Deerfield to Wildwood Fl

Slow start today, followed by slower progress.  We slept in and started driving North by 9:30.  Within a half hour, we stopped at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Mizner Park  [ www.bocamuseum.org] to visit the Complete sculptures of Degas in Bronze.  

Theses were not actually cast by Degas but were cast after his death from wax sculptures that he had made earlier.  These sculptures are of women [ballet dancers, nudes bathing] or horses [walking, draught horse pulling, rearing, trotting etc].  Most bronzes were less than a foot and a half high and were really quite fascinating.  There were 76 bronzes, rarely seen together.  

We also saw the Holtzman Collection of Tiffany Lamps and artifacts, which was an awesome collection of table and floor lamps [50!] made by the famous Tiffany Studios, almost a century ago.  These lamps had the most intricate colours and designs done to perfection.  The light stands themselves were worthy of an exhibit!  Since these two exhibitions were so good, we walked the whole museum and marveled at their wide repertoire and ability to showcase such a diverse collection to advantage.  This two story museum contained many famous paintings and photographs displayed in an intimate surrounding which made the viewing  experience very pleasant.

The Mizner Park itself [where the museum is] is well worth visiting.  There is no shortage of really expensive stores that surround a large well landscaped boulevard.  Everything just reeks of 'first class'.  Even the three local parking garages are free!  Valet parking everywhere!  People just drive up to a restaurant or store, give their keys to an attendant, and the car was whisked away [even the bright yellow Lamborghini, but that's another story].  We ended our museum visit near noon so where better than Mizner Park to lunch and people-watch?  We found a Ruby Tuesday's, found an outside table and had a great lunch.

It was nearly 1:30 before we were back on the road.  Not being in a hurry, we drove up US#1 all the way to Fort Pierce.  This is not a fast way to melt the miles away, it's a very slow, light infested trip through rich and poor [new and old] development areas less than a half mile from the sea shore.  High-rise, low-rise, and everything in between; palaces, hovels, and again, everything in between.  It's a fascinating drive and should be done at least once.  ... and once is probably enough!

The weather was starting to look mean and it was well after 4pm so we headed West on highway 60, then 98, then the Interstate 75.  Not the usual 600 or so miles of a good day, but a great day after all.