Riverbend Park Hike

We could not have asked for a better day.  A great group of nine Florida Gay Outdoors guys, and a perfect "winter" day in South Florida.  We hiked a combination of trails along Jupiter's Riverbend Park, visiting a number of restored site that date back to the early 19th Century.  This was then a Seminole village, which was attacked twice in January 1832 by the U.S. Army during the Second Seminole War.  Among the restored sites, is the site of one of the Seminole villages, and a settler's homestead, complete with pig pen, chicken coop, and sawmill.  Most of the vegetation in this park consists of Florida native species, but occasionally we ran into a wild orange tree, or a blooming mango tree, remnants of the early days of settlement.  After the hike a few of us went over to the always wonderful Guanabana's, a tiki type bar/restaurant, sitting right next to the Loxahatchee river and the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter.  The food and company were both great, but sadly Guanabana's did not have any guanabana (soursop) items in its menu.  We'll have to come back when they are in season.

Riverbend Park, in northern Palm Beach County is a preserved historic site.  It was the setting in January 1838, of two battles during the Second Seminole War, and later saw the first attempts at homesteading in South Florida.  The plan is to hike approximately 3 to 4 miles on a combination of trails (Reese, Farmstead, Indian Camp, Riverbend) that will take us through the various restored sites, such as a pioneer farmstead, a Seminole village, wetlands, and scrub pine forests.  This should be an easy walk, with plenty of shaded areas.  However, there will be some open areas where the sun will shine through, so bring a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water.  There is a ranger guided tour of the Loxahatchee Battlefield at 10:00 a.m., and if there is desire, we will try to join that tour before doing our hike.  This may add another mile to our hike, but it might be worth it.  Afterwards, if we are hungry, we can all retire to the ever popular Guanabana's Restaurant/Bar in Jupiter, for refreshments.  Their Happy Hour (appetizers are half price) is from 3 to 6.