June's Staycation

 

Over the years we've enjoyed many staycations - a tradition started as a way to celebrate our anniversary without breaking the bank. However, we still like to explore what our local area has to offer, and that includes a long list of hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and museums. This month we checked out the Courtyard by Marriott off of 45th Street, appreciating a room that's a step above our normal one - but with a price to match!

Just like last time, we had dinner at a favorite restaurant - Okeechobee Steakhouse. One reason for making that selection was we'll be out of town on my birthday. What a surprise to discover our waiter applied the birthday discount early!! (Wayne says he was fishing for a good tip; successfully, I might add.) The entire meal was delicious, and we enjoyed our leftovers at home the next night, a perfect finishing touch to this little staycation.

In the morning, after breakfast at the Bistro (Marriott's onsite restaurant), which was barely edible and quite expensive, we checked out and headed over to the Johnson History Museum, housed in the old Palm Beach County courthouse. We had a delightful time exploring the exhibits, and it only took two hours. (It helped that one section was closed while they transitioned to a new display.) While you have to pay for parking, the museum itself has no entrance fee, and we can highly recommend this attraction for those looking for something to do on a budget in Palm Beach County.

During Covid they planned some exterior exhibits, and I guess they decided to keep them. We also learned that decades ago, when preparing to demolish the building, they discovered the original tile floors, and decided to restore it instead. Good choice!

The museum is on the main floor. There are offices and a hallway exhibit in the basement, and the old, historic courtroom upstairs, which also contained a small exhibit this time.

Just for the record, I thought we had been to this building before, and I found proof that we had. Michelle was honored at a county awards ceremony her senior year in high school which, because it was history related, was held in the historic courtroom. That evening we quickly wandered through the museum afterwards, but we knew we'd be back to read everything someday!