Walking On Sunshine

Palm Beach    

The beautiful morning beckoned us to get outside, lower the dinghy, and make our way to shore. We left Crossroads bobbing in the anchorage, at the mercy of wakes from passing vessels, and joined the parade of boats toward the Flagler Bascule Bridge. Today, we did not have to stage and wait for an opening. Our dinghy had no problem with the 22-feet of vertical clearance. We were soon at the dinghy dock and planning our route. 

After a quick trip around the amphitheater we made the big decision to walk to the beach. We crossed the Port Royal Bascule Bridge and headed east on Royal Palm Way. An ornate gate and a hedge of pretty white flowers caught our eye. 

We were drawn into the Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden of the Four Arts Campus. Apollo and Daphne welcomed us and pointed us in the right direction. Grainger McKoy's Recovery is a high-detail depiction of a pintail duck's feathers. King Parrot is a painted cast bronze scarlet macaw perched on a heart. Allies is touted as the most popular sculpture in the Garden. Life-size depictions of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill are seated on a bench in relaxed conversation. An adjacent placard termed it an "approachable sculpture" and invited visitors to "sit and pose for pictures." I did not have to be told twice. 

Large mounds of bougainvillea added splashes of color around the dark metal artwork. The Bond, a life-size sculpture of a dolphin and calf, was crafted by David Turner who was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. We thoroughly enjoyed this unexpected diversion, but had much more to see. It was a beautiful day and we were walking on sunshine. A few more blocks east on Royal Palm Way brought us to the beach. It is amazing how the low rumbling sound of breaking waves chases all my cares away. We followed Ocean Boulevard north until we had to divert around The Breakers resort. This luxurious property was founded in 1896 by Henry Flagler as a place of "unapologetic luxury, seaside glamour, and world-class service." The complex is home to Florida's oldest golf course, which was beautifully manicured and bustling with golfers.  

A left onto A1A began our return to the western shore. A new-to-me plant caught my eye. An app on my phone identified it as Pink Wild Pear. We crossed the Intracoastal Waterway via the Flagler Bascule Bridge. Off to our left was a massive collection of shiny, polished fiberglass docked at the Palm Harbor Marina. The roads and sidewalks were spotless -- no leaves or trash could be found. It all seemed too good to be true. A short distance later I spotted a spent shell casing in the crosswalk. The park benches and sidewalks along the promenade were occupied by the homeless. We were brought back to reality.

After our six-mile walking loop, we were ready for lunch. We chose a restaurant from a dozen options along Clematis Street, had a table on the sidewalk, and watched a wide variety of folks stroll by. The home stretch of our walk took us by many colorful and intricate pieces of street art. By 3:00 were back in the dinghy and enjoying the return trip to Crossroads. With a few hours of sunshine still remaining, I found my spot on Fiberglass Beach. After visiting with Franklin earlier in morning, I sat with Eleanor in the afternoon. I finished Book 3 of my trip, an interesting and easy read essay full of insightful tidbits that are still relevant more than 60 years after publication.

As the sun set in a dreamy orange and the wakes from passing boats calmed down, we raised the dinghy back onto the upper deck. We will depart at first light tomorrow morning, exit the ICW via the Lake Worth Inlet, and make a day trip in the Atlantic to our final State-side destination of Key Biscayne.