A Trip to the Eastern Shore

 

While we're surrounded by lakes in Lake Placid, we are an easy day trip to beaches on the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.  The salt water beaches attract many more people, so not a good motorcycle trip as we don't like to ride the bike in heavy traffic.  This picture shows the stark difference between the State Parks along the water and the commercially developed areas.

Ft Pierce Inlet

Barrier islands along the Atlantic coast form a protected passage for boats on the intercoastal waterway.  In Florida, Highway A1A runs along the barrier islands with the intercoastal on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, with occasional corridors between the two bodies of water.  

The Corps of Engineers built up the natural passage with tons and tons of stone on both sides at Fort Pierce.

The park at Fort Pierce offers fishing along the inlet, and lots of beautiful sandy beaches.

It was a hot sunny day and people were starting to flock to the park even at 9:30 a.m. when we arrived at Ft Pierce.

The red flag in the background warns that it is a windy day and caution should be exercised by surfers and swimmers.  
  

The sea birds were out in force - all facing into the wind.  We could walk within a couple of feet of them before they would even think about moving.

Avalon State Park is only a couple of miles north of Ft. Pierce State Park.  There are lots of other entertainment possibilities along A1A.  

The Navy Seal museum is located on A1A but we didn't stop for a visit yet.  We headed back across the farmland in the middle of the state accompanied by the wonderful smell of orange blossoms, happy to be heading away from the traffic of the coastline.