If you’re driving down Florida’s east coast between Cape Canaveral and Miami, you’ll move via a phenomenal area referred to as the Treasure Coast. It covers three counties — Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin — and will get its title from historic shipwrecks and their accompanying loot.
Lucky explorers have discovered bonafide sunken treasure right here as not too long ago as 2020, and one haul (in 2015) of over 350 gold cash was price round $4.5 million. Of course, most guests discover one other sort of treasure right here: uncrowded seashores, glorious seafood, huge parks, and a no-worries life-style that’s excellent for a soothing household trip.
Here’s how one can highway journey this coast as a household, together with actions all ages can take pleasure in.
Stay on Hutchinson Island
Of the three counties on the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie is within the center, so staying right here enables you to be centrally situated. And in the event you’re staying on the coast, you may as nicely be on an island, proper?
Room at Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel & Suites
Hutchinson Island stretches over 20 miles alongside the coast, crossing into all three counties. We stayed on the waterfront Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel & Suites in Fort Pierce. This resort is a good finances possibility, with aggressive nightly charges, free parking, and continental breakfast included. Depending on the kind of room you ebook, there are mini fridges, microwaves, balconies, and pull-out sofas handy for households.
The resort has a small personal seashore on the inlet, excellent for when the children need to splash round otherwise you simply need to dig your toes within the sand. And anglers will recognize the fishing. Another factor we beloved? Being strolling distance from Jetty Park, a scenic spot for fishing, swimming and sunrises.
Beach exterior Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel & Suites
See Top Attractions
There are so many nice sights right here for households. Where do I start? Museums, murals, boat excursions, gardens — I can assure nobody can be bored.
For outside enjoyable with youngsters past the parks, go to McKee Botanical Garden. All ages will love the attractive landscapes, the walk-through Stickwork sculpture surrounded by towering palms, and the Hall of Giants. But particularly for youths, their new Children’s Garden is a should. Better than an everyday treehouse, there’s a pirate shipwreck in a tree plus a splash backyard, fairy forest, monkey bridge, and extra.
Children’s Garden at McKee Botanical Gardens
If you’re fortunate sufficient to be there in summer time, don’t miss their annual Waterlily Celebration when these blooms are at their peak.
Another must-see for flower lovers is Heathcote Botanical Gardens. The bonsai assortment is first-rate, and the Children’s Garden is whimsical enjoyable with its playhouse, pioneer cabin, and fairy backyard. The house is designed in backyard “rooms,” such because the Japanese Garden with its statuary and water options and the Butterfly Garden, one other child favourite, the place a whole lot of butterflies feast on the crops on sunny days. We additionally loved a picnic lunch on this peaceable setting.
Playhouse at Heathcote Botanical Gardens
When on the Treasure Coast, you’ve obtained to see shipwreck treasure, and the Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum is the place to do it. See an enormous assortment of salvaged treasure and maintain a gold bar rescued from a Spanish galleon. Check their web site for a coupon for $5 off admission.
More family-friendly museums nice for wet days or escaping the warmth embody the Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast, the National Navy SEAL Museum, and the Stuart Heritage Museum, which is free!
Hit the Parks
It’s straightforward to get near nature right here. Parks and seashores abound. Fort Pierce Inlet State Park and Jetty Park, talked about above, deserve prime spots in your record, however there are a lot extra.
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Here are a couple of parks households can discover pretty near the resort:
- Museum Pointe Park, waterfront trails, palm bushes, and picnic tables
- Frederick Douglass Memorial Beach Park, the place you possibly can go horseback using on the seashore
- Bear Point Sanctuary, with mangrove strolling trails and an commentary platform
- Vitolo Preserve, extra mangrove trails and one other commentary platform
- Jack Island Preserve State Park, standard for birdwatching on the lagoon
Go farther and discover parks and seashores all through the tri-county area. Three others I like to recommend are Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Sebastian Inlet State Park, and — my favourite for the large sprays of water in opposition to the limestone — Blowing Rocks Preserve.
Eat Hearty
Want laid-back, family-friendly eating places the place it’s all about nice service and nice meals? You can get the basic Florida seashore city eating expertise, the place the seafood is recent and flip flops and T-shirts are normal apparel, at each Archie’s Seabreeze and Little Jim Bait & Tackle.
Don’t overlook to please the children with ice cream. It’s trip, in any case. Shops promoting ice cream appear to be in every single place. Overwhelmed with selection, we turned to on-line evaluations to assist us determine, and there was a transparent winner. Stop by Cream Republic for small-batch ice cream in a spread of artistic flavors which are all the time altering. You can anticipate basic chocolate and fruit flavors, however in the event you’re feeling adventurous, attempt one thing new. Past creations embody cookie butter, black walnut with salted caramel, strawberry cheesecake, taro, pistachio, tres leches, banana pudding… And there are boozy creations for adults, too.
Small-batch ice cream at Cream Republic
The service is heat and pleasant, and the decor inside is charming. If the climate’s effective, sit exterior (canines welcome) and calm down with a cup or cone.
About the Author
Cheryl Rodewig is storyteller, marketer, and award-winning characteristic author specializing in journey. Her Venn diagram contains minimalism, waterfalls, French, and the em sprint. Find her at cherylrodewig.com or on Twitter at @cherylrodewig.
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