By Victor Block
I could have been driving along any street, anywhere in the United States. The sun was shining, traffic was light, and there was no indication that I was passing through anything other than an ordinary neighborhood.
Then suddenly everything changed. Police cars were everywhere — slowly patrolling the streets, parked along the sidewalks and driving into and out of a gated community. A bevy of police officers crowded the pavement and spilled out into the narrow road I was following.
Welcome to Mar-a-Lago, a lavish estate which has a storied history but is known today primarily as the home of President Donald J. Trump.
The ornate estate that was built between 1924 and 1927 for successful businesswoman and leading society figure Marjorie Merriweather Post. Nestled on a barrier island in Palm Beach, Florida, it was acquired in 1985 by then-businessman and real estate investor Trump, who used it as his residence.
Ten years later he converted it into the Mar-a-Lago Club, an exclusive members-only institution with guest rooms, a spa and other hotel-style amenities. When they are there, members of the Trump family stay in private quarters located in a closed-off area of the grounds. During his first presidency Trump visited Mar-a-Lago frequently and held meetings there with international leaders such as Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese president Xi Jinping.
The name Mar-a-Lago means "sea to lake" in Spanish. It refers to the fact that the estate extends from one side of Palm Beach Island to the other, touching the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Lake Worth Lagoon on the west. The property is said to span 126 rooms and extend over 1.5 acres.
In 1969, the property was designated "the Mar-a-Lago a National Historic Site." A report prepared by the Department of the Interior explains that it provides "an excellent picture of winter resort life in Palm Beach prior to the Depression."
Post, who died in 1973, willed the estate to the United States government to serve as a winter White House for presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries, but most of them preferred other residences. The property was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1980 because it exemplified "the baronial way of life of the wealthy who built mansions in Florida during the Florida land boom of the 1920s."
I asked several residents of the area what it was like to live near such a legendary property that is visited by heads of state, leading political figures and other well-known dignitaries. The response from most of them was surprising — in essence, a big yawn.
"We don't usually know who's there," one youngish man told me.
"All it means for locals is traffic jams," a 60-something woman said.
"I voted for Trump, but if I'd known how much his being president would mess up traffic here, I would have voted differently," a well-dressed gentleman commented.
For visitors to the Palm Beach area, Mar-a-Lago can offer an intriguing diversion from the sun, sand and surf attractions for which the destination is best known. These include Worth Avenue, a shopper's dream, which is lined by upscale boutiques and designer stores offering everything from haute couture to unique art galleries.
Waterfront settings offer a choice of inviting stretches of sand fronting deep-blue water. Golfers face a choice of 100 public, municipal and private courses, including six at the PGA National Resort.
History buffs and culture lovers will appreciate Palm Beach's legacy of luxury and splendor, with such must-see spots as the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, the historic Breakers Palm Beach hotel and the Society of the Four Arts, which encompasses an art gallery, concert hall, two libraries and gardens.
Mar-a-Lago adds an intriguing touch that combines historical tidbits, opulent architecture and a lovely semitropical setting. In addition, if you're lucky (or unlucky, depending upon your politics), you might even get an opportunity to see a motorcade leave or arrive that includes a car transporting the president of the United States.
WHEN YOU GO
maralagoclub.com
townofpalmbeach.com
Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
An entrance gate welcomes visitors to historic Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo courtesy of Boreccy/Dreamstime.com.
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