Dorothy's Florida Adventure: And then there was Palm Beach Gardens:

No sooner had David made the transition and was easily commuting to Newnan, than he came home with the news that his company was going to relocate everyone from his division to Palm Beach Gardens Florida within the next year and half.  We decided to consider this an "adventure."  My roots were in Carrollton and I had no intention of transplanting them elsewhere.  We had lived in Orlando for three years so we were familiar with Florida.  My basic memory of Orlando was the heat and the supersonic growth.

I had visited West Palm Beach when my aunt Esther’s sister Irma lived there; and later David and I had toured the Flagler mansion on the way to a visit to Miami Beach.  We were not certain we really wanted to move, but decided to at least have the company give us the tour and specifics before we made a final decision.

After the flight down, I remembered why I disliked flying so much.  When flying back and forth to the UK several times during my stay there and in the years we would travel over to see David’s family, security involved putting the hand luggage in the machine, taking a coat off, and passing though a scanner  -- that was it.  Now we had to find small bottles to decant my contact solution, purchase small tubes of toothpaste, etc.  There had always been some restrictions on carry-on size, but it was now really a pain as many more passengers carried bigger and bigger hand luggage so they would not have to pay for a checked bag.  David likes to sit by the aisle and I like the window, but no such luck.  I had the window, but David had to sit in the middle seat – not his favorite spot. The flight attendants were great – handing me a blanket and pillow (I am always cold so I try to sleep during flights) and extra peanuts for snacks.

The hotel did not have a shuttle from the West Palm Beach airport, so several of his co-workers on the same plane joined with us in finding a van taxi to the Hilton Gardens Inn in Palm Beach Gardens.  After an uneventful ride, we settled into a room overlooking the large lake just outside the hotel.  There was a “meet and greet” scheduled for that evening, so we unpacked and rested a while before we headed down to the event.  If I remember correctly, it was a buffet where we could grab a quick bite and then meet some of the other couples down for the tour.  After a short round of introductions, it was time for us to hear the schedule for the next two days.  The company had big plans for us to tour the city, dine at two of the best waterfront restaurants, take a boat tour down the inland waterway to see Palm Beach from the water, and meet with real estate agents to look at possible apartments.

John D. MacArthur, a millionaire insurance magnate and landowner, founded the city of Palm Beach Gardens in 1959.  His plans were to develop 4,000 acres into a beautiful garden city for 55,000 people where houses and services would be built around beautiful waterways, lush foliage, and winding streets named after flowers. He specifically stated that the development would not endanger any trees that had been growing a long time.  The city now spans 56.16 square miles with over 50% of its land mass either forested or landscaped green space.

While the city was being developed, in 1961 Mr. MacArthur heard of an 80-year-old Banyan tree that was in danger of being taken down in an adjoining city because it was threatening the foundation of the owner home and damaging the street in front of her house.  MacArthur wanted to save the tree, so he had it moved from its location to a specially prepared hole at the entrance to his new city.  This was no easy feat as the tree weighed 75 tons, was 60 feet tall, and had a limb spread of 125 feet.  It took the city six months to prepare the tree for its move.  According to the official history from the city’s website:

“On the morning of April 26, 1961, John D. MacArthur sent two cranes to lift the tree onto two cargo trailers for the move to its new home five miles away. However, an unforeseen problem arose when a feed mill truck burst and spewed 10,000 gallons of molasses onto a roadway that was specially bulldozed to move the tree. The fill used to cover the spill raised the roadway just enough to make the tree hit and snap several railway signal lines which caused crossing gates to close for eight miles. Additionally, a cable parted while the tree was being hoisted over 18-foot Western Union lines connecting southern Florida with the rest of the world. The tree dropped when one of the cables being used to hoist the tree over the train tracks snapped under the heavy strain of the tree. When the 1:30 p.m. train came down the tracks it was forced to stop and workmen quickly got busy sawing off the limbs of the tree to clear the tracks. Thirteen minutes later the train was on its way again.

“Shortly after 2:00 p.m., the tree was dropped into the large hole that had been prepared. The Rev. A. P. Snyder of St. John's Evangelical Church said a prayer. Mr. MacArthur traveled with the entourage the whole trip and threw the first shovel of dirt over the roots of the tree. The entire process cost $30,000 and 1008 hours of manpower. Approximately one year later, a second tree was moved to keep company with the first tree. It was a smaller tree weighing only 40 tons.

“When people questioned the expense of moving older trees instead of planting new ones, Mr. MacArthur responded by saying, "I can buy anything but age. This tree will be the centerpiece of our entrance, and while we could plant a little one there, I wouldn't be around 80 years from now to see it as it should be". Mr. MacArthur’s philosophy continues today, as the City Council and staff apply strict guidelines for landscaping and aesthetics in all current and future development. The two Banyan trees remain standing proudly at the entrance to the City of Palm Beach Gardens as a reminder to us all.”

We passed the banyan tree on our bus tour, and it is big and beautiful -- just as described in the website.    

After a short box lunch, we were off to the boat tour of the Inter-coastal waterway that would take us along the backside of the sixteen-mile Palm Beach barrier island.  It was named by early settlers who salvaged the cargo of cocoanuts from the shipwrecked “Providencia,” and planted the cocoanuts not native to South Florida in an effort to begin a commercial cocoanut industry. The island being the closest to the Gulf Stream, produces lush gardens, palm lined beaches, boat docks with yachts as big as houses, and architecturally stunning homes.   We had been warned to use restroom facilities before getting on the tour boat as it no facilities.  That was good, as there were drinks of all kinds available as well as finger sandwiches and snacks.  Looking at all those multimillion dollar houses used for about two weeks in the winter season made me feel happy to be where I was in the social scale.  After the boat tour, we were taken to one of the most popular (as evidenced by the number of cars in the parking lot) restaurants for dinner.  It was lucky that I had not eaten many of the snacks on the boat tour as the entree at the restaurant was more than I could eat.

The next day was devoted to looking at apartments.  Our real estate agent spent the morning and early afternoon taking us to various furnished and unfurnished apartments throughout the area.  Lunch was at a popular local sports bar hangout. As we were planning to bring Alice down with us, it was imperative that we find an apartment that allowed pets. In addition to looking at Abacoa townhouses, we also looked at two possible apartments in high rises on the beach. After looking at apartments, our agent drove us along the coast so that we could see the beach. The Sea Turtle Festival was in full swing, so we were unable to look at the museum there.  We arrived back at the hotel just in time to board the bus for dinner at another waterside restaurant. 

The restaurant was a “classy one” with our group being settled in a dinning room surrounded by library looking shelves and a view of the wine cellar.  The food here was great even though I could not eat everything on the plate.  The wine flowed freely as everyone toasted everyone else.  It has to be a quick dinner, as everyone had to be at the airport early to catch a flight the next morning.

I took some bottled water to drink as we waited.  That was a big mistake! I had forgotten the liquid limitations so at the security checkpoint, I was taken aside for my carry-on to be searched and  my water bottles confiscated.   Embarrassed no end, I boarded the flight to back to Atlanta.

We returned home with a decision to make. The company offered David an increase in salary to offset the higher cost of living and promised him a laboratory to run.   We could take Alice, but Leo would have to stay behind because of his ability to scratch the furniture.  David could have taken a job in Newnan, but it was one he already done.  I was not too keen to move, but I knew Margaret could handle the store, so I was not worried about that part of the move.  We had to make up our minds so that we would be settled in Palm Beach Gardens by November.   It was a tough one.