Florida's Treasure Coast (2) - Fort Pierce & Vero Beach

[Music] it was just a year ago august first a vero beach high school senior nick emilio jumped into the atlantic on a treasure dive 15 feet offshore in vero beach the ocean was crystal clear then he saw the gold shimmer it was a coin from the ill-fated fleet of 11 spanish ships that sunk in 1715 with massive gold silver and jewelry that would name this region as the treasure coast today people still find gold and silver on this coast you are more likely to find treasure of a different kind maybe even more valuable like emmanuel who escapes from the craziness of miami to fish at fort pierce jetty park or the barnett family making precious memories on the beach visiting from kansas city or ben who enjoys the nature and wildlife of the state parks people who enjoy this part of florida's atlanta coast for a getaway to balance the pressures of life welcome to part two in our treasure coast series we will start on the shoreline where we left off in part one showing a few more beaches in jensen beach the north to fort pierce where you can take a horse ride along the ocean continue on highway a1a to jetty park at the south part of the fort pierce inlet then we'll explore south causeway park with a mini aquarium and causeway cove where you can rent boats and jet skis on the mainland of fort pierce we show savannah recreation area take a scenic drive along the indian river lagoon show the fort pierce city marina then head back to the coast on the north causeway show where you can rent kayaks then it's time for some nature as we explore fort pierce inlet state park jack island state park and avalon state park we do some navy seal training well really just me bella is just along for the ride at the navy seal museum cross the indian river again a couple of times in vero beach then highway 60 to sexton plaza where we show a couple of waterside restaurants and a really good counter serve eatery show options for lodging we explore jc beach park with a super long boardwalk stop by wabaso beach park then north on a1a to the mclarty treasure museum with the fascinating history of this coastline then to the sebastian inlet where the treasure coast meets the space coast [Music] climb aboard with us we have a mission to accomplish full throttle ahead on the treasure coast fort pierce in vero beach [Music] there be treasure there [Music] it's just before sunrise at the fort pierce inlet as fishing charters like the last mangle head out to the atlantic the 65-foot miss fort pierce a deep-sea party boat it is 100 for a fishing charter from 7 a.m to 4pm the slogan of fort pierce is the sunrise city and i think you can see why as morning begins over jetty park we'll give the sun a chance to warm up the waters before we show you around jetty park but for now let's head back to the roundabout at jensen beach this time we continue up highway a1a in the distance in the upper right is jensen beach causeway that we showed last week waveland beach park perfect for families with hotels condos and dining within walking distance for most of the treasure coast there are no high-rise condos but if you are looking to live or stay in a high-rise on the treasure coast most of them are located on the north part of jensen beach from waveland beach to dalman beach park waveland beach is also the start of a 13.2 mile bike path that takes riders to just south of fort pierce beach even with the condos the buildings are spread out and far enough away from the little beach parks where they do not cast the big shadow over the beach in the afternoon across the street from dalman beachside park is jane murray brooks park on the intracoastal side with the nature trail to the river [Music] just north of james murray brooks park is one of the few parts of the treasure coast where you get a nice water view from highway a1a now seven miles north of the roundabout we arrive at walton rock's beach this is an off-leash dog-friendly beach with plenty of parking this beach also has covered picnic tables restrooms and 24 acres for your dog to roam the st lucie nuclear power plant in the distance to the left three miles north of walton rock's beach is little mud creek parking and boat launch area for motorized boats on the east side of the road and a launch area for paddle boats on the west side of the road a mile to the south a similar creek is blind creek that is closer to the nuclear plant both these areas have beach access trails run along the creeks in the river that go on for eight miles there's a fishing pier along the river on the north side of lotus mud creek [Music] the fort pierce inlet is way up here three miles north of little mud creek and four miles south of the fort pierce inlet is frederick douglas memorial park it is here where you will find tours on horseback they offer trail rides through the st lucie county preserve as well as on the beach an hour ride is 50 you do want to book some time in advance i would say at least a week i tried a week prior and they were booked [Applause] as we start to approach jetty park there are two larger parks just south of the inlet that are going to be a little less crowded than jetty park first surf side park with several covered picnic pavilions and barbecue grills in a large grassy area then a half mile north is south beach park with a nice deck both of these parks have restrooms with outdoor showers one thing i think more of the beaches of the treasure coast could use is a handicap crossover to get to the beach many of their facilities are handicap accessible so it doesn't seem like it would take much to add a crossover for wheelchairs [Music] we arrived back at jetty park fort pierce unlike the jetty park in port canaveral that we showed in our space coast video there is no fee for parking or entry into this park you also have more eateries here like the hurricane grill and wings for pub grub the taco die beach side or the restaurant at the sunrise sands beach resort [Music] this park is just beautiful multiple picnic pavilions barbecue grills and swing benches with palm trees line the shoreline along the inlet just a great place to chill and watch the pelicans and boats coming in and out of the channel a lot more paved sidewalk space more seating than the port canaveral jetty park that is a hundred miles to the north i'd rank this jetty park a lot higher and it's free you can't beat it a nice place to bring the family here's the barnett family visiting from kansas city what do you think of the treasure coast beautiful buy some property out here this jetty has a nicely paved sidewalk with benches and a side jetty makes it a great place to fish we catch up with emmanuel from miami who loves the laid-back atmosphere of this inlet catch snook let catch redfish catch jack we catch them tarpon varieties of snapper big fish the other day was a 12-foot shark right here they had about nine manatees if you'd wanted a little bit more kick back you know relaxing not a lot of college kids or something like that this is ideal there is also plenty of parking and the super grouper tiki bar as well as more parking beyond the tiki bar the paved sidewalk goes all the way to this second parking lot so makes jetty park very wheelchair accessible on the other side of that lot is the manatee island bar and grill with waterfront seating another mile down seaway drive is the south causeway park a quarter of a mile long beach along the indian river lagoon with a playground picnic and swimming areas this park also has a boat ramp and it's popular to launch a kayak as well chuck's seafood restaurant with classic american seafood is located on one end of the beach and on the other end is st lucie county aquarium this is a mini aquarium kind of small but inexpensive just 325. a nice little place to cool off a bit on a hot summer day and learn a little about the coral reef ecosystem there's a little touch tank here across the street is causeway cove where on saturday nights there is a drive-in movie theater here that is about 13 per vehicle with taxes at the marina is the wet whistle an old florida waterfront bar with live music every sunday salty's water sports is where you can rent jet skis and boats or take a jet ski tour or dolphin cruise the cruise is 294 dollars for up to six passengers also causeway cove rv park has 10 double sized campsites with full hookups and a laundry and shuffleboard courts [Music] back across the street at the south causeway park there are a couple of fishing piers along the beach side and another pier underneath the bridge we cross over the fort pierce south bridge with a couple of areas to show you on the mainland [Music] on the west side of the bridge also a super long fishing pier under the bridge [Music] 10 miles southwest of the inlet is the savannah recreation area which covers a massive 550 acres this area provides access to pine flatwoods wet prairie marsh lake and scrub habitats considered one of the most unique wilderness areas in florida there is year-round camping with fishing canoe and kayak rentals a dog park and walking and biking trails we put a link to a website with more info another reason why i want to show you this event or recreation area is because it allows us to take scenic south indian river drive back up the river the indian river lagoon encompasses one-third of the east coast of florida 156 miles long has an average depth of just three feet it is over five miles wide at the northern end at canaveral national seashore and less than a half mile wide at the wabasso narrows in vero beach near the fort pierce city marina is melody lane fishing pier 215 feet long has a musical theme commemorates the former fort pierce radio station w-i-r-a there's a downtown farmer's market that happens every saturday from 8 a.m to noon at market square where you can find fresh food as well as live music the fort pierce city marina overlooking the south causeway bridge and indian river one of the newest additions to the marina opened in 2020 is crabby's dockside where you can get fresh grouper with some rum punch where's me rum there's a live cam here that we'll put a link in the description below the manatee observation center is located here two dollars for admission children five and under are free there are interactive exhibits a touch tank an observation tower where you can look for manatees they also have the indian river lagoon wildlife boat tour that is 23 dollars for adults 15 children 3 through 12. the historic seven gables house is the visitor center for st lucie county the boston house built in 1909 is said to be haunted the riverwalk center where there are shuffleboard courts and regular league and tournaments happen here a long walkway that extends along the riverfront on the north side of the south causeway bridge are a couple of popular outdoor casual bar and grills with live music first the tipsy tiki there's also crocodiles bar and grill okay it's time to head back to the coast over the north causeway on the other side of the bridge is north causeway island park not as large as south causeway park and no beach area but a boat launch and a good place to rent a kayak with lisa's kayaks there's a chain of smaller islands that extend all the way to vero beach here [Music] further east on the north causeway is little gym bait and tackle which is more than just a bait shop but a waterside restaurant a nice little eatery that is not as crowded as the other waterfront restaurants on the south causeway [Music] we arrive at fort pierce inlet state park so back on the inlet only now we are on the north side it is six dollars per vehicle or four dollars for a single occupant vehicle within the park is tucker cove excellent for paddle boards and kayaks which you can rent with sunrise city adventures or you can take a kayak tour with get up and go kayaking a beach on the channel side where you can lay out on the sand amidst the nature and the boats sailing in and out of the channel there's a paved bike path and also a hiking trail that goes through oak hammocks where you see native trees a jetty on the north side of the inlet only this jetty isn't walkable the beach on the ocean side [Music] we turn north on highway a1a up the coast as we head towards vero beach a mile up the highway is one of the better museums i think both adults and kids will love [Music] the navy seal museum it is on the training grounds of the original navy combat divers the frogmen admission is 15 for adults seven dollars children 6-12 veterans and first responders twelve dollars museum closed on mondays inside you can climb aboard a sikorsky uh-60 blackhawk and once inside see a little movie see a scale model of the bin laden compound where robert o'neill and co team six took down the al qaeda leader there are sections for the korean war the vietnam war and world war ii outside the museum a few vessels you can climb aboard like the mark v special operations craft has a low profile great for covert missions bella payne tribute to the navy seal canines who played a great role in the history of our nation well i was so inspired had some flashbacks to my marine corps training i had to do the obstacle course this is how i like to play in the sand but if you would rather play in the sand on the beach well pepper beach is right here where you can relax and enjoy the ocean across the street from the museum is wildcat cove preserve and dog park where from thursday through sunday there is a hot dog and sloppy joe food truck here also a fishing pier and kayak launch you can really make it a day here around the museum a mile north of the museum is a side road that leads to jack island state preserve it is here we meet up with ben yevony to tell us more about the nature of this area and i got to tell you this island is so residential that behind me you have so much land i forget how many acres but it's in like the thousands and thousands of acres that there's so much habitat and open land that the bobcats are enormous the wildlife is beautiful it is so not uncommon to see manatees to see dolphins here in the water and to see eagles or falcons fly down and grab fish with their talons it's really an amazing place and i'm reluctant you filming me because i don't want to keep i want to keep it a secret we want to keep north hutchinson island the best kept secret that it is so don't tell nobody there is both a one mile trail and a two mile trail to get to the river where there used to be a tower but it is being torn down however a new platform is being built by the end of the year just talking with the ranger here and found out that no taxpayer money is used for florida state parks they rely solely on the park and missions to make improvements and build things like towers piers and trails so if you are at these smaller parks like avalon state park where there's just the honor system for payment make sure to pay the two dollars or whatever it is to help keep our florida parks well maintained avalon state park has a beach side here but it's the riverside that is huge with long trails along the river the state is planning to put in a parking lot on this side of the highway as well as several trails we now arrive in vero beach crossing the alma lee lloyd bridge that carries 17th street across the indian river lagoon [Music] now on the mainland south of the 17th street bridge mckee botanical gardens provides an 18-acre lush jungle with one of florida's most unique botanical collections it's open tuesday through sundays fifteen dollars for adults thirteen dollars for youth thirteen to seventeen and ten dollars for children two through twelve we take highway 60 back over the merrill p barbour bridge back to the beach because of the wind vero beach is popular for sailboating would you like to learn to sail well the youth sail foundation is here it offers programs for both youth and adults to learn to sail with smaller sailboats [Music] on the other side of the barber bridge is riverside cafe a family-friendly dockside eatery with seafood menu four bars and seating right on the indian river they also have an all you can eat sunday brunch buffet on this side of the river is where you'll find the dog friendly riverside park one of vero beach's largest parks with boat ramps museum picnic areas fishing piers tennis courts and a theater adjacent to the park is veterans memorial island sanctuary both riverside park and veterans memorial island are ada accessible highway 60 dead ends at the center of vero beach at sexton plaza on this day it was a little hard to find parking but it was also spring break on the south side of the plaza is the ocean grill located inside a former officers club here you can enjoy seafood and steaks with an ocean view [Music] at the end of sexton plaza an elevated overlook to the beach with benches on the other end of highway 60 167 miles away is clearwater beach you don't get the nice sunsets like you do on clearwater beach however the trade-off is a lot less traffic here less busier i kind of prefer the beaches on the east coast just easier access to the beaches on the north side of sexton plaza is mulligans the same restaurant chain we ate at in stuart last week a nice ocean view outdoor beach style seating here to enjoy those delicious shrimp tacos with firecracker sauce one thing i will say that vero beach lacks is counter serve eateries there's a lot of restaurants but a lot of times you just want decent food quickly there is however one really great counter syrup eatery and that is casey's place they have charbrille burgers grilled black and marinated chicken sandwiches belly buster hot dogs although i had a fish sandwich it was delicious a nice outdoor patio under a tree that you can eat at but i took my fish sandwich to the beach to eat bella likes that cool atlantic breeze blowing on her face [Music] a quarter of a mile south of sexton plaza is hummingston beach park which is ada accessible with the playground shelter picnic pavilions barbecue grills and parking next to humberston park is a historic driftwood hotel although not pet friendly this is a cool hotel originally built in the 1920s has since been remodeled but maintains its old florida theme the waldos restaurant and pool with a distinctive rustic bar with tables and deck that overlooked the ocean and access to the beach if you are traveling with a pet try the casa de este resort and spa next to the driftwood i stayed here about five years ago and it was great also the kempton vero beach hotel and spa is pet friendly as well [Music] a mile north of sexton plaza is jc beach park one of three major public beach parks in vero beach there are covered picnic pavilions usually not very crowded lots of green space also a nice lot of counter serve eatery the seaside grill that is open for breakfast and lunch the vero beach boardwalk also here super long about four tenths of a mile with street parking on one side and the beach on the other if you are looking for an active nightlife well vero beach is probably not for you but if you are looking for a nice beach to hang out at that is not too crowded and yet still has eateries and decent hotels vero beach is great we had seven and a half miles up highway a1a to the third causeway la basso beach road which dead ends at wabassel beach park there is limited parking here 34 spaces but it is usually not too crowded this is a quiet beach with a boardwalk two pavilions four picnic tables a little observation deck there are ada crossovers here being a good distance from the center of barrel beach you tend to see a little more nature here there is a nice little counter survey eatery here beach bites that also has a general store and you can rent jet skis kayaks and paddle boards really makes this a good little spot off the beaten path just two more places to show you five miles north of lobasso beach we arrive at the mclarty treasure museum which is on the site of the salvagers and survivors camp of the main ship of those 11 ships from that 1715 fleet they helped to name this the treasure coast here's corey kirklaw an archaeologist to explain more those 11 ships were so loaded with treasure because spain was so desperate for treasure you still have it washing up all the time some people have estimated that there's a half a billion dollars worth of treasures still out there and so we have salvagers out here june july and august searching for things it's a really popular area for metal detectors including some celebrity metal detectors that you'll have to learn about if you come in you can see one of the four cannons that helped to defend against pirates who raided vero beach after that shipwreck this is actually one of the four that was defending the beach site where they actually raided and it didn't do its job because any time a pirate wanted to come and take something they pretty much came and took it so much treasure by the way corey also does youtube videos with his son called old souls travel they do a lot of worldwide travel i put a link in the description below [Music] now to the northern end of the treasure coast some of the most scenic parts of the drive on highway a1a of the treasure coast now 71 miles from where we first started at the jupiter inlet we approached the sebastian inlet the sebastian inlet is where the treasure coast meets the space coast it is considered part of melbourne beach i would say along with the fort pierce inlet this is one of the two most beautiful inlets in florida it is eight dollars per vehicle or four dollars for a single occupant vehicle boat ramp fee is four dollars there are 51 campsites here it is 32 including fees for tents an additional seven dollars for rv units up to 40 feet includes water and electricity pets are allowed in the park but not on the beach there are three mountain bike trails and a mile long nature hammock trail canoe and kayak rentals available from surf side grill and adventures a mile up the highway the inlet is fantastic for fishing with catwalks under the bridge and two long walkable jetties on both sides of the inlet plenty of nature one of the best places for bird watching we ran into pelicans eloise and oscar with their son seymour they said the fish in this inlet are really tasty [Music] i felt like we missed some places in the treasure coast like round island riverside park barrel beach or webassel causeway park but it's time to move on so if there's any areas you have enjoyed on this coast let us know in the description below i know a lot of people in the last couple of years have been dealing with depression anxiety and stress but you know some of the best treatment is exercise getting out in fresh air being friendly meeting people can do wonders and the treasure coast like it was for those shipwrecked sailors years ago continues to provide healing and recovery balancing the mind with nature in the last few videos you have been seeing me wearing this green shirt that reminds people that 22 vets a day commit suicide you can buy these from the teal valhalla project who sells military and patriotic apparel to fund things like helping to train service dogs for vets and first responders who are dealing with ptsd and of course if you have a dog you've got to pick up one of these kurgle dog backpacks so that you can bring a dog almost anywhere we are heading up the coast to south carolina but first might make a detour to orlando depending on weather as we have just been contracted to do a video there which reminds me if you would like to hire us to film a city or region contact us at info tampa aerial media dot com we are pretty flexible this summer also if you would like stock footage from any of our videos email us as well we are tampa aerial media we film travel promos across the usa from the treasure coast i wish blessings to you wherever you may be see you in orlando [Music]

Channel: TampaAerialMedia

Views: 145,442

Keywords: Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sebastian Inlet, Treasure Coast, Fort Pierce Inlet, Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, Highway A1A, horse rides along ocean, horse rides fort Pierce, Avalon State Park, Sebastian Inlet state Park, what to do on The Treasure Coast, Fort Pierce Causeay, Jaycee Park Vero Beach, Wabasso Park Vero Beach, Humiston Park Vero Beach, sexton plaza Vero Beach, moving to florida, treasure coast, florida, Tours on Hourseback, Jetty Park Fort Pierce, fort pierce inlet

Id: AeKb0LXlxrg

Length: 28min 13sec (1693 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 14 2022