In Palm Beach County, we truly have "theBest of Everything," and that includes our parks and diving reefs.  Recently, two publications featured sites in the county as among the prime locations in Florida and beyond.

The September/October 2016 issue of Sport Diver magazine  features an article by Ted Alan Stedman, "Prime Time in the Palm Beaches" extolling the beauty of our county's dive sites.  Stedman writes that stateside divers need not travel the world to exotic destinations to experience quality diving when there are excellent dives barely 10 minutes right off our beaches.

Describing in vivid detail dives he explored in Delray Beach, West Palm Beach and Jupiter, Stedman expressed his astonishment with the incredible array of sea life including goliath grouper, blacktip reef and lemon sharks, rays, eels, loggerhead and green turtles, sponges and parrotfish, just to name a few as he cruised along ledges and sunken ships.

Another publication which highlights the best getaways in "authentic Florida" is Florida Rambler magazine.  A recent issue of Florida Rambler featured six of Florida's best county parks.  Among the top picks is Riverbend Park on Indiantown Road west of the Turnpike in Jupiter. 

I am particularly proud of having this beautiful, historic park in my district, which is free of charge to the public.  Located on the Loxahatchee River - one of only two federally designated wild and scenic rivers - Riverbend Park provides great opportunities to kayak on pristine stretches of this river.   Trails in the park are used by bikers and hikers alike and wildlife including deer, turkeys and peacocks can be spotted in the natural areas. 

Perhaps the most significant feature of the park is that it preserves a key battlefield site from the Second Seminole Indian War's Battle of the Loxahatchee.

Improvements to the park are currently underway including the construction of a 4,500 square foot restroom and administrative office building, reconfiguration of the entrance for the addition of paved parking spaces, and, construction of a plaza/overlook for the adjacent Battlefield Park.  New underground utilities will be installed to connect to the Town of Jupiter's water and sewer system.  Completion of the improvements is targeted for Summer 2017.

These are just a few of the many beautiful recreational amenities we enjoy in our county, and it is gratifying to read ringing endorsements from widely circulated publications.  This helps support our tourism industry, which is very important to our local economy in the revenue it generates and the jobs it creates. 

As always, if there is any way that I or my staff can assist you, please do not hesitate to contact me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at hvaleche@pbcgov.org.