Vero Trip Report

[trainfun]

Just back from a relaxing 8 days at Vero.
We were lucky enough to get 3rd floor rooms 1440 and 1441 (lockoff) as our 2 br with ocean view.

Some changes: Sonyas is now open Thursday - Sunday only, which doesn't affect us because we don't eat there.

Dehumidifiers in both units. In the living room in 1 br part and in the bedroom of the studio. THey are noisy, but do take lots of water out of the air.

New toilet in the 1 br portion, much more powerful flush than older design.

Vegetation along the beach still recovering, but overall the resort looks excellent.

The beach was reasonably wide. We bought a bag in a surf shop and checked 2 boogie boards and a skim board as baggage with no problems. The umbrella we bought at Wal-Mart went into the bag on the way home.

Everyone was friendly and helpful. The resort was very busy considering the summer heat.

Looking forward to a few days at Hilton Head in the fall and a return to Vero next year.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Did you do any of the turtle experiences?

Glad you had such a nice time. We're very nearly there ourselves!

Bobbi

 

[Emily921]

We just returned from 15 nights where we spent 4 nights at OKW in 2521 and 10 nights at VB where we stayed in 1228 for 4 nights and 1450 for 6 nights. This is the first time we had an ocean view from the 1 BR. We loved the beach cottage.

We didn't get selected for the turtle walk lottery but our daughters (7 & 9) did go on the turtle troop on 7-29-05. They showed them turtle eggs and then one of the other kids saw some baby turtles. There were 20 and they each got to hold one. The guide from AK put them in the cooler and then released them that evening after 9:00 pm. It was pretty cool. This was quite unusual as they usually come out at night.

The night before my husband and few others saw a turtle digging her nest and laying her eggs. He had just bought a night vision monocular.

The girls really enjoyed doing the towel and painting t-shirts. The weather was so much better than last summer. The rain was minimal where the last couple of years there was more rain.

Everyone was very nice. The rooms were less than clean. We found other peoples things left behind such as a Rain Forest mug left in the freezer and plastic gems under the sofas. Several light bulbs were out and we didn't have potholders. All minor inconviences which were quickly corrected.

The time though I really got nailed by the bugs. I spent very little time on the beach. It seem like I got about 20 bites the first Thursday when we were by the pool during the day and the next 80+ bites in the beach cottage. My family got a few bites but not like me. I used insect repellant with DEET but the second Thursday, I did not put any on after I took a shower in the evening. I would assume they were the no-see-ums. In the mornings I did see what looked like little sand fleas. (is there such a thing?) I will have to find another remedy next year!

We met so many nice people again. We look forward to our next trip to VB.

 

[trainfun]

We didn't do any of the turtle activities. We did see the nest right by the walkway to the beach. We got a few bug bites, but not any more than on any other trip to Florida. We sat in the back row of tables closest to the walkway by the pool and had no trouble with bugs there. We have found the tables over by Bleachers seem to have more bugs around them.

The walkway to the beach has boards of trex or some other composite, no splinters! A big improvement. Hope it lasts through the winter.

We went to the Safari mini-golf on Oslo Rd, just south of the town of Vero Beach and needed lots of Deep Woods Off there, as we arrived about 7 PM. The course is in need of lots of maintenance. Perhaps the hurricanes damaged a lot of the landscaping, but we went a few years back and came away with the same impression. We still enjoyed ourselves. The mini-golf courses at Hilton Head and WDW are much better, though Safari charges only $5/round.

We ordered pizza from Orchid Island pizza (just north of the resort). They delivered to the lobby. It wasn't NY pizza, but we liked it better than the pizza we had gotten from Bleachers on a previous visit. They now have a brochure and you can order all sorts of Italian food. It is convenient and reasonable.

Regarding cleanliness, our rooms were clean, but the appliances were showing some signs of wear. The blue chair and sofa bed in the living room of the 1 br was quite faded. Paint looked fresh and clean. The kitchen table and table in the living room looked freshly painted and clean. There was a small streak of black mold around the top edge of the tub where it meets the wall in the studio lock-off. Maybe that's why the rooms had the dehumidifiers. The carpet was clean. Overall, the rooms were fine.

We love Vero because it is so relaxing and the resort is so beautiful. It is nice to have to make hard decisions like "the beach or the pool?". The water is so warm that swimming and boogie boarding are lots of fun. It is a great place to take a break from our 24/7 New York lifestyle.

We did note that housing prices and property taxes have jumped sharply. We are near retirement age and looked at a few developments. Prices are in the 300,000's and up (way up in most cases) and we were told property taxes would be about 1.8% of purchase price. On a 400,000 house that means taxes of $7,200. Many of the gated communities have additional common charges of $100 - 200/month. That's more than we pay in NY (the government tax heaven). If you are thinking about relocating check out the property taxes. We're not sure if this is just in Indian River County or in other areas as well.

After 3 days back in NY, we're wishing we were back at the resort. The only serious problem with DVC vacations is that they end and we have to go back to work!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

subscribing...

 

[mbhoxsie]

Back in June, we were lucky enough to be selected for the turtle walk, but unfortunately no one told the turtles... We waited until 1:00am, but the two turtles they were tracking turned around and went back into the ocean..

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We didn't do any of the turtle activities. We did see the nest right by the walkway to the beach. We got a few bug bites, but not any more than on any other trip to Florida. We sat in the back row of tables closest to the walkway by the pool and had no trouble with bugs there. We have found the tables over by Bleachers seem to have more bugs around them.

The walkway to the beach has boards of trex or some other composite, no splinters! A big improvement. Hope it lasts through the winter.

We went to the Safari mini-golf on Oslo Rd, just south of the town of Vero Beach and needed lots of Deep Woods Off there, as we arrived about 7 PM. The course is in need of lots of maintenance. Perhaps the hurricanes damaged a lot of the landscaping, but we went a few years back and came away with the same impression. We still enjoyed ourselves. The mini-golf courses at Hilton Head and WDW are much better, though Safari charges only $5/round.

We ordered pizza from Orchid Island pizza (just north of the resort). They delivered to the lobby. It wasn't NY pizza, but we liked it better than the pizza we had gotten from Bleachers on a previous visit. They now have a brochure and you can order all sorts of Italian food. It is convenient and reasonable.

Regarding cleanliness, our rooms were clean, but the appliances were showing some signs of wear. The blue chair and sofa bed in the living room of the 1 br was quite faded. Paint looked fresh and clean. The kitchen table and table in the living room looked freshly painted and clean. There was a small streak of black mold around the top edge of the tub where it meets the wall in the studio lock-off. Maybe that's why the rooms had the dehumidifiers. The carpet was clean. Overall, the rooms were fine.

We love Vero because it is so relaxing and the resort is so beautiful. It is nice to have to make hard decisions like "the beach or the pool?". The water is so warm that swimming and boogie boarding are lots of fun. It is a great place to take a break from our 24/7 New York lifestyle.

We did note that housing prices and property taxes have jumped sharply. We are near retirement age and looked at a few developments. Prices are in the 300,000's and up (way up in most cases) and we were told property taxes would be about 1.8% of purchase price. On a 400,000 house that means taxes of $7,200. Many of the gated communities have additional common charges of $100 - 200/month. That's more than we pay in NY (the government tax heaven). If you are thinking about relocating check out the property taxes. We're not sure if this is just in Indian River County or in other areas as well.

After 3 days back in NY, we're wishing we were back at the resort. The only serious problem with DVC vacations is that they end and we have to go back to work!

We are going next August, and had planned to look at some real estate. Can you say where you looked, how far from Vero or just in Vero Beach? Remember, you still save on taxes on your pension!!

 

[DVCDawn]

...do they still have refillable mugs at VB? My kids just loved getting drinks anytime they wanted around the pool.

DVCDawn

 

[mbhoxsie]

...do they still have refillable mugs at VB? My kids just loved getting drinks anytime they wanted around the pool.

They have the same generic mugs that the WDW resorts are now using with the self service refill fountains to the right of the counter...