On our recent trip to Everglades National Park, Ed and I stumbled upon what I consider to be the best fruit stand in North America. On our American Great Loop Journey, Ed and I visited quite a few, but none compare to this. The name of the stand is “Robert is Here” and it’s located in Homestead, Florida. If you want to visit, I’d go now as Robert’s is surrounded by conspicuous newly constructed apartment buildings in just about every direction. As they used to say at the South Florida Water Management District, “houses, the final crop…”
Ed and I stopped by on our way back to Stuart from fishing in White Water Bay. We’d noticed the fruit stand coming in, in fact I’d seen it multiple times over the years, but I’d never stopped. Ed is always in a hurry to get home…
“Hey Ed, for my birthday, let’s stop at this fruit stand”. He threw me a glance, then smiled, he knew he had to capitulate.
It was a Sunday and people were swarming the place. Finding a parking place was not easy. Once inside, we understood why. It was amazing!
There were tropical fruits of all kinds, some the size of footballs. Apparently Robert, standing behind the cash register in the photo below, established the stand by himself in 1959 when he was just six years old. His father, disappointed that little Robert had not sold the cucumbers given him, constructed a sign to accompany the boy at the table. The sign read: “ROBERT IS HERE.” By noon, all of the boy’s cucumbers were sold, and as they say, “the rest is history”.
The same corner little Robert stood on in 1959 is today the best fruit stand in North America..along with a petting zoo, wood carvers, artist, and specialty vendors. Like a time warp, one is transported back in time when Florida was Florida. So refreshing!
I cannot imagine that this iconic South Florida fruit stand, the best in North America, would ever be sold and turned into characterless apartment buildings, but in Florida, who knows. It seems in the present state we’re selling our soul for a bunch of houses.
