Sometimes following a dream can lead someone to some mighty strange places. For Bryan Chauncey Mays, whose dream was to become a musician, it led to traveling the world, playing in every state except Hawaii, scuba diving in the Black Sea and spending four months in Alaska.

Tucked inside the breezeway of the Colonnades Plaza on South Beach is an old-fashioned ice cream shop that serves hand-crafted ice cream and Italian ice that tastes generations away from the commercial brands more commonly served by retailers.

Most folks in their 80s living on North Hutchinson Island are well into retirement, enjoying natural amenities found on the beautiful stretch of the barrier island between the Indian River County line and Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.

Many people find themselves lounging on the couch after a long workday, but then there’s boatbuilder Jeff Warner, who spends his free time building guitars and ukuleles. A “mad scientist” of sorts, Warner was always taking toys apart and tinkering with things from a very young age. His father fostered his interest in mechanics and restoration.

After Susan Hamburger retired from academic life and moved to Fort Pierce a few years ago, she did what she describes as a 180-degree turn, pivoting from her background in English and history to a new avocation as a citizen-scientist who is passionate about protecting the environment.

For Gene Hull, it all started back in 1893, when his maternal grandfather came to America from Italy. His grandfather made and played his own mandolins and later made sure his daughter (Hull’s mother) learned to play piano.

AJ Ghent is a third generation steel guitar player who grew up with the creators of “Sacred Steel” as family.