Blowing Rocks

We are so sick of the rain and cold we’ve had on our days off!!  It seems the only nice days happen when we have to go to work.  We keep busy with working inside but start to go stir crazy stuck on the boat so often.  This week, the weather finally cleared and we had a beautiful day to go exploring!  We decided to take a day trip down to Jupiter, Florida to visit the natural wonders of the Blowing Rocks Preserve.  This nature conservatory has been around since 1969, preserving a natural phenomenon on the Atlantic coast. 

A short hike through the sea grapes brings you to the beautiful sand beach.  Walking on the beach is always good therapy for the soul but this one has something special.  Limestone caves have formed along the beach.  Years of storms and tides have created pools in the caves with holes in the ceiling that open to the beach above.  At low tide, you can explore the caves from the beach.  At high tide, you can watch the waves surge through the blow holes.  If the wind and waves are high, these blow holes will actually throw water up 50 feet in the air.  I think we need to go back on a bad weather day just so we can see that!!

 Across the street is the education center where you can learn about how they removed all the non-native plants to restore the park to its original native environment.  Exhibits teach you about the local creatures and the conservatory’s efforts to protect the wildlife.  A boardwalk leads you through a brackish marsh where you can see birds, spiders, and snakes below.  The slight odor of a skunk is from the tall plant with the black berries on it called the white stopper.  Hiking trails take you along the Indian River Lagoon where you can watch the boats go by as you soak up the sunshine. 

We finished our day in Jupiter visiting Lighthouse Park.  We didn’t climb the lighthouse because I can’t stand walking in circles…not worth the dizziness and nausea!  But the grounds are right on the inlet so the view of the water was beautiful.  They also have a museum on the grounds in an old World War II naval radio station.  We enjoyed the peace on the river before driving back to Fort Pierce and our rocking home.

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