All Blog Entries by Amanda Hicks

      It's safe to say that Palm Beach County is one of the most popular places to snorkel and dive- if not the most popular- on mainland Florida. Bountiful marine life and diverse, colorful reefs are becoming increasingly hard to find due to coral mining, pollution, and overfishing. Palm Beach County has continually made efforts to preserve reef species by building a number of artificial reefs and purposefully sinking ships. In fact, the inlet between Riviera Beach and Singer Island is packed with divers every day at high tide, viewing the fish, rays, nurse sharks, and starfish surrounding a sunken speed boat.        Last year, Singer Island got a new addition off Ocean Reef Park called Andrea's Reef. It is three-quarters of a mile offshore,…

  This Saturday, October 14th, bring your friends and family to the Cruisin' Food Fest happening at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park on the north side of Singer Island. From noon - 4 p.m. check out a lineup of cool, vintage cars, live music, giveaways, and food from the best trucks. This is something the park puts on every second Saturday of each month! The event is free with park admission ($5 per vehicle). Check out a lineup of cars from antique Excaliburs to today's hottest Mustangs. There are three live bands scheduled throughout the day and seven food trucks on site. The park will be offering free tram rides to the beach and to the nature center where you can see captive sea turtles that are being rehabilitated until ready for release. There's…

    Right in between the coastline of Palm Beach and Singer Island there lies a tiny haven called Peanut Island. It is an 80-acre, man-made island that has now become one of the most popular attractions in the area. The island was created in the early 1900s with sand and material left over from dredging the surrounding Inlet, as part of a series of dredging projects to create better accessibility for trade and transportation in Florida. The island was planned to be used for shipping peanut oil (hence the name), but that operation failed by 1946. In 1961 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a bomb shelter was constructed on the center of the island for President John F. Kennedy in case of a nuclear attack. While Kennedy spent many of the winter seasons…

  Have you tried the most popular restaurant on Singer Island? Two Drunken Goats is a casual and inviting beachfront bar with a Mexican flair. Right across from the ocean, the restaurant has a beach cafe feel and a laid-back vibe. They serve up Tex-Mex-style cuisine, seafood, burgers, and so much more. Live music, homemade sangria, signature cocktails, and gourmet fare make them a favorite for locals and tourists alike.    Food: This cantina has a long and diverse menu with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Visitors recommend the seafood quesadilla, blackened grouper sandwich, the Mahi Latino: a fresh fillet topped witha creamy pepper sauce served over Spanish rice and pinto beans, the Calamari Mexicali: tender fried squid with…

 

Bring your friends to a free beachfront concert this Sunday, October 8th, at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. The Conch Stomp String Band, a local favorite since the nineties, will be performing bluegrass, folk, country, old time, and rock and roll at the park from 1-3 p.m. Come early for other free features as well! At 10 a.m. go for a nature walk through the park and along the beach where a guide will explain the history of the area, its ecosystems, plants, and animals. At 11 a.m. there is a "tank interpretation" where you can go in the nature center and see tanks with different species of sea turtles, lizards, scorpions, and aquariums of diverse fish. After that, eat some lunch, head over to the park's amphitheatre and listen to the unique

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If you've never kayaked before but always wanted to try, here's your chance! The Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park on Singer Island are hosting a free class to teach beginners the basic skills needed to kayak. This includes launching the kayak, getting in and out of it, paddling, safety, etc. The course will be held this Sunday, October 1st, at 12 p.m. and lasts about an hour. It is land-based and free with park admission ($5 per vehicle). Kayaking is a great way to have fun and to be healthy. If you haven't done it before, you'll find that kayaking can be a bit of a workout especially for the upper back and shoulders. Substitute a stuffy gym for an outdoor adventure and get fit kayaking. The State Park has kayak rentals available for only $30 for

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Reef Tiki Bar & Grill

This beachfront tiki bar is known for their Pacific Rim-style cuisine and tropical cocktails. They offer a variety of appetizers, salads and sandwiches. They also make Poke with locally caught fish, ginger, sesame, seaweed, yucca and soy sauce. Their signature cocktail is one to boast about, called the Coconut Island Breeze, which is served in a fresh cracked coconut. Located at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island, the bar is open to public but you will be treated like a guest with great service and free valet parking. The bar is open from 11 a.m. until dusk (kitchen closes at 5 p.m.). Come on Sunday between noon and 3 p.m. to hear the steel drums and you'll really feel like you're at a tropical oasis. 

3800 N Ocean Dr,

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  Do you care about clean water, safe beaches, and healthy marine life? Come join hundreds of others making a difference this weekend on Singer Island. International Coastal Clean Up Day takes place during the month of September and is the world's largest one-day volunteer effort. Twelve million volunteers in 100 countries clean up beaches, lakes, rivers, and canals in an effort to save our waterways. (Normally the event takes place internationally on the 16th but because of Hurricane Irma, Palm Beach County adjusted their clean up dates). Last year, volunteers worldwide picked up more than 2 million plastic bottles and bags off the beach and over 18 million pounds of trash. Sadly, plastic is found in 62 percent of sea birds and 100 percent of sea…

This weekend, September 23rd and 24th, the Singer Island Outdoor Center will be hosting daily guided paddle board tours to seek out sea turtles and manatees. The tours explore the mangroves of the Loxahatchee River and the Indian River Lagoon, the most bio-diverse estuary in the U.S. On the rout you will also pass the Jupiter Lighthouse and head to Sawfish Bay which has two magrove islands you can roam about and see birds, crabs, and even iguanas. The tour will start at 11:30 a.m. both days and meeting at 1116 Love St., Jupiter. You will be supplied with a paddleboard and your tour guide will give you basic paddle and safety instructions. Sea turtles are nesting now and manatees are aplenty in these parts so you're sure to have a great experience!

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As you walk down the beach on Singer Island, you'll surely find a shiny little shell that catches your eye and you'll probably pick it up and put it in your pocket. Since the Florida coastline is riddled with beautiful sea shells, some locals make collecting them a hobby (called shelling). You can make crafts with shells, use them for household decorations, thread them on a necklace- pretty much anything you can think to create. The most common shells on Florida beaches are the Rose Murex, Florida Fighting Conch, Florida Cone, Tiny Dwarf Olive, Pear Whelk, and the True Tulip, pictured below in order. 
Shells come and go depending on conditions such as tide, current, and wind, so there isn't necessarily a "best" beach to find shells at. If…