Yikes! I'm living in Stuart over 2 years & this was the first time I was diverted to this crazy…read moreroundabout due to road closures, & yes - was thoroughly confused & highly intimidated by that railroad track being in the heart of it all! My IMAP stopped talking and if matters weren't bad enough, (when I decided which exit to follow after my brain finally unscrambled) some jerk started honking madly as I carefully drove straight ahead to reach US 1..It was unnerving at first but worth the adrenaline rush once I calmed down & laughed it off. Realistically though- future navigators -- please pay close attention to & avoid that RR track and ignore those nasty honkers!

What makes Confusion Corner in historic downtown Stuart Florida so confusing? It is the eight…read moreroads! that come together in one intersection. Hold your breath and say a prayer as you attempt to make it safely through Flagler Avenue, East Ocean, West Ocean Blvd, Colorado Avenue, A1A both North & South, and Dixie Highway where they join in a roundabout, creating a Stuart landmark. If that wasn't enough, throw a train track in there too. How do you know you are at Confusion Corner? Stand in front of the April Daze boutique and watch the show. You will know you are in the right spot as you watch the cars swing around and hear the horns honking. If you have driven in downtown Stuart, you have passed through Confusion Corner. This intersection is so famous that the legendary Charles Kuralt came to Stuart in 1979 to film an episode for his popular "On the Road" series. There is even a song about it on You Tube by Clifford Buckosh & Okeechobee Records and if you survive the drive you can purchase a T Shirt to commemorate it at Harbor Wear. Despite all the confusion, the only deadly accident to happen there took place in the 1940's. So buckle up that seatbelt, as you swing yourself around Stuart's Confusion Corner.

Across from Kiwanis Park is the historic home known as Hull House. As a fan of both architecture…read moreand history I stopped to read the sign and learn more about the early years of Stuart, Sailfish capital of the world. Benjamin Franklin Frazier (1889-1953) was a wealthy land owner on Jensen Beach and Hutchinson Island where he operated the largest bean growing farm on the island. In 1912 he married Lottie Hull and the couple built their seven room. two story home in 1913 on a lot purchased from Margaret Frazier, a prominent early settler of Stuart. The magnificent five gabled Florida wood frame, vernacular style home features Dade County pine floors. I especially love the charming stained glass windows. Hull along with 38 early settlers including Margaret Frazier's son voted to incorporate Stuart as a city in June of 1913. B.F. cleared 120 acres with the plan of growing tomatoes in Stuart. Unfortunately he became ill and by 1914 his company B.F. Hull & Sons had declared bankruptcy. The Hulls sold their home to Mable Lane, whose husband, Alexis Leroy Lane, had one of the first boatyards on the St. Lucie River. Mable and Roy suffered a financial set back and lost the house in 1922 to Dorothy and Frank Csongedi who purchased it through a special master's sale on January 6, 1939. Frank Csongedi was a popular boat captain connected with the Pelican Hotel and the Sunrise. After living in the house 13 years the Csongedis sold the house to George and Ella Wolf, who also lived in the house for 13 years. In 1981 John Sherrard, Esquire, purchased the house for use as his law firm. He has owned the home for three decades and has maintained its historic integrity. On November 6, 2019, the Stuart Historic Preservation Board was listed on the The City of Stuart Historic Register. This historic plaque in front of the house was dedicated in 2020.

In 1885 the only life saving station on the east coast was built near this spot. The actual…read morelocation is now underwater. The station operated until 1899. The construction of the station was overseen by Charles. R. Carlin who was the assistant keeper at the Jupiter Lighthouse. While the station no longer exists there is a historical marker in front of the Lazy Loggerhead Cafe in Carlin Park, The two story building had a four sided lookout tower on the roof with a powerful spyglass on a tripod that enabled the men to see out on to the ocean. The first floor had a utility room and a 27 foot rescue boat mounted on a ramp that slid down on to the beach. The second floor had the crew quarters and lockers for the six surf men who were skilled in shipwreck rescue. The men supervised by Carlin worked September through May and during the summer months only Carlin manned the post. After Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida ship traffic declined and paid workers were replaced with volunteers. After the station ceased operation Carlin remained to organize volunteers during emergencies until his death. While trying to prevent a brush fire from consuming the station he fell from the roof to his death. The During WWI Life Saving Service combined with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard. You can learn more about the life saving station at the nearby Jupiter Lighthouse museum. There is a room that has a display dedicated to the station that includes artifacts and photos. They have a locker from the station as well as Carlin's telescope.

Located between Orlando and Miami, the Civic Center provides an amazing indoor and outdoor event…read moreexperience. The Civic Center, now renamed MIDFLORIDA Event Center, is perfect for an array of events. From business to birthday, this elegant space can accommodate up to 600 people. There is ample parking and the exterior is just stunning. My family and I love visiting during the holidays and enjoy the music, array of lights, and Christmas decorations. I frequently visit the September 11th monument just outside of the center and think it is a beautiful way to honor the victims and families who lost their loved ones.

The St. Patrick's Day festival is being held today at the Civic Center in Port Saint Lucie. My…read moreelderly mother is visiting from Norfolk, saw the Farris Wheel and wanted to go. So off we went. How disappointing! For two, it cost $10.00. The wheel never went in a loop without stopping multiple times. Extremely disappointing. Won't waste my time or money there again.

If you an interest in history and engineering then the St. Lucie Lock and Dam is well worth a…read morevisit. Managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the St. Lucie Lock and Dam is a key part of the Intracoastal Waterway system serving a vital role in controlling the flow of water, helping with flood management, navigation, and water quality. This lock is located on the St. Lucie Canal also known as C-44. It is a man-made canal in Martin County, connecting Lake Okeechobee to the Indian River Lagoon. The canal was built between 1916 and 1924 to divert floodwaters from the lake into the St. Lucie Estuary via the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. The canal was deepened in 1937 to enable the passage of boats and it is now the eastern segment of the Okeechobee Waterway. The first lock built at this site was constructed by the Everglades Drainage District in 1925. The current lock was built in 1941 for navigation and flood control. In 1944, the connecting spillway structure was built for flood control replacing the natural outflow of the St. Lucie River from Lake Okeechobee. The St. Lucie South Recreation Area next to the lock has picnic tables, fishing piers, a boat ramp, and campground. On the north side of the lock you can hike the St. Lucie Nature Trail through a subtropical forest next to a primitive group campsite. You can only cross over to the nature trail if the lock is not in operation. I ended having to wait both to enter and to leave. If a boat is going through the lock it takes around 20 minutes. If you are allowed to cross the yellow gate will be open. A short drive from the entrance is a visitor's center which gives more history on the lock and dam as well as the ecology of the area.

Exactly what a library should be this day in our lil slice of heaven on the treasure coast :)…read moreIf your friends don't have books, don't be friends with them :D I love to read. One of my picks is "fail fast and fail often" ~~self help? Yes thank you :)) I'm part of the community. See ya there :* You can trust me, it's right here in context ;D

I just wanna give a major shoutout to some key employees who has been nothing but insightful and…read morehelpful durning my time in the Morningside Branch Library. Major Thanks to Shelly, Lisa, & Bill for going above and beyond on assisting me in all the things to help myself and my family. Highly recommend this location

It's obvious that every source of electrical power generation has advantages and disadvantages, yet…read morethe generation of electricity remains one of the most controversial topics of our times. Whether these concerns are over global warming and its impact on the environment for future generations, the immediate risk and safety concerns of the surrounding communities or simply the cost justifications behind regulation or deregulation. There are groups on both sides of these arguments working tirelessly to justify their convictions for it or against it, but both sides can agree it's a vital part of our existence. In the case of nuclear power those advantages are both a clean and environmentally friendly method of electrical generation that's affordable, safe and reliable. The St. Lucie Power Plant located off of A1A on Hutchinson Island approximately 8 miles southeast of Fort Pierce, has been producing safe, reliable and low-cost electricity since 1976 when its first nuclear reactor was put online producing about 1 megawatt of electricity (1 megawatt = 1 million watts) of electricity -- enough power to supply the annual needs of more than 1 million homes. The second unit of equal size began operating in 1983 doubling the capacity of this generating station. This location was chosen because of its low-risk seismic zone, although St. Lucie is located in the lowest hazard zone for earthquakes according to the (USGS) this facility was constructed to withstand earthquakes and other natural events stronger than ever recorded in the region. The plant is elevated 20 feet above sea level to protect against flooding and extreme storm surges and successfully withstood the back- to-back impact of two hurricanes in 2004. This nuclear-power plant was built to withstand winds in excess of 195-mph and also the effects associated with these types of events with an abundances of redundant controls and emergency power supplies. This facility has been rated as one of the top performing U.S. nuclear power plants and has maintained a reasonable safety record since its commissioning. Although we would like to assume there are no inherent risk, in this industry it's more about how these risks are managed and the over-sight by a variety of agencies that fully understand the complexity of this technology and assumes responsibility to protect people and property. This plant is one of the many reasons Floridian's have some of the lowest cost per kilowatt hour in the country and a record of reliability that rivals more regions in the U.S. In order to educate the public this plant operates a visitor center, called the Energy Encounter, it allows visitors to experience interactive exhibits on electricity, nuclear energy and the environment and the admission is free it's open to the public Tuesdays & Thursdays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. a visit here may put your mind at ease and certainly give you a better understanding of the demands facing the country's energy producers in today's world, who doesn't expect the lights to come on when we flick the switch, it's not magic you know it requires a never ending commitment by the men and women living in our community that work in this demanding industry to provide this service for all of us, the most privileged people on earth.

The energy center has lots of information and cool demonstration "toys"…read more The power plant provides clean energy in "bulks" compared to solar or wind energy.

I wanted to donate a brand new book highly in demand to the Rosser branch the lifecycle if the…read morecommon octopus. You can't get the book for less thann$29 and wait is 6 weeks or more. Thru have one in order don't even own the book. The bureaucracy of having it possibly out into a book sale or sent to another branch is nuts. Too bad I'm sure their patrons are losing out fir them not willing to accept a brand new hardcover book into their collection.

Very outgoing staff, polite and helpful. I took my grandkids of course this was their first time…read moreand they loved it.