Category: Nature

The saga that is the flagship weekly series of this here blog continues now:

My Land, Lake, & Sea Adventure – So I left my home bright and early this past Saturday morning, and after brief pitstops at Chevron and Starbucks to fuel up (in more ways than one) I jumped on Florida’s Turnpike and headed north to Southern Boulevard (U.S. 98) in the West Palm Beach area. My first stop was the legendary Lion Country Safari in nearby Loxahatchee. It’s been there for as long as I’ve been alive – 43 years – but this was my first visit there in at least 20 years. I spent about 4 hours there, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. It’s fun to hang out with the lovable animals big and small. After the animal adventure I ventured over to the Big Lake Okeechobee for my first-ever up-close visit. I’ve seen it from way up in the sky in a jumbo jet, but never from the ground. It was quite the tranquil scene. Who knew that the lake had little mini waves brushing up against the rocky shoreline ?  From the lake region I proceeded back to the Florida east coast. I ate Dinner at Red Lobster for perhaps the first time in about 16 years, and then I headed over to the Atlantic Ocean to check out Fort Pierce Inlet State Park which turned out to be a most surprising treat (and unbelievably not on my itinerary). I dig that joint !  The scenery was awesome and picturesque, and the beach was vast and beautiful. I could hang out there for hours on end on a future visit, and I probably will.

Renaissance Community Church – This past Sunday morning I ventured over to the local movie theatre complex in the heart of Stuart Florida, and I was a First-Time Guest at Renaisance Community Church. I was immediately welcomed and introduced at the front door of the joint, and after that it was a near-continuous flow of welcomes and introductions from those who serve and lead there. They’ve been doing church in their movie theatre for about the same amount of time as us (at Life Pointe Church). The service itself was awesome. There was about 35 minutes of “Praise & Worship’, and the band itself could best be described as inspirational country rock. Think of four hair-challenged white dudes in their late-40s / early-50s with a younger female background vocalist that totally rocked my redneck face off. They were truly kool dudes, and the guitarist dude was totally ballistic like that. You could definitely determine his ultimate joy for Jesus. Lead Pastor Rick Evans preached the timely, relevant, and practical message, “Where To Get The Power You Need”. He taught from the following Scriptures out of The Truth: Job 6:10, 1 Corinthians 4:20, Psalm 68:35, Isaiah 40:28 & 31, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Psalm 41:3, Romans 7:18, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 29:23, John 15:5, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 11:1, 1 Corinthians 2:5, and Romans 8:17.

Jupiter Florida – After a scenic drive through Jupiter Island capped off by an educational visit to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum on a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon I ventured down the road to the Burt Reynolds & Friends Museum which incidentally is certainly not the easiest place to find. It’s located in an odd-looking building that resembles a former office building complex that’s been converted one too many times through the years, and it’s located at a non-descript corner of an intersection that if you’re not really paying attention to where you’re going you’ll drive right past it without even noticing it at all. So I parked my car in the plain-looking parking lot right next to the main sign that identifies it as the museum. I walked up the sidewalk from that sign to what appeared to be the main entrance, and I walked right in to the museum. But the place was a mess inside. There was construction going on, loud tools being utilized by workers, and nobody in sight. As I began checking out the various displays on the walls and all around the construction areas I wondered if the joint was actually closed to the general public for repairs. But then I saw another dude and then a couple checking out the displays, so I was fine. The place was indeed open for business. Here’s the kicker though. As I eventually made my way around to the other side of the building I came across the real main entrance where two older ladies were welcoming the few visitors who entered – and also collecting their $5 admission charge !  After I made my way completely around the museum I introduced myself to one of the ladies at the front entrance. I explained to her that I had inadvertantly entered the building through the other (rear) entrance, and that I had just now realized the mistake I made when I saw visitors being warmly welcomed at the door that I didn’t enter through. I signed the visitor’s guestbook, paid my $5, thanked her for the fun time I had, and then left the museum through the main entry and exit. And that’s how I unintentionally broke in to the Burt Reynolds Museum on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I didn’t mean to do it. I’m a tourist. I can get away with doing crazy stuff like that.