Fort Pierce: A quiet Florida beach town I keep returning to

In 1974 my grandma bought a home in Fort Pierce, where she raised three children and lived for the rest of her life. Her house faced the Indian River, welcoming manatees, pelicans, and other wildlife, and became a second home for my siblings and me after my parents divorced.

When she died and the family sold the house I was devastated, but I still return to the area a few times a year. Fort Pierce feels unlike other Florida beach cities. With a population of about 50,000, it offers more solitude and natural beauty than the greater Orlando and Miami areas.

Downtown is historic and charming: the P.P. Cobb building dates to the late 1800s, and the House of Seven Gables, built in 1905, now serves as the town visitor center. From the waterfront you can look out at the Treasure Coast, named for the Spanish fleet that sank in 1715.

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