Vero Beach Florida
I got my usual Starbucks coffee in Titusville, FL and then mapped out my tripped down the coast to Vero Beach, Florida to visit my good friends Barry and Carol. They had offered to let me hang out with them in their beautiful winter home in Vero Beach for the holidays. I took route 1 south to see more of the coast than I would have on I95. There is a wide range of economic classes visible along the coast. The extremes are very visible.
Barry and Carol welcomed me to Vero Beach around 2:00 pm. It was really nice to see friends during the holiday season and during my trip.
Vero Beach is a city located on the east coast of Florida, southeast of Orlando. It is known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant arts community, and abundance of outdoor recreational activities. The city is home to several cultural attractions, including the Vero Beach Museum of Art and Riverside Theatre. There are also several state parks and nature preserves in the surrounding area, providing opportunities for hiking, biking, and birdwatching. The weather was unusually cold initially and warmed during my six day stay.
Joe’s Seafood Shack
We took a visit to Joe’s Seafood Shack in Vero Beach. The fish and shell fish all looked fresh. The person in front of us ordered Swordfish and told me that he cooks it on the grill and uses mayonnaise as the marinade. The shop is very lively with all the patrons talking to each other and the staff cracking jokes and giving everyone a hard time.
Lanai
My new word for the week was “lanai”. We spent relaxing time on the lanai with a view of their backyard looking out onto the water. A lanai is a type of porch which is typically attached to a house and may enclose a garden or courtyard. It is a common feature in homes in Hawaii and as I could tell, in Florida as well. Their lanai was fully enclosed with screens to protect against insects. It’s an outdoor living space that provide a space to relax, entertain guests, or enjoy the outdoors.
Daily Routine
The day always started with a cup of strong coffee. This was followed by Barry’s special oatmeal that was made with milk, banana, cinnamon, and probably a few other goodies. It was then topped with blueberries and any other berries that might be in the refrigerator. I added maple syrup which wasn’t part of the recipe. On the side was a fresh glass of Florida orange juice.
They graciously helped me clean out the car, wash down the tent and reorganize everything so things were more easily accessible. This took several mornings and afternoons.
Day 2 - Farmers Market and Reserve
We went into Vero Beach for the Farmers Market. The weather was unusually cold for the area getting down into the 30s. Most people were bundled up and wearing gloves. There were the occasional “shorts only” people. The french pastries looked like the real deal (they were speaking French).
We drove north to Round Island Riverside Park beach, which was empty on this cool breezy Christmas Eve day.
We headed to Sebastian Inlet State Park to observe birds. The birds didn’t seem to be afraid of people. The pelicans were on the water. One took off and flew directly at me. Luckily I had the camera out and was ready. The brown storks and egrets were hanging out together and I could walk to within 5 feet of them. They seemed to be used to getting their picture taken.
Day 3 - Christmas Dinner
We had Christmas dinner at Carol’s brother’s house. We had a traditional Christmas turkey and so many delicious side dishes. I didn’t save room for dessert but that didn’t stop me. Barry went all out and made a raspberry cheese cake from scratch. Truely an impressive and delicious desert. I didn’t realize that it takes many hours to make a cheese cake. I didn’t realize the amount of work need to make a cheese cake.
We drove around the waterways near the Vero Beach Museum of Art trying to digest our Christmas meal. The weather was still chilly and most people were still indoors. It looked like a great place to Kayak.
Day 4 - Bass Pro Shop
Barry and I took a trip north to the Bass Pro Shop north of Vero Beach. They had live alligators and wild bores on display. This seemed to be a draw for kids with their parents. I bought a few things for organizing the car.
Everything had been removed from the car. We took the cooler, tent, sleeping bag, and canopy to the backyard to clean. The tent was the most stubborn to clean. After many nights in the rain, there was mildew on the mesh. Nothing seemed to budge the black mildew until we tried hydrogen peroxide. We let everything dry in the lanai overnight. Things hadn’t looked that clean since I began the trip.
Day 5 - Blue Cypress Conservation Area
We drove north to the Blue Cypress Conservation Area which also seemed to be known as the Stick Marsh. It is home to a variety of plant and animal life, including the endangered Blue Cypress tree for which it is named.
The conservation area is made up of over 6,000 acres of wetlands, marshes, and cypress swamps. It is a popular spot for birdwatching, with over 200 species of birds having been spotted in the area. The Blue Cypress Conservation Area is also home to a variety of other wildlife, including alligators, bobcats, and deer. We spotted a few alligators and several species of birds.
One of the main attractions of the Blue Cypress Conservation Area is the Blue Cypress Lake, which is the largest lake in Indian River County. The lake is popular for boating, fishing, and other water sports. It is also home to a number of threatened and endangered species, including the West Indian manatee and the Florida panther.
The conservation area is open to the public, and visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, and picnicking. There are also several educational programs and events held throughout the year. If you're in the Vero Beach area and looking for a natural retreat, the Blue Cypress Conservation Area is definitely worth a visit.
On the way back to the house we decided to go out for dinner. We headed to the American Icon Brewery in Vero Beach. The restaurant was slammed and short handed. They didn’t expect to have so many people after Christmas. The food and beer were good.
Day 6 - Space Launch / Bocce Ball
We all got up at 4:20 am for the SpaceX Starlink launch at 4:36 am. I didn’t really know what to expect. We listened to the launch countdown and waited 10-15 seconds when a bright orange streak appeared over the rooftops on the northern horizon. I took a lot of photos but wasn’t very successful at capturing the spaceship accelerating on an arch in front of us.
I spent much of the day going through everything in the car and deciding what I wanted to keep, toss or give away. Things I didn’t use and didn’t need I removed from the car. There were other things that I collected on the trip and tossed. I then repacked the car. This took many hours but I felt like I knew where everything was and the car was once again organized. The car and everything in it was clean again.
Carol made crab cakes and we finished off other things in the refrigerator. I finally got a sense of how to load the dishwasher and tried to help cleanup. Wednesday evening is Bocce Ball with people in the complex. Around 7:00 pm we headed over to the bocce ball courts. About 20 people showed up and we played for about an hour. The rules were pretty easy and it was fun.
I took a few photos of the neighborhood as we walked back to the house.
Thank You
Thank you both for taking me in for a few days allowing me to decompress, reorganize and get to see your beautiful Florida home.