Downtown Jensen Beach

Hey Mom & Dad, you're in my shot!

The first thing you will notice about Downtown Jensen Beach is that it is not exactly in the "South" part of South Florida. Florida is a really long state. It's not quite far enough North to be called Central Florida so it counts.

The second thing you will notice about Downtown Jensen Beach is it's not on the beach. Probably a wise move as it is right smack in the middle of hurricane alley.

I am spending a lot more time in Mom and Dad's neck of the woods these days. I never let pass by an opportunity to turn a blah day into a blog day so I took them on a little adventure while I was there.

Jensen beach is old time Florida with a lot of the original houses still lying around. Some are converted into business but they still retain their charm. The pavements are made of crushed sea shells and cement. There are the usual quaint restaurants and gift shops. The perfect outing for the parents but I like a little more out of the day. How about a drive.

A little tip about Florida housing. Florida is mostly a swamp. To build anything you need to get higher than the water table. To make it economical, we dig gigantic, 40 foot deep lakes and then build hundreds of all the same houses on the fill. BORING....

Ok - back to the drive. From Jensen Beach to Fort Pierce is the most unique road in all of Florida. The Intercoastal Waterway on one side and a huge, natural sand dune on the other. It is miles and miles of the most unique homes Florida has to offer without gates to keep you out. S. Indian River Dr is a narrow, harrowing, fast paced, twisty (by Florida standards) bit of highway with the oddest collection of homes from mansions to shacks. The opposite side of the road is the most beautiful waterway views anywhere in Florida. To keep from viewing that waterway from under it, the driver must be ever vigilant so be sure and call shotgun on this tour. At Fort Pierce, hang a right and zoom back home on a scenic beach highway complete with the ominous cooling towers of a nuclear power plant.

Whether you plan a laid back experience or invite your parents to scream "Slow Down" as you hang a few curves along the river, Jensen Beach is definitively a great place to visit.