Jupiter,Florida~Off The Beaten Path & Out Of This World!

Jupiter. 
Florida was as much of a mystery to me as our planetary neighbour! To be honest, Florida has never really been on my travel radar, except for maybe the Florida Keys or the Florida Everglades.   In my imagination, Florida was just full of old retired people and alligators....and perhaps a bunch of oranges.   You know, just like Canada is full of igloos, lumberjacks and maybe a bunch beavers.  😉

But when our dear friend Jenni invited me to visit her in Florida last January, I thought it was a call to adventure!  We took a quick morning flight with Westjet from Toronto to West Palm Beach. The West Palm Beach Airport was small, well organized with volunteers to help those who look lost.  The WPB airport is very manageable and a much quicker entry point than a larger airport like Miami or Orlando.  I picked up our rental car and headed North to Tequesta where Jenni's folks live; it's just outside of Jupiter.   Of course, I brought Sangeeta along (she's my trusty Garmin GPS), so I had no problem finding Jenny's house.  I was amazed that I saw a TD (Toronto Dominion) bank in West Palm Beach.  What is a Canadian Bank doing in Florida?  Is this foreshadowing that we will be surrounded in a sea of white-haired Canuck snowbirds?

Lighthouse Duet

After settling in to our rental house, we decided to head out for a look around Jupiter. The first place we headed out to explore is the Jupiter Lighthouse and museum.  The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is the beloved icon of Jupiter, Florida.  Completed in 1860,  the lighthouse still shines it's beacon out into the Straight of Florida every night.  We took the museum tour that climbs up the 108-foot tower, and found ourselves alone at the top, with fantastic views of the Loxahatchee River and of Jupiter Inlet.  Jenni and I are both American Tribal StyleⓇ Belly Dancers; so we did a little improv belly dance duet at the top of the lighthouse for some fun!

There Are Manatees in This River!

The lighthouse tour takes you through the grounds of the museum and talks about the Tequesta tribe that is indigenous to this area of Florida. The tour also takes you to Tindall house, a pioneer homestead that has been moved to the lighthouse grounds for preservation.  There is also an incredible big old Banyan tree outside the lighthouse, and it was so inviting to linger under its shady canopy and listen to the bird's chatter.  I was so excited to capture a glimpse of a manatee swimming around the busy river inlet! 

Dune Dog Cafe

All that stair climbing made us hungry!  Jenni took us to her favourite snack shack-The Dune Dog!  A stop at the Dune Dog Cafe is a must in the Jupiter area-it is a local institution. Their sangria was out of this world; as well as the crunchy fish sandwich, the crab cake sandwich and the Dune Dog hot dog!  My teenaged son Liam also loved the fries here too, he is a french-fry connoisseur.  The Dune Dog is a fun eclectic, casual atmosphere, and you could really feel the surfer vibe.  We definitely have to return to the Dune Dog for another lunch before we go home.

Up Close With A Loggerhead "patient."

After lunch, we headed South to Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach.  
The Marinelife Centre is a sea turtle rescue center and hospital; the only one between Orlando and the Florida Keys. Loggerhead Park across the street is one of the most significant active sea turtle nesting grounds in the world! The Marine Life facility includes a state-of-the-art full-service veterinary hospital, exhibit hall,  and an outdoor classroom.

Not Quite A Leatherback Yet

Getting up close with these turtles was such an extraordinary experience.  Loggerhead sea turtles are endangered, and Leatherback sea turtles are on the vulnerable species list. The work that is being done at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center to protect these reptiles and the conservation efforts for their habitat is astounding the admission to this center? BY DONATION!  And donate we did!!!!  Check out the Loggerhead Marinelife Center  www.marinelife.org  You can also donate to the center online.

 

What a fun and fantastic day!  Liam really liked the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and all the turtles, and we really loved learning about some of the histories of the Jupiter area.  We are looking forward to exploring more of the natural wonders of this area and enjoying the laid back Florida lifestyle.

Watch some newly hatched Loggerhead turtle cuteness!

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Arva Flour in South West Ontario

Happy 200th birthday to a piece of Ontario history!  Arva flour mill is a step back through time to a time when GMO-free, locally sourced, organic wheat was what made the daily bread.

My first Valentine's Day in Ontario! I thought a romantic way to spend the day would be to become a tourist in our local area.  Now, when I was a little girl, I was obsessed with Little House On The Prairie; I even asked for an oil lamp for Christmas when I was 6 or 7!  I still have my glass oil lamp Santa so kindly brought me.  (Ya, I was a weird kid!)  So visiting the Arva Flour Mill was like stepping back through time .... to Laura Ingalls Wilder's world.

Liam Checking Out The Massive Icicles

I heard about the Arva Flour Mill in Southwestern Ontario, from the local Historical Society in my own home town of Drumbo. The Arva Mill has a reputation for the best flour in Ontario, and since I love to bake, I had to check this place out! The Arva mill was built in 1819 and is the oldest continuously running flour mill in all of Ontario; maybe even North America!  Arva's location is just North of London,  which means a quick jump onto highway 401 and in less than an hour's drive from our door, we were in Arva.

Brrrrr!

Now, this was my first Winter in Ontario, and it was the coldest day of that year.  At -33 C (-26F) we didn't get a chance to explore the village of Arva itself very much other than a quick drive through, but it looked charming!  The Arva mill is situated on the banks of Medway Creek, on what locals call "The Mill Pond." The pond seems like it would be an excellent spot for a picnic in the summer months. This site is where the Arva Mill's tagline comes from: "The Best Flour By A Dam Site." 😉

Equipment At The Mill

Entrance To The MillHouse Store 

As we went down the driveway to the mill parking lot, I was surprised at how big the mill actually is. Of course lots of silos, but I was aching to roam around and see the flour mill in action!  No such luck. The mill's store is open on Sundays, but they don't do any milling on that day.  So my son  Liam and I had to be content with peeking through the glass doors and taking photos.  Around the year 1904, the Arva Mill replaced their original grist millstone to "new" (now vintage) roller mills, and it's the same rollers used to mill Arva flour today!  This is what gives the flour it's fantastic consistency.  The Arva mill also is still half powered by the water from Medway creek (the other half is that newfangled electricity!)  Imagine that; not much has changed for this mill in the past 100 years.  The Arva Flour Mill is now owned by the 4th generation of the Scott family, and hopefully, some plans are in works for a big 200th-anniversary celebration. 

The Arva MillHouse store was terrific too.  The shelves were full of different types of organic flours, dried goods such as beans, fruit, baking supplies and all kinds of pasta. All the flour milled at Arva comes from small surrounding local farms that provide non-GMO wheat to the mill. Also, the Arva mill prides itself on the fact that there are no additives or preservatives to their flour.  The store has a Health food section and huge gluten-free product selections as well.

I know people are marvelling about Arva's flour; maybe it's because they take the time to do things the old fashioned way and the flour is all natural.  Among other items, we bought a 50 pounds bag of Arva all-purpose flour, 10 lbs bag of pastry flour and 5lbs each of light and dark rye flour; which I find hard to find in the grocery stores here in Ontario.  You can also get farm eggs from a fridge in the back as well as some other local dairy products.

There was another store on the property that looked like a country store selling local meats & cheeses and grocery items, but this store was also closed on Sundays.   Just as well; it seems I have a lot of baking to do.

To check out the Arva flour mill:  www.arvaflourmill.com

FYI  the baking turned out FANTASTIC!  Thank you ARVA flour mill!

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