Vero Beach info please

[jns]

Thinking of going to Vero Beach this year for 3 days after our cruise this Sep
has anyone been and if so what is it like
would you stay in a villa or in the main building
also is there much to do in this area
thanks for any info

[Young Pooh]

We stayed for a couple of nights a couple of years ago and will definately be going back for a bit longer in the future.

There was just DH, me and DD so we went for an ocean view inn room and were lucky to get one with a massive king bed and a sofa bed - it seems most of them have 2 queen beds. We preferred the layout of these rooms as opposed to the studios.

I think the main building just has "inn rooms" and the studios and bigger villas are in the grounds.

Because we were only there for the 2 nights we didn't venture off site so cannot comment on things to do - this is why we want to try a longer stay next time!

[jns]

thanks decided to book

[JimC]

VERO BEACH FAQ

What is the difference between an Inn Room and a Studio?
With an Inn room you'll get 2 queen beds and it is about 360 sq ft. You also
will have a small frig, wet bar, and microwave. Select corner Inn rooms are
slightly larger and L-shaped. So as you enter the room through the door, you
see a narrow walk space and the kitchenette is right there. As you turn the
corner, you have the main space with the beds.

A studio is about 375 sq ft and also has a frig, wet bar and microwave. The
difference is you will get one queen bed and one double sleeper sofa. So if
only two people are staying in the room and sharing the bed, you can keep
the sofa closed and allows more floor space. The Vero Beach studio room is
the same shape as the OKW studio so the floor space is optimized in my
opinion.

Studios (particularily ground and 2st floor), don't offer much of a view.
There is a lot of very lush tropical foilage surrounding the ground floor
studio and larger villas. Ocean View Inn rooms are a reservation option.

What does availiability typically look like?
Peak season at South Florida beaches is in the Spring, with March and April
(Spring Break) being the most popular. Summer is typically not as difficult
to reserve as Spring. By calling at 7 months, you can likely get any week
you want.

What is the beach like?
The beach is on the "wild" side, with lots of waves and a pretty sharp drop
off. Children should be closely supervised. There has been extensive beach
restoration in the area. So much so that the beach is not bi-level with a
steep incline in between. The upper level now covers the lower section of
the ramp to the beach.

The beach is a coarser and darker sand then the gulf beaches over on the
west coast of Florida. They can get quite hot in the summer months.

VB receives the gulf stream flow so the water temps are pretty steady for
much of the year.

Jelly Fish or worse the Portugese Man-O-War are nasty. Do not touch, even
if they appear dead. The sting is quite painful. Vinegar is a good
medicinal aid to reduce pain.

One real nice thing about the beach is the proximity to the Pool bar &
grill, and your room.

Is there a lifeguard on duty?
There are lifeguards at the pool, but not on the beach. Water warnings are
posted so take note and practice safe ocean fun.

What are the options for food and dining in the area?

There is a Publix and Super Walmart only a few minutes from the resort. The
Publix is closer and a good supermarket. The resort has good directions to
both.

Casual restaurants:

Apples Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor
486 21st St
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772) 567-5877

Ay Jalisco Inc
1909 20th St, Vero Beach, FL
Tel: (772) 978-0661 (good Mexican food)

Bella Napoli
http://www.bellanapoli-verobeach.com

Boardwalk Cafe & Ice Cream
4079 Ocean Drive
Vero Beach, FL 32963
Phone: (772) 234-9570

Capt Hiram's
http://www.hirams.com

Giorgio's New York Pizzeria
955 17th St
Vero Beach, FL 32960
Phone: (772) 778-3800

Lobster Shanty
http://www.verobeachlobstershanty.com

Mamma Mia's
http://www.mamamiaskitchen.net

MoBay Grill in the Publix Plaza near Wal-Mart (Sebastian)
A small Jamaican inspired restaurant
http://www.mo-baygrill.com/

Mr. Manatee's
http://www.mrmanatees.com

Nino's Italian Restaurant
1006 Easter Lily Ln
Vero Beach, FL 32963
Phone: (772) 231-9311

Outback Steakhouse
1475 Us Highway 1, Vero Beach, FL
Tel: (772) 567-5222

Ozzie's Crabhouse
6060 US Hwy. 1 South
Grant, FL 32949
(321) 724-0009

Patio Restaurant
1103 Miracle Mile, Vero Beach, FL
Tel: (772) 567-7215

Riverside Cafe
http://www.riversidecafe.com

Squid Lips Grill
http://www.squidlipsgrill.com/

TooJays
http://www.toojays.com/locationsnew/...onlist_tc.html

Waldo's at the Driftwood
http://www.thedriftwoodresort.com/rest.html

Fine Dining:

Ocean Grill
http://ocean-grill.com

What is there to do in the surrounding area?

5 minutes north is Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Just a few
minutes further up the road is Sebastian Inlet State Park and McLarty
Treasure Museum, about an hour away is Port Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
visitor complex, U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and Merritt Island National
Wildlife Refuge with walking and driving tours.

20 minutes south is McGee Botanical Gardens (18 acres). 30 minutes south in
Fort Piece is the Manatee Observation Center.

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/pelicanisland/

Sebastian Inlet State Park
http://www.floridastateparks.org/sebastianinlet/

McLarty Treasure Museum
http://www.atochatreasures.com/mclarty.htm

Port Canaveral
http://www.portcanaveral.com/index2.php

Kennedy Space Center
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/as...l-of-fame.aspx

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/

McGee Botanical Gardens
http://www.mckeegarden.org/index.php

Manatee Observation Center
http://www.manateecenter.com/

What are NoSeeUms and how do I deter them?
No-See-Ums are tiny insects, closely related to the mosquito, officially
called Biting Midges. They only fly in temperatures over 70 degress, so they
are more of a problem during summer months. They are most active during
sunrise/sunset, so it is recommended that you keep your patio doors closed
during these times. Common insect repellants (DEET) do not deter No-See-Ums. The best way to avoid them is to wear long pants/sleeves at sunrise and sunset. They are small enough to be able to penetrate standard screening.

[jns]

Thanks Jim Great info
we have deided to spend our last few days here and were lucky enough to get a Sea Veiw inn room

[JimC]

Enjoy! You picked a great time to visit.

[JohnStorey]

We nearly allways stay at Vero, every trip, usually just for a few nights, lovely hotel. However the main reason for staying there is so that we can go to 'Ocean Grill' restaurant downtown, this is by far our FAVOURITE restaurant in Florida, we just love it & usually go there both nights we are in Vero. OK it is a bit on the pricey side but hey your on holiday, go for it, the restaurant is, classy,cosy,quaint & the food is superb, (& the bar ain't bad either)