Vero Beach and Sebastian Area
Vero Beach and Sebastian Area
Day 1
Welcome to Vero Beach and Sebastian in Indian River County! This is the home of Dodgertown, Piper Aircraft, Indian River Grapefruit, Jake Owens, Sandy Koufax, and Bon Jovi. Activities include water sports, golf, antiquing, bridge, and fishing. http://www.verobeach.com/
There are many points of interest, restaurants, and things to do. The New Patio Restaurant is a beautiful Old Spanish style building, with wrought iron, decorative wall tiles, and tiled floors. It was designed by Walter Mizner, who was the architect for many of the Palm Beach mansions. The lunch menu is extensive, including turkey club and Caesar wraps; crabcake and veggie burgers; spinach, Cobb and mandarin salads. Diners chose between eating inside, with stained glass and wrought iron lighting, or outside on the patios, with wrought iron grills and garden. We chose a chicken salad wrap on wheat (other flavors were spinach, tomato, or plain) and a brie and mushroom burger. Both were delicious, and came with a choice of fries, potato salad, or slaw. Prices are reasonable: our tab was $ 17 for a hearty lunch. http://thenewpatiorestaurant.com/ The Vero Beach Museum of Art is impressive. Though small, it is expanding. We enjoyed the art we saw, especially work by artists Harvey Littleton, Deborah Butterfield, and John Brisbee. Butterfield’s horse sculpture looked like wood, but it actually metal! Amazing! There’s an outside Sculpture Garden. When we were there, a children’s camp was in progress, and the artwork they were producing was superior. The docents were most helpful; and informative. No photographs were allowed at the exhibits this time, but we understand that that changes with the artist. It’s free! Allow 30 minutes. http://www.vbmuseum.org/index.cfm The McKee Botanical Gardens are lovely! Would you think they started life as McKee Jungle Gardens in 1931? There were monkeys, alligators, and parrots! Later, they added a full zoo with elephants. Today, they are known for the water lily gardens. There are palm gardens, meditation garden, bamboo pavilion, the Hall of Giants, and more. The world’s largest one piece wooden table is in the hall, at 35 feet! As plant lovers, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk! Admission is $7 in the summer and $9 in season. Allow at least an hour. http://www.mckeegarden.org/ We were very thirsty, and wanted to check out town. We stopped for a cold, refreshing soft drink at The Greenhouse Café. Such a pretty place, with an outdoor garden and fountain! http://activerain.com/blogsview/1343022/greenhouse-cafe-vero-beach-florida-dining-among-the-plants The town is small, but attractive, with some historic sites, including the old movie theater. Fortunately, Downtown Friday was beginning, with music, food, kid’s activities and shopping. There was even a mechanical bull!
Part 1
Day 2
We’re in Sebastian today! Fishing, water sports, hiking, golf, and extreme sports are in Sebastian! http://sebastianchamber.com Lunch launched our visit. That was at Capt. Hiram’s Resort. We each ordered the special: tuna salad sandwich. It came with a choice of sides, and we agreed on the slaw. A micro brew was on tap, so we had two Drifters, a beer with a citrusy, slightly hoppy flavor. Full bodied, but refreshing. We noticed the seafood hush puppies on the appetizer list, and tried them. They were very flavorful! Bits of shrimp and fish in a flour mixture! The tuna was tasty. There’s a “boatique” for shopping. http://www.hirams.com/
Is there a historic district in Sebastian? Yes! It’s small, but charming. We especially like the George Bannock house. Mr. Bannock lived there for over 40 years, and died after being hit by a train crossing the tracks to his home. Among other buildings are the old school, other homes, Harbor Lights Motel, and Opera House. There are three areas, so don’t overlook the historic district.
A skate park is in Sebastian. We stopped to look. Unfortunately, it seemed the hot day was keeping skaters away.
We visited the beach for a look at the Archie Carr Refuge. The water looked inviting, but a lifeguard posting warned of jellyfish, rip currents, and shore breaks, so we didn’t go in. So wonderful to have that information and save ourselves possible damage!
We backtracked to the Historic Jungle Trail. It’s a narrow strip of land, with an unpaved road, often with huge homes bordering it. If we ignored the homes, we felt as if we were in a jungle, and expected to see wild animals rushing across the road. Wildflowers, palms, live oaks, and numerous other plants line it. The road was originally used to send citrus to the packing houses. It is about 7 ½ miles long, and is very scenic! We found Pelican Island Wildlife National Refuge there! (The address is downtown Vero Beach, which we suppose is the office. ) This is the very first wildlife refuge in America! In 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt declared this a preserve. Bobcats, Marsh Rabbits, Roseate Spoonbills, herons, fish, ducks, and of course, Brown Pelicans, call this home, as well as many other birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The Centennial Trail is a ¾ mile loop to an impressive view, via a boardwalk. Shelters are along the way. The boardwalk is imprinted with all the NWRs in the USA, back to the first one! It was a wonderful trip, and if the weather not as hot and humid, we would have taken the Joe Michael Trail as well. This is a hidden treasure! Take water and wear sunscreen. http://www.fws.gov/pelicanisland/visiting/tour/index.html
The McLarty Treasure museum is, pardon the pun, a treasure! It’s situated on the site 1500 shipwreck survivors struggled to shore in 1715! They were on the Spanish Fleet which sank in a storm. At least 11, and maybe 12, ships carrying gold, silver, and jewels sank near where the museum stands today. Treasure has been turning up on the beaches ever since! This is how the Treasure Coast gets its name! Most people have heard of Mel Fisher, who found the Atocha at the bottom of the sea and hauled in millions. That was one of the ships. Still missing are at least 5 others, including one that would dwarf the Atocha’s value! The museum has many artifacts: precious gems, gold, silver, Chinese porcelain, weapons, and everyday items used by the sailors. There is a cannon, found at the bottom of the sea, fully loaded! The first wreck was discovered in 1928, and modern treasure hunters have been discovering articles of value since the mid 1960s. This museum is a real “must see” in Sebastian. A film runs 40 minutes, so allow at least an hour. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly! Admission is a bargain at $2 per person. http://atocha1622.com/mclarty.htm
Nearby, but in Brevard County, is Sebastian Inlet State park, where surfers, scuba divers, fishing enthusiasts, boaters, and families gather. In the park is a Fishing Museum, which was very interesting! Lures, rods, reels, and the history of fishing in the area are in exhibits. One exhibit is a homemade fishing boat. A fish house and dock are featured. We enjoyed talking to the volunteer on duty. On the afternoon of our visit, low tide had created a very expansive beach, but shrunk the swimming area. There are three miles of beach, and a camp ground. Admission is $4 per person for the park. The fishing museum is free. http://www.floridastateparks.org/sebastianinlet/default.cfm
For lunch, a new friend suggested Long Point Bait and Tackle and Restaurant, in Melbourne Beach. The combination intrigued us. One side is the café and the other a bait and tackle shop with a superette, run by the same family. The café was cozy and bright. Our server was friendly and helpful. The food was excellent, and quite reasonable. We both had the Cuban Sandwich, which came with a citrus dipping sauce, fried plantains, and chips. The sauce, something we’d never had with a Cuban, was delicious. MaryJo had a mimosa, and Greg a beer. Our total lunch was less than $25. http://longpointcafe.com
Barrier Island Sanctuary has interactive exhibits explaining the five habitats in the area: nearshore, dune, maritime, intertidal lagoon and subtidal lagoon. Turtles are featured. A garden outside has marine animals created from bottle caps! It’s very imaginative! A spectacular view of the Atlantic can be had from the deck! Allow at least 15 minutes.
Finally, we went for a swim on a deserted beach. The water was refreshing and cooler than we expected. That was nice! Wonder what experiences we’ll have tomorrow!
Day 3
First, a visit to the Environmental Learning Center gave us a chance to see lagoon life exhibits. A touch table with skulls of alligator, bobcat, wild boar, and other animals was very interesting. Then a hike through the mangroves on George’s Trail led us to a very nice view of the Indian River Lagoon! Along the way we passed an outdoor classroom, and some interactive interpretations. A few land crabs scattered out of sight. A summer camp shared the laughs and happy shouts of children.
The Sebastian Area Historical Museum was a real gem! Packed into a number of rooms are artifacts telling the story of Sebastian! Our guide along was Bud O’Neill, who enthusiastically related many tales and gave us a picture of the way Sebastian was and how it grew to the town of today. One great story is about the mother of one of his friends. The old typewriter on display was hers, which she used to type papers for her Master’s Degree. This was a time when many women didn’t finish elementary school! She was a record breaking motorcyclist in the days of carnival daredevils! What a fascinating woman! Other displays included an old school room, which as a teacher I was interested in; a woman’s bathing dress from the early 1900s; Ais artifacts; and a sign from the days of segregation. Many fossils and artifacts taken from a midden in the 1930s were pulverized and used on the roadbeds! We were enthralled with his stories! Allow at least 30 minutes. Admission is free. http://www.verobeach.com/sebastianareahistoricalmuseum
Earle’s Hideaway is a popular spot for locals. They have a small breakfast and lunch menu with seating on the patio. We had the ham club sandwich, which came with bean salad. It was good, and so was the price of $5 each! http://earlshideaway.com/
Part 4
In Sebastian is the Mel Fisher Museum, which displays many of the treasures taken from the Atocha, one of the fleet of Spanish ships that sank in 1715! Gold, silver, jewels, and many other artifacts are enclosed in cases for visitors. The story of the discovery and cataloguing of the items are detailed. Mel Fisher held the rights for the treasure hunting of the ships for decades. The finds are worth millions! It’s a fascinating story. Allow about 30 minutes. Admission is $4 each.
The Citrus Museum is in the Heritage Building in Vero Beach is another hidden treasure. Bob, our tour guide, is also animated and expert on the citrus industry. He pointed out a centuries old clay pot with orange seeds. It was part of Mel Fisher’s find in the 1715 Spanish Fleet. All sailors from Spain carried 100 orange seeds to the New World! Bob explained how the citrus are picked – by hand – and how it is sorted. Old time artifacts such as smudge pots, wooden crates and tools are displayed. A model of the Oslo Packing House, still in use, shows the inner workings. The heritage Hall was built in the 1930’s as a community center is still used as such. A lovely coquina fireplace is on one wall. Scorched timbers in the roof recall the fire of 1944 when it was used as a USO center! Allow about 30 minutes. Admission is free! Both museums were treats! http://www.veroheritage.org/CitrusMuseum.html
We took a quick look at the old train depot, which houses a railroad museum. Then we went on for a look at one of the many beaches in Vero. This one was South Beach, with picnic shelter, grills, vending machines, and life guards. The beach itself is white and very broad, with volleyball nets. Today the yellow flag was flying, indicating some dangers: bait fish, rip tides, and drop offs. Many beachgoers were playing in the surf, though.
Part 5
Indian River is a good daycation for those nearby, and has plenty to do for a week or more for those traveling from afar. There are communities with the colorful names of Wabasso, Orchid Island, and Fellesmere. There are museums, shopping, parks, science centers, restaurants, spas, beaches, and outdoor activities for nearly everyone, especially those willing to go off the trails. http://indian-river.fl.us/
