West Palm Beach -- visiting, looking for recommendations

[Freddie]

DH and I are headed to WPB on Monday to visit our son who recently moved there. Restaurants, things to do (I know there's lots)? Unique food that we can't get home in PA? Other advice? DH went to Disney when he was a teen but I've never been south of N Carolina. We're taking the Auto Train to Sanford (how long a drive to WPB?) and Amtrak home to Philly. Thanks!!

[monmouth4]

1. I live in downtown WPB and would be happy to offer some suggestions. Clematis Street is the main

street with loads of restaurants, going further east toward the intracoastal would be E.R. Bradley's. You can eat outdoors in their patio or go inside for the AC. Food is very good albeit a wee bit pricey. Son took me there the other day, it was great. As far as places to stay you have loads of choices, I would head to Okeechobee Blvd. in the downtown area, top named hotels in the area. My Florida son also does the Auto Train and drives from Sanford to Stuart. I'm going to guess it's an hour or around that to West Palm. Hope I've been some help. Once you're here you can always cross over the many bridges to Palm Beach and visit the donald and then rush (limbaugh) is just down the road from the donald....LOL..

[Freddie]

2. Thanks!

Planning on going to the beach--son sent pics, looks gorgeous especially compared to the Jersey shore with it's freezing water (all year). Going to the zoo and a Marlins game, son says Miami is an hour south (true?) He's in Lantana which he says is the less-posh part of town.

[monmouth4]

3. I'm originally from Jersey (when married lived in Manasquan) and I don't envy anyone up there this

weekend. If you leave WPB early, Miami can be done in about 45 but I wouldn't push it. An hour is a nice drive. Lantana is quite nice, we often do lunch down there at a restaurant on the water. Wish I could remember it...LOL..

[masmdu]

4. Morikami Japanese garden, museum, cultural center, restaurant

A lovely peaceful place with an interesting museum.

http://morikami.org

http://morikami.org/roji-en/#lightbox[gallery-1]/7/

[csziggy]

5. It's about a three hour drive from Sanford to WPB

Go towards the coast on State Road 46 and take I-95 down. To see more of the beaches, you can take US 1 but it is much slower.

If you want to take some hours, stop by the Kennedy Space Center. In the winter, bird watching is great at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge just north of Cape Canaveral, but this time of year it's not as good though the beaches in the Canaveral National Seashore are lovely - and not destroyed by development like the ones further south.

No recommendations from me about WPB - I've been there three times in my life, each time for one day. As a Florida native, I find it too artificial and crowded - pretty much the way I feel about Disney and Orlando.