out of milk and didn't live close to one of the bridges along the 23 miles of road, it was a long ride to the nearest Publix.

After we came back and I was sitting out on the lanai, I got a text from Laura and the rest of the night was spent in front of the TV.

Tuesday, April 16 

Today I planned a little bit better for an activity for us.  We went to the Oxbow Eco-Center for a hike.

45 minutes into the hike Larry was raising the white flag (handkerchief) because of the heat

It was here that we stopped to for a picture when we thought we were almost at the end of the trail

It was after we saw this tortoise and reached a dead end that we realized we took the wrong route and had to turn around and go another 1/2 mile

Who said M&Ms melt in your mouth not in your hands??  Guess that was a long time ago.

In the afternoon we had a tee time at the Ryder Courseat PGA Village Golf Club.  We were put with a single guy so when I left after playing the front 9 Larry had someone to continue with for the back 9.

I didn't putt out this hole so I wouln't hold up everyone when I stopped to take pictures of all these tadpoles in the water.

Wednesday, April 17

Michael came to visit today.  We caught up on any gossip of the past year and then took a walk to lunch at Sam Snead's around the corner

 and then over to the PGA center and around the property.

A trip to Publix so we could buy some food for dinner before we came back to relax again and enjoy spending time together.

Thursday, April 18

Today we went to Jensen Beach and rode North on A1A almost to Fort Pierce, which is where there also was only housing along that 16 mile stretch of Hutchinson Island other than near the bridges.  We stopped at some of the beaches and walked on Walton Rocks Beach which is the only dog friendly beach along Hutchinson Island.

 We didn't see that many dogs, but we did see a lot of shells.  I brought a plastic bag with me just in case for collecting.

 Pretty beach

These are the shells I collected, after they were cleaned.

 On our way back we stopped for lunch at Shuckers.  Since Laura comes down to visit her Dad in Stuart every year she knew all the good spots and recommended this one to us.  We loved it.

 It's right on the sandy beach of the Atlantic Ocean and we had a front row seat.

 We had fish tacos and that came with rice and ice tea.  I was full after the first one but managed to eat two and brought the third back for a snack later on.

 This is the view from across the Intercoastal on our way back to Port Saint Lucie

Friday, April 19

I could have spent the whole day in front of the television today with what went on in Boston overnight but fortunately we had plans to meet Anna and Ed at their place in Jupiter at 11:00.  It was only 40 minutes from here since we could take 95 the whole way.  Usually it takes a long time to get around here because of the slow roads.
I loved their place.  It is so open and airy and bright with views of the intercoastal.

We walked around the property where they live and went back to hang out until we were ready to go to lunch.  Anna had in mind the same place Laura said we should go to, Guanabanas.  It's like going to a jungle.

After we ate, Anna and Ed took us around for a tour and we walked along the beautiful walking trail that goes along the Jupiter Yacht Club and we went to the beach.

 Look out for low flying pelicans!!

Once back at our place, on went the TV and I was glued to it, and on the phone with Laura until the 2nd suspect was caught.  Glad that's over, unfortunately not for all those and their families who were injured or died at the hands of the terrorists.

Saturday, April 20

 This morning we went to the Stuart Flea Market which is held every Saturday and Sunday.  Was it just because there isn't anything I want or need that I didn't get anything or was there just so much nothing?  If the junk was in the back, what was it called that was in the front??

 I posted on Facebook that it felt like 100 in the sun.  I wasn't that far off when it was 90 on our drive back.

When we came back from Jupiter yesterday we noticed a shopping center close to where we're staying just off of 95.  It's part of the town of Tradition in Port Saint Lucie.  In our way back from the Flea Market we drove around, checked out the stores which are just like the ones we have at Holt Rd except a Michael's instead of a Jo-Ann's.  Then we went to Publix that was designed to just blend in with the surroundings and looked so nice.