July 17, 2021 -- 4 down and 107 to go!
Post early am workout, large coffee from Dunkin Donuts and a much needed shower, I met up with two of my friends (Magdalena and Sue) and we travelled south to Worth Ave. Our goal -- to see Lily Pulitzer's store, The Grave of Johnny Brown, Raptis Rare Books and have lunch at Ta'Boo. The good news is that we had a great time and all of us learned something new.
The drive from Jupiter was quick and we easily located a place to park. (One benefit of doing this "off season.") I decided that we had to see Lily first. You only need to look at the clothing women wear in FL to see her clear influence on fashion in the area. I wanted to learn more.
After locating the Lily store (No. 60), we walked inside and were greeted by a "pretty pastel world." The interior was such a happy and girlie place, I couldn't help but fall in love with it! The wallpaper throughout the entire store was "Lily-patterned" and exuded warmth and happiness. The dressing room had a rainforest of flowers and leaves hanging from the ceiling and the rooms were beautifully decorated with Lily's wallpaper, sea-shell adorned mirrors, and comfy chairs. I'm certain anything I tried on would look better in those dressing rooms than anywhere else! (Perhaps it was time to try on the dreaded swimsuit?) The entire store was a cohesive blend of femininity, girlish charm, warmth and style.
One of the coolest aspects of the store was the design center. The sales clerk told us how a Lily pattern designer would draw various designs for Lily's clothing and they were hanging on the wall within the store. Many of them would make their way onto garments in the future. I've attached a photo of some of the designs for you to see for yourself. The Lily store is a must see!
After perusing the racks of clothing, we walked a few doors down to Raptis Rare Books (No. 75). All I can say is -- WOW! I'm a booklover and this is one of my new favorite stores. This is not Barnes & Noble -- but is the place to go to to find that rare gift for the avid reader in your life. (BTW - if anyone is looking for a gift for me -- please stop by there, first!) I was thrilled to see first editions, signed first editions, and classics. Magdalena and Sue were similarly thrilled with Raptis Rare Books. It's an interesting store -- very classy, museum-like air to the store, but yet comfortable and welcoming.
I had a quick chat with several gentlemen at the store. (I believe one may have been the owner.?) Before going to Raptis Rare Books, I wanted to get their opinion on the marketability of the one rare item that I possess -- an RBG-autographed copy of her VMI decision. Years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and she signed the opinion for me. I inquired on whether they would purchase such an item -- the comment was that they would be happy to "take donations." Lol! That said, they mentioned I should bring it over for a look. Of course, I cannot part with my RBG!
After Raptis Rare Books, we were trying to locate the Grave of Johnnie Brown. After a wrong turn -- yes, we are a bit directionally-challenged -- we headed the right direction down Worth Ave. It was steamy - so we had to make a pit stop in a store to cool down. AC break! Thank you Willis Carrier for your fantastic invention!
Initially, we stopped into a retail store, which contained all men's clothing. Having recently ended my relationship with my guy, I put the kibosh on looking at men's clothing. No need to dwell on how to dress someone you are no longer dating. And trust me, as handsome as he was (is?), he did not know how to dress. So, we immediately walked down a block or so to Adelson Galleries.
Adelson Galleries is not in the book, but I would recommend that you stop by to look at the artwork. All three of us were so impressed at the amount of talent on display! One of my favorites is the below work by Federico Uribe. This amazing piece of art is made entirely of books! (Perhaps it is a bit coincidental that we just walked down from Raptis Rare Books?)
Unfortunately, the price tags were out of our range, so after cooling down, we moved along to find Via Mizner and the Grave of Johnny Brown.
After wandering a bit, we asked the proprietor of Pizza Al Fresco where the grave may be located, and we were lead to Johnny Brown's resting place. When we first heard the name of the site, we assumed it was a person's grave. After reading, we learned that Johnny Brown was a monkey, who wore a sombrero, and lived on the shoulder of Addison Mizner. Addison Mizner was a renowned architect -- and an obvious character (I mean, he had a pet monkey he took everywhere with him -- by definition, a character!) . Addison Mizner heavily influenced the architecture in South Fl. After thinking about it, I wonder if Addison Mizner and Johnny Brown were the basis for Curious George books? I need to do some research on that, but if anyone knows, please let me know.
Our final stop for the day was lunch at Ta'boo (No. 87). We couldn't sit at the window seat, and I'm hoping to do that another time. The decor in the restaurant is very eclectic, chic but fun! Once seated (myself and Magdalena, respectively below) we ordered, looked around the restaurant, and started chatting about Ta'Boo and the days' events.
Sue, pictured below, had been to Ta'boo several times and described evenings with her husband at the bar, watching the fish in the aquarium, chatting with people and just plain 'ole people watching. Definitely an inspirational discussion, which made me conclude that I need to make future trips to Ta'Boo. Plus - the wine list was excellent and the food was delicious!
We could not decide what our favorite stop was along the way. Each stop was enjoyable in its own way. Ultimately, we concluded that we all learned something new. I think we were most amazed by the Grave of Johnny Brown and his story. What a life for a monkey! We also decided it was a great first adventure and that we need to continue with our outings.
Coming next ... July 24 adventure.