Palm Beach — a great winter getaway

Forgive me! Lisa and I spent much of the first big cold spell this year in Palm Beach, Fla. We were there for a conference for one of my “night jobs” as my father in law calls them. It sure was not for a newspaper conference.

Newspaper folks have their meetings in places like Lawton in August. No offense to Lawton. It is a great town but I am sure if you give the folks in Lawton a choice of staying home or being in Palm Beach in January they would pick Florida as well. Lawton also has one of the best newspapers in the state.

Ray Hibbard

While I was locked in meetings and lectures most of our stay, Lisa took full advantage of the beach and 80 degree weather with warm trade winds blowing across the water to keep her cool. Having a tiki drink also helped in the relaxation process. I did get time to enjoy it with her and we stayed a couple of extra days to increase our time on the beach.

Palm Beach is a town in South Florida, separated from the mainland by the Lake Worth Lagoon. It’s known for its glitzy estates and its beaches, including the long, sandy Palm Beach Municipal Beach. Worth Avenue is lined with upscale boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Art and antique furnishings are displayed at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, inside the hotel and railroad tycoon’s huge Gilded Age mansion.

Palm Beach has long lured America's noted families, from the Kennedys to designer Jonathan Adler. A century-long heyday has taught Palm Beach a thing or two about luxury and fun. Here, adventurers from across the globe migrate to our warm, sunny playground in search of seaside glamour. It is easy to see why former president, Donald Trump, located his beloved Mar-a-Lago in this town. Our driver from the airport told us you know when he is having a party because all the private car services are busy racing back and forth from the airport. He told us you know when he is in town because his big fat jet is parked in the same spot at the airport. I think the Secret Service hates that.

When it was completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed that Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Today, Whitehall is a National

Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, featuring changing exhibitions and special programs.

The 75-room mansion contains many of the original furnishings as well as an art collection. Adjacent to Whitehall, the Flagler Kenan Pavilion houses Henry Flagler's private Railcar No. 91 as well as a seasonal restaurant, the Cafe des Beaux-Arts, which offers a Gilded Age-themed tea service. The Museum Store offers for sale a wonderful collection of books, gifts and memorabilia with a focus on Florida history. Open Tuesday through Sunday.

We seldom shop when we travel but some at the conference did. Worth Avenue is a shopping and dining enclave that is internationally revered for its beauty, its history and its unparalleled legacy of fine customer service. More than a shopping destination in South Florida; it becomes its own experience from the classic grace of its Mediterranean architecture to the bougainvillea that tumbles over stairwells in shady tucked-away vias. Whether it is a champagne break at a cozy bar or a short walk on the beach, it's window shopping, art and courtyard dining at its finest. For more than 100 years, service has been the gold standard, and it's a value that residents, merchants and visitors hold near and dear.

The Royal Poinciana Plaza is an iconic destination that serves as a

Check out what’s inside!

Police report returns next week