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Located ten minutes from Vero Beach, which has fantastic restaurants and shopping and approximately one hour from the Palm Beach Airport, and two hours from Walt Disney World. The NY Mets and the LA Dodgers spring training camp facilities are nearby. The island offers great fishing, scuba diving, golf, Jet Ski rentals, and much more. The Ocean Harbor complex has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Seniors will appreciate an active and neighborly environment. Beaches
You'll find plenty of free and open beachfront along the coast--most are uncrowded and are open from 7am until 10pm.
South Beach Park, on South Ocean Drive, at the end of Marigold Lane, is a busy, developed, lifeguarded beach with picnic tables, restrooms, and showers. It's known as one of the best swimming beaches in Vero Beach and attracts a young crowd that plays volleyball and Frisbee in a tranquil setting. A nicely laid-out nature walk takes you into beautiful secluded trails.
At the very north tip of the island, Sebastian Inlet has flat sandy beaches with lots of facilities, including kayak, paddleboat, and canoe rentals; a well-stocked surf shop; picnic tables; and a snack shop. The winds seem to stir up the surf with no jetty to stop their swells, to the delight of surfers and boarders, who get here early to catch the big waves. Campers enjoy fully equipped sites in a woody area. Admission to the Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area, 9700 S. A1A, Melbourne, is $3.25 per car and $1 for those who walk or bike in.
Hutchinson Island, is one of the most popular beach destinations of the Treasure Coast, located just north of Palm Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Seventy miles of excellent beaches and laid-back, old Florida ambiance make for an idyllic beach resort vacation.
Water Activities Golf
Ocean Pearl is a fabulous place to enjoy a golf vacation with no less than 20 championship style golf courses within a 40 minute drive.
McLarty Treasure Museum
If you're unconvinced about why this area is called the Treasure Coast, then you've got to check this out. Erected on the actual site of a salvaging camp from a 1715 shipwreck, this quaint little museum is full of interesting history. It may not have the vast treasures of the nearby Mel Fisher museum, but it does offer a very engaging 45-minute video describing the many aspects of treasure hunting. You'll also see household items salvaged from the Spanish fleet and dioramas of life in the 18th century.
Nightlife More than half the residents in this area are retirees, so it shouldn't be a surprise that even on weekends, this town retires relatively early. Hotel lounges often have live music and a good bar scene, especially in high season, and sometimes stay open as late as 1am, if you're lucky. For beachside drinks, go to the Driftwood Resort.
A mostly 30-something and younger crowd goes to Bombay Louie's in Vero Beach, at 398 21st St. (tel. 561/978-0209), where a DJ spins dance music after 9pm from Wednesday to Saturday. Vero Beach is also known as an artsy enclave, hosting galleries such as the Art Works, 2855 Ocean Dr., Vero Beach (tel. 561/231-4688) and the Bottalico Gallery, 3121 Ocean Dr., Vero Beach (tel. 561/231-0414). The Civic Arts Center at Riverside Park is a hub of culture, including the Riverside Theatre (tel. 561/231-6990), the Agnes Wahlstrom Youth Playhouse (tel. 561/234-8052), and the Center for the Arts (tel. 561/231-0707), known for films and an excellent lecture series.
In Sebastian, you'll find live music every weekend (and daily in season) at Captain Hiram's, 1606 N. Indian River Dr. (tel. 561/589-4345), a salty outdoor restaurant and bar on the Intracoastal Waterway that locals and tourists love at all hours of the day and night. The feel is tacky Key West, complete with a sand floor and thatched-roof bar.
North of the inlet, head for the tried-and-true Sebastian Beach Inn (SBI to locals), 7035 S. A1A (tel. 321/728-4311), for live music on the weekends. Jazz, blues, or sometimes rock 'n' roll starts at 9pm on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, it's old-style reggae after 2pm. The inn is open daily for drinks from 11am until anywhere from midnight to 2am.
Fishing Great surf fishing for Bluefish, Pompano and other species right on our beach during the winter months. Excellent fishing at the South Jetty at Fort Pierce Inlet also.
The PP Cobb Bridge which connects S. Hutchinson Island with the town of Fort Pierce also has 2 catwalks which offer excellent Indian River fishing as well. There is also great fishing 10 minutes north on the Little Jim Bridge on the causeway to North Hutchinson Island.
Grapefruit League Baseball Ocean Pearl is within a half hour drive of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Vero Beach) and the New York Mets (St. Lucie West) Spring Training Camps
In addition, once spring training ends in early
April, the minor league affiliates of both teams (Vero Beach
Dodgers & St.
Lucie Mets) play a full season of Class A Florida League baseball
at these same sites from April to mid-September. Most of these
minor league games are played at night and are very inexpensive.
You can find discount coupons for many of the Mets games in many
convenience stores and in the local newspapers. Although you've
probably never heard of most of the players, it's a very enjoyable
way to spend an evening. Other Tourist Attractions:
Airboat Rides The most reasonably priced airboat rides we've been able to find are conveniently located on the way to Orlando. Just follow I-95 North to Exit 75 and take Route 520 West about 5 miles to the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on your left. (321)632-4199 A nice side-trip if you're headed to/from Orlando.
Jai Alai Fort Pierce Jai Alai - located on King's Highway about a mile north of the FL Turnpike exit at Fort Pierce (Seasonal). Off-Track Betting is also featured here.
Shopping
Ocean Boulevard and Cardinal Drive are Vero's two main shopping streets. Both are near the beach and are lined with specialty boutiques, including antique and home-decorating shops.
If you want to send fruit back home, the local source is Hale Indian River Groves, 615 Beachland Blvd. a shipper of local citrus and jams since 1947, with four locations in Vero Beach. The grove is closed 2 to 3 months a year, usually from summer through early fall, depending on the crops; the season generally runs from November through Easter.
3 major shopping malls within a 1/2 hour drive:
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