Palm Beach FL

From LoveToKnow Travel

Palm Beach FL, winter home of the well heeled and the rich and famous, is full of culture, history, and fun. An island community, located just north of Ft. Lauderdale and east of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach is home to a variety of activities and sights. Try these for an enjoyable visit:

Worth Avenue

Worth Avenue, like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, is all about luxury shopping. Worth Avenue and the alleyways intersecting it house over 250 high-end clothing boutiques, art galleries, and antique shops. Cartier, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Tiffany and Co. are just some of the retailers represented here. Interesting architecture, many building by Addison Mizner (more about him later), and great people watching make this an interesting stroll even if you can’t afford to shop here.


The Beach

Of course, there’s the beach. The public beach in Palm Beach FL is free and open to all. Accessible just off of Worth Avenue, this wide, sandy expanse is a nice place to relax after shopping. The beach here is not usually crowded. Ironically, for a city with “beach” in its name, the beach here isn’t nearly as inviting as are those just to the north and to the south of the island.

The Breakers Hotel

Before there was the Ritz Carlton, before there was the Four Seasons, there was the Breakers Hotel. Constructed on the site of the original Breakers Hotel, built in 1903 by Henry Flagler, today’s Breakers is Palm Beach’s grandest hotel. This mammoth, Italian Renaissance structure is a focal point of Palm Beach society, hosting numerous galas and weddings in its sumptuous ballrooms. The rooms are deluxe and there are three “cottages” near the beach, the last vestiges of the original hotel. The Breakers is worth a visit even if you don’t stay there. The painted lobby ceiling, old-fashioned soda shop, and guided tours are fun and interesting.


Hibbel Museum of Art

Edna Hibbel’s paintings are sugary portraits of mothers and children from around the world. She paints on a variety of surfaces: wood, silk, crystal, and porcelain. The museum, located on Royal Poinciana Way, houses over 1000 examples of her work. Mrs. Hibbel still lives in the Palm Beach FL area and frequently visits the museum.

The Flagler Museum in Palm Beach FL

Henry Flagler, a former Standard Oil executive, founded the tourist industry in Florida. In the 1880s, he built rail lines down the east coast of Florida and brought his wealthy friends to winter there. His winter home, “Whitehall,” a 55-room mansion, dubbed the “Taj Mahal of North America,” is now the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Highlights of this spectacular home are the master bath, with its sunken tub and double wash basins made of onyx; the huge, Louis XV ballroom; and the marble hall: the grand entrance of the home with its sweeping stairway, gilded chairs, and painted ceiling. The grounds are home to one of Flagler’s luxurious private rail cars.

Sea Gull Cottage

Built in 1886, Sea Gull Cottage is Palm Beach’s oldest building and Henry Flagler’s first home there. The cottage is adjacent to the Royal Poinciana Chapel, built in 1896 by Flagler for his guests.

Lake Okeechobee

Meaning “Big Water” in the Seminole Indian language, Lake Okeechobee is the second largest freshwater lake in The United States. Just east of Palm Beach, it is famous for its fishing, particularly for its largemouth bass. There are several marinas surrounding the lake with tackle shops and boat rentals. There is also a large bird and wildlife population around the lake. Bring your binoculars.


Mizner architecture in Palm Beach FL

Addison Mizner brought Spanish-style architecture to south Florida. A native New Yorker, he arrived in Palm Beach in 1918 to convalesce from an accident. He stayed on and left his signature terra cotta stucco walls, tile roofs, and Spanish detailing all along Florida’s east coast. See his work on Worth Avenue, in the immaculately restored Palm Beach town hall, and just north of town in Boca Raton.

Norton Museum of Art

This museum, located just across the intercoastal waterway in West Palm Beach, houses the finest art collection in Florida. Founded in 1941 with the art collection of industrialist, Edward Norton, as its foundation, The Norton Museum of Art has an extensive collection of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art as well as a trove of noteworthy 20th century American art. There is also a small, but important, sculpture exhibit with works by Rodin, Degas, and Brancusi.


Take a Day Cruise

The most impressive sides of the multi-million dollar mansions in Palm Beach FL are the ones that face the ocean. See how the other half lives and take an afternoon cruise along the coast. Enjoy, too, the ocean breezes and brilliant sunshine that are Florida’s trademark.


 


Comment on Palm Beach FL



(Displayed with your comment)                        (Will not be displayed)
Verification Code:   
    

Travel Categories
LoveToKnow Tools
More Articles