18 May 2021
After enjoying a few days at Phipps Park Campground (see the previous post), we followed the waterway into nearby Stuart for some sightseeing. Located street parking on Colorado Avenue before setting out on foot to explore the town.
Found the “Healthy Trail” and enjoyed a walk along the St. Lucie river. We found a spur that stretched half-way across the river to a fishing spot underneath the highway bridge. Stuart was bustling with pubs, restaurants, shops and a heritage museum.
After stretching our legs in Stuart we headed south to one of our favorite campgrounds, Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound. We like the large lots separated by bushes and palm trees.
Level lots with full hookups appeal to big Class A RV’s, who occupied the majority of sites in the Pine Grove campground.
Bicycling is great at Jonathan Dickinson where paved trails appeal to old folks like us. A section of the park is devoted to mountain bike trails for those looking for more of a challenge.
This park has two campgrounds and we like to bike between Pine Grove and the River Campground for our daily dose of exercise. The Loxahatchee River is our turnaround point.
A boat ramp, dock, and kayak launch are available if you bring a boat.
This is the driest we have seen the area. In past years we have reliably found an alligator in a pond about halfway between the campgrounds. This year an adult alligator wouldn’t fit in this little bit of water by the side of the trail.
Biking on one of the old military roads in the park we snapped a cellphone photo of a Scrub Jay.
Here’s a little background on this endangered bird.
Visiting with Beth’s sisters and their families is the reason we are always looking for campgrounds in this area. Here we joined the family at one of our favorite restaurants, theWaterway Cafe in Juno Beach. Sitting on the deck overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, I love watching the drawbridge open in anticipation of a boat parade every thirty minutes.
Another pretty spot is Lighthouse Park in Jupiter. The red lighthouse is a local landmark that always looks good in a photo.
Our last night at Jonathan Dickinson treated us to a sunset over the campground pond. The park continues to be one of our favorites.
Click here for lots more details on things to do in the park from our previous visits or type Jonathan in the search bar for a list of prior posts.