Don’t worry about big airports, Fly to Vero Beach, FL!
Vero Beach Landmarks and the Technical Part
Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB, KVRB) is a towered, public use airport owned by the City of Vero Beach. It is located one mile northwest of Vero Beach, Florida in Indian River County and is the current home and headquarters of Piper Aircraft, Inc. The traffic control tower is manned from 7:00a.m. to 9:00p.m. 365 days a year. It has three runways and all are asphalt 04/22 is 4,974 ft., 12L/30R is 3,504 ft., and 12R/30L is 7,314 ft. This airport has a limited commercial air service from Breeze Airways and is one of the last remaining airports in the U. S. with free long-term parking for up to 21 days
Transportation
Rental car companies available in Vero Beach are Avis, Enterprise, Hertz, and National. If you are going to the beach you can rent anything from a paddle boat to a pontoon. As of May 2023 no decision has been reached as to whether Vero Beach will be an added stop on the new Briteline fast train from South Florida to Orlando.
Where to go for the Finer Things!
In this part of the world one of the finer things is the beach! If you’re looking for the best east coast surfing try Tracking Station Park near town or Sebastian Inlet about 7 miles north. Wabasso Beach is also a surfer hang out with the Wabasso Beach and Surf Shop right off Highway 1.
Wabasso Beach is a popular surfing destination!
If it’s sunrises you want try Sexton Beach at the end of Beachland Boulevard. If you want something cool for the kids take them 3 miles north to Treasure Shores for the Pirate themed playground. There is also St. Lucie County Aquarium south of Vero Beach in Ft. Pierce and the Sebastian Skate Facility for older kids north in Sebastian. The Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is always a great choice.
Vero Beach, or simply Vero as it’s called by the locals, is home to world class shopping and art. For a little culture you can visit Vero Beach Museum of Art, the Florida Art Gallery & Auction. There are also a number of personal studios/galleries downtown. If you’re interested in military history The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum is out on Highway A1A.
Vero Beach has a First Friday Gallery Stroll from 5-8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month downtown. You can meet many of the artist and partake of some wine and cheese. Downtown Friday is the last Friday each month from 6-9 p.m. and it’s a street party with live music, food vendors and talented artists in the open air. Go! Go downtown and immerse yourself in the gorgeous evenings that come with the sea air on the Treasure Coast.
Places to Stay
There are too many to check out personally but the Holiday Inn Express was nice and clean with breakfast included. If you are going to stay awhile and want to be near the Jackie Robinson Sports Complex I recommend the Star Suites. It’s near the beach and has a full kitchen and (maybe only important to me) you can bring your dog. Dogs are great beach buddies but be sure to check the signage as they’re not allowed on most beaches here. If you’re looking for other options and are not sure of your dates or plans Expedia.com can help out with fully refundable fares. The less expensive hotels are out by I-95 with the more expensive being nearer the beach.
Local Vero Beach Pubs, Shopping, and Great Food!
For fun and a little history try the American Icon Brewery. Great burgers and enough hand crafted brews to please everyone. Like most pubs there are some constants on the menu but the “Currently on Tap’ menu is changed frequently so you never know what your favorite is going to be.
Recommended for Irish style pubs there is the Sean Ryan Pub or the Kilted Mermaid. For open air dining, Cravings, right on Ocean Drive, with it’s red awnings is hard to miss. Made from scratch bakery products and enough variety on the menu to make everyone happy, always a winner! If you want to go out of town Captain Hiram’s in Sebastian is my personal favorite. It’s lively, fun and a little eclectic right on the water. It’s also a cool place to stay and right on the water!
You should also check out Mulligan’s Beach House, The Crab Stop, Cobalt, Citrus, or the Riverside Cafe. Riverside seems to be a local favorite and although I haven’t been in few years I loved the view and the atmosphere of Mulligan’s. The airport has a place called C.J. Cannon’s where the food is great!
Looking for some upscale ambience, try The Tides on Cardinal Drive. As for shopping, Vero is filled with locally owned specialty shops and plazas for everything from diving equipment to locally grown citrus. There are three malls, Indian River Mall, Vero Beach Outlets, Treasure Coast Plaza, and a shopping paradise on lovely Ocean Drive. It’s filled with anything your heart desires. There is also historic downtown Vero where you can spend as many hours and dollars as you’d like.
Things to Do In Vero Beach!
The beach, of coarse! Shopping and dining, yes! Also, just a short trip north to Sebastian and a left turn towards Fellsmere you would find yourself in the world famous Stick Marsh. Also known as Farm 13 it’s Bass fishing at it’s absolute finest. We are talking trophy bass.
There are options for airboat rides all around Vero Beach with the most popular being through the marshes but tours on the Sebastian River are also available. The marsh tours are incredible and filled with so many creatures you’re sure to find something photo worthy.
Spotting dolphins on the river tours is a great day trip. The inland waterways have an abundance of fishing charters and boat tours. I’m pretty laid back so the Cabana Boat Tour would suit me fine. For those who prefer fishing the Vero Beach Inshore Fishing Charter would make for a memorable day. If you want to ‘go big or go home’ try the Offshore Full Day Private Fishing Tour from Sebastian.
No Florida “Things To Do” list would be complete without mentioning golf courses. So here goes, it appears there are three public courses in Vero and two in Sebastian. Sandridge, Vista Plantation and Fairwinds are in Vero Beach while Sebastian Municipal and Barefoot Bay Golf Course are in Sebastian.
I have many friends who are avid golfers but, as I am not one myself, I can’t personally recommend one over the other. I’m so bad the only things my friends will allow me to do is drive the cart or wait in the air conditioning with the bartender for company. (Who says I don’t have this game figured out?) I’ve seen pictures and they look beautiful but www.golfnow.com can give you much better info about the surrounding courses and reserve your tee time.
If you are a baseball fan historic Dodgertown is a cool place to check out. If you’re lucky you just might catch a game going on. They host a lot of youth teams tournaments here these days.
Night Life In Vero Beach!!
The east coast of Florida is a one of the best places in the world for being outside at night barring natural disasters. Accommodations for both indoor and outdoor seating are available throughout Vero Beach. Keep in mind, you are in Florida so ‘Eau de Bug Spray’ may need to be your scent of choice if opting for the later. Most of the above mentioned pubs have live music but there are a few others worth mentioning.
Waldo’s is the restaurant/lounge in the Driftwood Resort and usually has live music on the weekends. Driftwood Resort is also a really cool place to stay if you haven’t made other arrangements. If music and cocktails aren’t your thing, you’re in luck, you’re in Florida! A beach, a breeze, maybe a hand to hold, or just a conversation with the moon on a walk with no particular destination, that’s here too.
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Safe flying and smooth landings,
Jo@Jettreks.com