Florida Beach Getaways 2008

beach getaways Less than 20 years after Jonathan Dickinson’s woes, a Spanish treasure ﬂeet was shipwrecked. It was the ﬁrst of many galleons carrying gold to wreck, giving the region its name, the Treasure Coast. Hobe Sound boasts a charming, walkable historic downtown. The Lyric Theatre, a former silent movie house, anchors the heart of the restored downtown in neoclassical style and is the town’s most visible landmark. It hosts an eclectic mix of classical and pop performances, from Vero Beach country singer Jake Owen to Ricci Martin, the Rat Pack member’s son. The town’s old courthouse, now the Court House Cultural Center, contains scheduled art exhibits and sponsors the Sailﬁsh Arts Festival each February. The Stuart Heritage Museum, formerly the George W. Parks General Store, memorializes the town’s early 20th-century history and architecture. The Maritime and Yachting Museum features restorations of vintage boats of the region, as well as a speaker series and an annual blessing of the ﬂeet. The city is on its second name. When ﬁrst settled in the early 1890s, it was called Potsdam after a local landowner from Potsdam, Germany. Following the 1895 arrival of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway, the town was renamed after another local landowner, Homer Hine Stuart. Located about 10 miles south of Stuart is the village of Hobe Sound. With an eclectic assortment of shops, boutiques and galleries, Hobe Sound hosts cultural events that draw people from the entire Treasure Coast: the Hobe Sound Festival of the Arts (early February), Hobe Sound Art Walk and Stroll (third Saturday of the month from November through April) and the Hobe Sound Annual Christmas Parade (early December). The town’s name comes from the Jobe Indians (the Spanish pronounced the name “HO-bay”), one of the Native American groups that lived in the area before the European settlement. Hobe Sound is home to one of Florida’s ﬁnest nature preserves, the aforementioned Jonathan Dickinson State Park. This refuge contains an abundance of tropical and subtropical wildlife and offers camping, canoeing, hiking, bicycling, picnicking and fresh and saltwater ﬁshing. The 35-foot Loxahatchee Queen offers two-hour tours of the otherwise inaccessible backwaters of the Loxahatchee River, including a stop at the restored camp of Trapper Nelson, the “Wildman of the Loxahatchee.” Flagler and Stuart Dickinson was not the ﬁrst European in the area, of course. St. Lucie ﬁrst appeared on the maps of Spanish explorers in the early 16th century as Santa Lucea. And less than 20 years after Dickinson’s woes, a Spanish treasure ﬂeet was shipwrecked. It was the ﬁrst of many galleons carrying gold to wreck, giving the region its name, the Treasure Coast. Because of the area’s isolated location and the treacherous reefs just offshore, a U.S. Lifesaving Station was established in 1875 on Hutchinson Island to provide food and shelter to shipwrecked sailors. Still standing today, the structure is known as Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge. It houses the local Elliott Museum, which displays exhibits on the Coast Guard and local history. St. Lucie is known for its ﬁshing. Dubbed the “Sailﬁsh Capital of the World,” the peak months are December through March, then June and July, with more than a dozen tournaments ﬁlling calendars from October through January each year. In addition to marinas, deepsea charter and professional guide services are readily available. Featuring a remarkable amount of shoreline for its small size, Stuart Mural in historic downtown Stuart Photos courtesy of the Martin County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Jonathan Dickinson State Park Beach Getaways 13

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Florida Beach Getaways 2008

Florida Beach Getaways 2008 Contents Shorts: Sea Schools, Beach Events Travel File: Boat Tours Books: On the Water Deals: Seasonal Florida List: Lifeguard Stands Water: St. Lucie Inlet Key Biscayne Redington Beach Others: Ad Index Others: Florida Map Looking Back: Casinos

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