If you happen to’re driving down Florida’s east coast between Cape Canaveral and Miami, you’ll move by a lovely area often called 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.
Fortunate 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. In fact, most guests discover one other type of treasure right here: uncrowded seashores, glorious seafood, huge parks, and a no-worries way of life that’s excellent for a soothing household trip.
Right here’s how you can highway journey this coast as a household, together with actions all ages can get pleasure from.
Keep on Hutchinson Island
Of the three counties on the Treasure Coast, St. Lucie is within the center, so staying right here permits you to be centrally positioned. And for those who’re staying on the coast, you would possibly as properly be on an island, proper?
Room at Hutchinson Island Plaza Lodge & Suites
Hutchinson Island stretches over 20 miles alongside the coast, crossing into all three counties. We stayed on the waterfront Hutchinson Island Plaza Lodge & Suites in Fort Pierce. This resort is a superb price range choice, with aggressive nightly charges, free parking, and continental breakfast included. Relying on the kind of room you e-book, there are mini fridges, microwaves, balconies, and pull-out sofas handy for households.
The resort has a small non-public seaside on the inlet, excellent for when the youngsters need to splash round otherwise you simply need to dig your toes within the sand. And anglers will admire the fishing. One other factor we cherished? Being strolling distance from Jetty Park, a scenic spot for fishing, swimming and sunrises.
Seaside exterior Hutchinson Island Plaza Lodge & Suites
See High Sights
There are such a lot of nice points of interest right here for households. The place do I start? Museums, murals, boat excursions, gardens — I can assure nobody will probably be bored.
For out of doors enjoyable with youngsters past the parks, go to McKee Botanical Backyard. All ages will love the gorgeous landscapes, the walk-through Stickwork sculpture surrounded by towering palms, and the Corridor of Giants. However particularly for teenagers, their new Kids’s Backyard is a should. Higher than an everyday treehouse, there’s a pirate shipwreck in a tree plus a splash backyard, fairy forest, monkey bridge, and extra.
Kids’s Backyard at McKee Botanical Gardens
If you happen to’re fortunate sufficient to be there in summer time, don’t miss their annual Waterlily Celebration when these blooms are at their peak.
One other must-see for flower lovers is Heathcote Botanical Gardens. The bonsai assortment is first-rate, and the Kids’s Backyard is whimsical enjoyable with its playhouse, pioneer cabin, and fairy backyard. The house is designed in backyard “rooms,” such because the Japanese Backyard with its statuary and water options and the Butterfly Backyard, one other child favourite, the place lots of 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 received 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. Examine their web site for a coupon for $5 off admission.
Extra family-friendly museums nice for wet days or escaping the warmth embody the Kids’s Museum of the Treasure Coast, the Nationwide 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 listing, however there are lots extra.
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Listed below are a number of parks households can discover pretty near the resort:
- Museum Pointe Park, waterfront trails, palm bushes, and picnic tables
- Frederick Douglass Memorial Seaside Park, the place you possibly can go horseback using on the seaside
- Bear Level Sanctuary, with mangrove strolling trails and an remark platform
- Vitolo Protect, extra mangrove trails and one other remark platform
- Jack Island Protect State Park, common 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 enormous sprays of water in opposition to the limestone — Blowing Rocks Protect.
Eat Hearty
Need laid-back, family-friendly eating places the place it’s all about nice service and nice meals? You will get the traditional Florida seaside city eating expertise, the place the seafood is contemporary and flip flops and T-shirts are commonplace apparel, at each Archie’s Seabreeze and Little Jim Bait & Deal with.
Don’t neglect to please the youngsters with ice cream. It’s trip, in any case. Retailers promoting ice cream appear to be in all places. Overwhelmed with alternative, we turned to on-line critiques to assist us determine, and there was a transparent winner. Cease by Cream Republic for small-batch ice cream in a spread of artistic flavors which are at all times altering. You possibly can anticipate traditional chocolate and fruit flavors, however for those who’re feeling adventurous, strive one thing new. Previous 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 superb, sit exterior (canines welcome) and chill out with a cup or cone.
Concerning the Creator
Cheryl Rodewig is storyteller, marketer, and award-winning function author specializing in journey. Her Venn diagram consists of minimalism, waterfalls, French, and the em sprint. Discover her at cherylrodewig.com or on Twitter at @cherylrodewig.
