RECREATION
herbs, and fruit (did you know that tomato, corn and cucumbers
are fruits?) and bring home healthy veggies for dinner.
COMMUNING WITH NATURE
Find peace and quiet in Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens’
14 outdoor “rooms” or sections devoted to such specialties
as orchids, butterflies, hibiscus, bamboo, native plants, roses
and more. With its beautiful fountain spray and small lake,
it’s a popular place for weddings and special parties, too.
Next to it is the new Westmoreland Riverfront Park where
a variety of entertainment amenities, ranging from a riverwalk
to a restaurant to possibly an historical village, are in
the planning stages. In the meantime, walk in and enjoy the
vivid colors of a sunset over the North Fork of the St. Lucie
River while standing next to a flourishing banyan tree.
Step out and commune with nature, or teach the kids about
the birds, critters and fish that share the planet with us. Port
St. Lucie’s crown jewel of a nature preserve is the former Mc-
Carty Ranch out west of town where there’s fishing on a lake
from the shore or small boats (permits needed for motors),
hiking, horse and biking trails and even overnight primitive
tent and RV camping.
The 97-acre Spruce Bluff preserve off Southbend Boulevard
is historically significant and contains two interpretive trails. It
was settled in 1891 and is also the site of an ancient Ais Indian
mound possibly used as a burial site. Several families, a school,
a cemetery and a post office made up the small pioneer community.
Visit and walk the trails to learn what it was like to
live as a pioneer on the bluff or as a member of the Ais Indians.
Savannas Preserve State Park on Walton Road features a recently
expanded nature education center with loads of useful >>
CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE
A foursome plays pickleball on one of the city’s indoor courts. Note the
oversized paddles with which they play.
Port St. Lucie Magazine 9
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