Florida’s Hidden Gem – Martin County offers authenticity, beauty and truly great outdoors
By Gary McKechnie
What fuels my passion as a traveler is simple. When I’m on the road, every day is different. With discoveries to be made, those are the days when routine gives way to anticipation. Exploration is beautiful, and I love getting immersed in destinations near and far.
When I journeyed to Martin County—a quick trip from where I live—to explore its great outdoors, my day was anything but routine. I found rivers and lagoons and wildlife centers and sanctuaries. There are boat rentals and kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. There’s a national wildlife refuge and a historic state park. There was fishing, and plenty of it.
People kayaking through a river.
It was a road trip that delivered far more than expected.
Including a little something called the Atlantic Ocean.
A new look at Old Florida
With the Atlantic to the east, the Intracoastal Waterway (Indian River) snuggled up beside it, and the St. Lucie River filling in the blanks, I could connect the dots of Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, Stuart, and Hobe Sound simply by traveling down the coast. With more time (and, trust me, next time there’ll be more time), I plan to explore Martin County’s four other distinct and unique communities: Indiantown, Tequesta, Palm City and Port Salerno where, I hear, there’s a great seafood festival.
Other favorite regional festivals include October’s historic Indiantown Rodeo, a nearly 70-year-old RCA/WPRA event that has been a popular (and traditionally sold out) display of dust and muscle and skill and horsemanship. At November’s Stuart Air Show there are aerobatic planes, experimental aircraft and restored warbirds displayed on the ground and speeding across the sky, with entertainment, parties, fireworks, and festivities throughout the weekend.
But, back to now. Over my car radio, I heard my belly grumble to remind me that I’d skipped breakfast. I headed straight to Jensen Beach Boulevard where, mixed in with an assortment of restaurants and shops, was Jan’s Place, a bakery/restaurant that turned out it to be Gary’s place as well. The décor was kitsch and the lighting fixtures didn’t match, but from the moment I walked in, I was treated like a regular.
From a long and lengthy menu, John (who earns high marks as one of the best servers ever) brought me the one thing I really wanted. The char-grilled cheeseburger was perfect in aroma, temperature and taste. It was—and I kid you not—the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had. Forget breakfast. This was the most important meal of the day. The fries were crisp and the sweet tea never ran dry. I was too embarrassed to ask for one to go (John had already refilled my glass three, maybe four hundred times), but when John noticed I was leaving empty-handed, he ran back to get me yet another sweet tea for the road. Perfect service. Perfect meal.
Now I was ready to roll.