Where: Palm Beach, Florida
When: July 22-24, 2016
With: Dave
Dave and I had a weekend down in Palm Beach thanks to a good college friend's wedding. As such, we got to explore this city in south Florida that I had never been to before (which is crazy cause I spent so much time in Fort Lauderdale as a kid, only 35 minutes away).
Palm Beach is technically a barrier island, running parallel to the ocean for about 16 miles. The Intracoastal runs to the west of it, separating it from the mainland and its counterpart, appropriately named, West Palm Beach.
Palm Beach has the reputation of being the winter getaway for the rich and famous. The ocean is turquoise, the weather is warm and the houses are huge. From January to March, hotel rooms are impossibly expensive, the streets are busy with pedestrians, and the restaurants are packed. Luckily for us, we got to take advantage of the sights in the dead of slow season, the summer! Therefore, while the weather was steaming (90 degrees plus easy), we were able to do as we pleased.
When we arrived on Friday afternoon, while we were staying in West Palm Beach (like peons) we headed into Palm Beach to see what all the fuss is about. We decided to try the restaurant Ta-boo, a staple on the Palm Beach society scene. Not much has changed since it opened in the 1940s, and the decor and old time music make you feel like you stepped back in time. Wealthy women in big hats enjoyed lunch while young socialites had cocktails at the bar. We did our best to stick our chins up and act like we belonged.
The big palm trees and dark wood decor did feel romantic and nostalgic. The food was fantastic, particularly their ahi tuna salad. Dave partook in the legendary Bloody Mary, which Ta-boo claims to have invented for heiress Barbara Hutton after a long night of partying.
Ta-boo sits on the famous (or infamous?) Worth Avenue, a long, pedestrian-mall-like street with every designer store there is. Walking along, the buildings are beautiful, but perfect to the point of sterile.
That evening, we decided to keep the classy act going with drinks and dinner at The Breakers. This Victorian-era hotel was opened in 1896 by Henry Morrison Flagler, a railroad tycoon who wanted a place for vacationers to stay down in Florida. While the original and its subsequent replacement both burned down, The Breakers as it stands today was completed in 1925 and is meant to look like the Villa Medici in Rome.
Stepping into this gorgeous building also felt like stepping back in time. The ceiling was arched and painted like a medieval building, while tapestries hung on the walls. Beautiful chandeliers adorn every hallway, and classic 1920s music echoes throughout.
We took a quick spin around the hotel grounds, taking in the beach views and the little courtyards that make up the property.
We started with drinks at the HMF (Flagler's initials). The waitresses were all sporting black cocktail dresses, 1940s bouffant hairstyles, and pearls, adding to the classic feel of the building.
After having a glass of wine there, we headed over to the Italian Restaurant for dinner. It was way more relaxed, and the restaurant did a great job of accommodating families while not skimping on quality of food. I had some of the best veal parm of my life!
The next day, to complete our Palm Beach experience, Dave and I rented bikes and rode along the Lake Trail, a 6-mile paved route that runs up the western side of Palm Beach. While a smooth bike ride along the Intracoastal is lovely, the unique aspect of this ride is the houses you ride beside. Mansions of the rich and famous line the trail, allowing them views of the water and their boats. While riding along, it's tough to see over or through their perfectly manicured hedges, but every so often, a mansion mimicking an Italian villa would poke through and remind us of the wealth along the route.
It was a hot day for a bike ride and we got the sunburns to prove it, but it was a really easy ride, even in the heat. When we reached the end of the trail, we were able to ride around through some lovely neighborhoods with beautiful homes dotted all about.
We reached the northern end of the island at a little dock with some views back on West Palm Beach (and thankfully, a water fountain). The nice part about it only being 6 miles is that it wasn't too difficult to get back on the bikes and return.
Overall, we were glad we got to see what all the fuss is about in Palm Beach. While the Breakers was beautiful and the bike ride could easily be something we could do regularly, Palm Beach was a bit too fancy for the two of us. But that doesn't take away that it was a beautiful spot, and the Breakers the ultimate in old-world luxury.
When: July 22-24, 2016
With: Dave
Dave and I had a weekend down in Palm Beach thanks to a good college friend's wedding. As such, we got to explore this city in south Florida that I had never been to before (which is crazy cause I spent so much time in Fort Lauderdale as a kid, only 35 minutes away).
Palm Beach is technically a barrier island, running parallel to the ocean for about 16 miles. The Intracoastal runs to the west of it, separating it from the mainland and its counterpart, appropriately named, West Palm Beach.
Palm Beach has the reputation of being the winter getaway for the rich and famous. The ocean is turquoise, the weather is warm and the houses are huge. From January to March, hotel rooms are impossibly expensive, the streets are busy with pedestrians, and the restaurants are packed. Luckily for us, we got to take advantage of the sights in the dead of slow season, the summer! Therefore, while the weather was steaming (90 degrees plus easy), we were able to do as we pleased.
When we arrived on Friday afternoon, while we were staying in West Palm Beach (like peons) we headed into Palm Beach to see what all the fuss is about. We decided to try the restaurant Ta-boo, a staple on the Palm Beach society scene. Not much has changed since it opened in the 1940s, and the decor and old time music make you feel like you stepped back in time. Wealthy women in big hats enjoyed lunch while young socialites had cocktails at the bar. We did our best to stick our chins up and act like we belonged.
The big palm trees and dark wood decor did feel romantic and nostalgic. The food was fantastic, particularly their ahi tuna salad. Dave partook in the legendary Bloody Mary, which Ta-boo claims to have invented for heiress Barbara Hutton after a long night of partying.
Ta-boo sits on the famous (or infamous?) Worth Avenue, a long, pedestrian-mall-like street with every designer store there is. Walking along, the buildings are beautiful, but perfect to the point of sterile.
However, small alleys (called "vias") shoot off the main street creating courtyards offering specialty boutiques, Italian-like statues, and overgrown flowers creeping down the Spanish-style buildings. While we aren't big shoppers, I did like these accents as they gave the area a bit more character.
The front yard. Epic sunset.
Stepping into this gorgeous building also felt like stepping back in time. The ceiling was arched and painted like a medieval building, while tapestries hung on the walls. Beautiful chandeliers adorn every hallway, and classic 1920s music echoes throughout.
We took a quick spin around the hotel grounds, taking in the beach views and the little courtyards that make up the property.
We started with drinks at the HMF (Flagler's initials). The waitresses were all sporting black cocktail dresses, 1940s bouffant hairstyles, and pearls, adding to the classic feel of the building.
The next day, to complete our Palm Beach experience, Dave and I rented bikes and rode along the Lake Trail, a 6-mile paved route that runs up the western side of Palm Beach. While a smooth bike ride along the Intracoastal is lovely, the unique aspect of this ride is the houses you ride beside. Mansions of the rich and famous line the trail, allowing them views of the water and their boats. While riding along, it's tough to see over or through their perfectly manicured hedges, but every so often, a mansion mimicking an Italian villa would poke through and remind us of the wealth along the route.
It was a hot day for a bike ride and we got the sunburns to prove it, but it was a really easy ride, even in the heat. When we reached the end of the trail, we were able to ride around through some lovely neighborhoods with beautiful homes dotted all about.
We reached the northern end of the island at a little dock with some views back on West Palm Beach (and thankfully, a water fountain). The nice part about it only being 6 miles is that it wasn't too difficult to get back on the bikes and return.
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