Ventures in Vero - Where are the Dickens?

March, the promise of Spring, warmer days, and sunshine. What better place to be than in Vero Beach!

We’ve been planning this trip since November. Finding an RV Park near our dear friends, John and Victoria seemed almost impossible. But with perseverance and a lot of searching I found a place. It is true what the full-timers say about booking early for Florida!

First, a Pit Stop

I pride myself in keeping our expenses low. My average night stay is $21.00! So, booking a site that is almost $60 for one night was not my usual! However, when that night includes a chance to catch up with some friends along the way…priceless! After show and tell in our RVs and sharing stories from the road over a glass or two of wine, Jim and Nancy prepared a great meal for us.

A little about the park…Traveler’s Campground is an easy on and off of I-75 near Gainesville. And it was about half way between Pensacola and Vero Beach, so it made a great stopping spot. They must be used to overnighters just passing through, ‘cuz there was a huge area just for that purpose! This was our first campground with an animal farm and John had fun with the Emus! 🙂

After a quick breakfast and good-byes we were off to Vero!

Traveled 332 miles. (and we’re back in Eastern Time Zone!)

Our Village in Vero

After an easy drive down the coast, we arrived at our home for the month and easily found our spot. Tanglewood Village was just what I expected, an older mobile home park with full and part time RVers in the mix. You can’t beat the price for March in Southern Florida…$725 for the month! For being an older park, it was very well kept and the community of “transplanted Northerners” were super friendly and engaging! I was delighted by their colorful gardens and whimsical garden art. Every walk I took I met these wonderful retired men and women working in their gardens or out for their own walk, bike ride, or wheelchair stroll before the heat of the day. The pool had been recently updated and was another popular spot for the residents to hang out!

The location was perfect. We were 2 miles for our friends and the stores were less than 10 minutes away. Best of all, we were 20 minutes from the beach!

Other than the VICIOUS No See-Ums, we truly enjoyed Tanglewood and would definitely return.

Traveled 251 miles.

Fun Times with the Kronsnobles

The BEST part of our full-time living is being able to reconnect with friends along the way! John and John have known each other for twenty years and have a lot of history flying planes and surviving hurricanes! With the addition of Victoria and I to their lives, the four of us have tried to get together at least once a year from Annual Martini Parties or a Caribbean Catamaran Cruise through the Virgin Islands. Wherever or whenever we are together it seems we were never apart. We pick up right where we left off. And we are never at a loss for adventures!

Boating on the Indian River

What a perfect first weekend in Vero! Johnny K’s Famous Bloody Marys were flowing as we took the boat out for the first trip of the season. We met up with friends on a hammock in the Indian River where we laughed, played, ate, and had a “few” drinks while basking in the warm sunny weather! It was what we all needed after a long winter!

The day ended with a dip in the pool and a few more toddies, that lasted til the sunset over the Indian River. A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Air Boating Adventure

Booking a trip with Airboat Wilderness Rides through the the backwaters on the Upper St. John’s River was going to be fun. And, it was until the 1st gator showed itself right next. to. me! After the 2nd one I made John switch places with me!! I’ll swim with sharks in the ocean any day over these scary reptiles!

It really was a lot of fun. I’d do it again, especially in the Everglades. Highlight for me was seeing the ospreys and the elusive American Bittern.

Sunday in the Park

What a beautiful Sunday afternoon it was strolling the jungle paths at McKee Botanical Gardens. It reminded me of the Costa Rican rain forest with the lush green foliage of the tropics. The best part was seeing Sean Kenney’s “Nature Connects.” A traveling exhibition featuring nature-themed sculptures constructed entirely of Lego bricks. Legos have come a long way from the green, white, and red bricks of my childhood! Another very cool exhibit was Grand Central, a Stickworks Installation made from willow branches. It was impressive! I liked that the artists collect the branches in sustainable, environmentally conscious ways.

Captain Hiram’s and the Rum Runners

With every trip to Vero Beach we MUST make a stop (or two) at Captain Hiram’s in Sebastian! It’s a Dicken tradition that is shared with all the family whether they are present or not!! (Note: That’s John texting bragging pics to his sis!) Right on the the Indian River, Happy Hours here couldn’t be better, watching the pelicans and dolphins in the river and listening to live local music. It’s laid back happy! And they serve the BEST rum runners! We attempted to recreate them. I’d say we came pretty close! 🙂

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

One of my favorite holidays! Maybe it’s cuz I love green or maybe it’s cuz I like drink OR just maybe it’s cuz of both! Mulligan’s is THE place to be in Vero for St. Pat’s. I think we’ve celebrated here several times 🙂 I’ll let the pics speak for themselves!

Daytrippin’ in Miami

What a special treat! Spending the day touring Biscayne Bay; seeing how the “other half” lives! LOL

A beautiful day with beautiful friends!

A Horse named Rocky

Rocky was daughter Michelle’s horse. She had asked if we could drive out and see him for her while we were here. It was so cool how quickly he remembered John. The stories shared of his silly antics and the kids who learned to ride on his back warmed my heart. Unfortunately this sweet boy left us soon after our visit, making this even more bittersweet! Rocky had a great life and was loved by many!

Our Last Hurrah!

Sunday Brunch at Riverside Cafe on the Indian River is one of our favorite Dicken/Kronsnoble traditions. All you can eat oysters and shrimp, endless mimosas and Bloody Marys, all enjoyed with THE best company EVER!

PS…They had the best grits I ever did taste!! 🙂