Great Trip to Vero!

[alwaysrunning]

Just back from a really, really great trip to Vero. We just can’t believe how much we fell in love with this place!

We had two connecting ocean view inn rooms on the 2nd second floor. The view was great and they were so convenient. Just a short walk down the steps and out the door to everything. One of the rooms did have a mildew smell when we arrived. We called the front desk and they sent maintenance – whatever they did, the smell was gone by the time we returned a couple hours later. Other than that they were just perfect.

I could go on forever on the reasons why we loved this place so much, but here are just a few.

First, the location of everything. The pool, the miniature golf, the little kids pirate ship, the playground. community hall, Eb and Flows and Bleachers are all together. We were able to keep our eye on all four of our kids even though they all wanted to do different things. One would borrow a game, one would be on the pirate ship, one would play miniature golf etc.

Second, the beach. It is just amazing! It is beautiful and its only steps away! The water was 73 and the waves were great for boogie boarding. The waves were very big and my DH only took our older two kids out. The smaller kids just played in the sand and on the edge. We had lots of wide open space for a great family football game. We go to a lot of different beaches – The Outerbanks in NC, Hilton Head, the Jersey shore and the Southwest Fl beaches – The beach at Vero now ranks up there as one of our favorites.

Last but not least, the kids loved the activities!. Linda in recreation made it a point to memorize all the kids names. It made them feel really special She is a truly an exceptional CM!

Our kids actually asked if we could skip every other year at DW and go to Vero instead. I think that says it all!

 

[floridafam]

We must be related.


Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Did you eat at Shutters or Sonya's?

Did you do any running around the resort area?

 

[thegoods]

We too love VB. I will second the recognition of Linda. She has been at VB since we bought in 98. She has always been great with our son and all the other kids.

 

[alwaysrunning]

The first day I just ran down A1A. Then I found out about the Jungle Trail! That was a great run - loved watching the boats going out the river in the early AM hours. We also took the kids bike riding on the Jungle trail.

We ate dinner at Shutters and really enjoyed that. We did the Seafood buffet at Sonya's - We thought the food was good but the selection was a little limited. The kids loved getting the sand bucket meals at Bleacher's!

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by alwaysrunning
Then I found out about the Jungle Trail!

Glad to hear you had a great time -- I just love the place, too!

You've got me stumped, though....what's the Jungle Trail?

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by alwaysrunning
Just back from a really, really great trip to Vero. We just can’t believe how much we fell in love with this place!

..........do want it to make it harder to get reservations?

Glad you had a great trip.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Jungle Trail

If you go south on A1A for maybe a mile, there is a road called Jungle Trail on the right. When we rented the bikes at Ebb and Flo, they gave us a map with the correct distances and directions. There is not a lot of traffic on the road, there is water on the left the way we traveled, and you come to a very small community park with rest rooms and a water fountain, and some walking trails, on the right. However, the Jungle Trail ends and you have to deal with traffic for a brief time on the road into Vero Beach, I didn't like that too much. Eventually you connect with the Disney property that's across A1A and you can get away from the road. Round trip this bike is about 5 miles.

alwaysrunning, thank you for posting the great report.

Bobbi

 

[alwaysrunning]

The Jungle trail is a hard dirt (or sand) packed road that runs along the River - cars can use it but the speed limit is only 15 mph. The entrance to it is only about a quarter of a mile from the resort. (about a quarter mile west on 510). We found it because it was on the map that we got when we rented bikes at EB and Flo's. It was great for running and bike riding but I think there is an observatory and some other Nature type things to do on it too. It's marked 'Historic Jungle trail' (or something like that), so I'm sure there is more to it than just a nice place to bike and run.

 

[PamOKW]

Jungle Trail sounds like it's worth taking a look at. Bobbi/AlwayRunning, it is open to autos as well as foot/bike traffic?

 

[mouseclick1]

Glad you had a nice trip! We were there for one night only (on Good Friday) before going on our Disney cruise, and are thinking about going back next year. You were there over Easter, right? Did you make your reservation at 7 months out? Did you have a hard time getting what you wanted?

 

[bobbiwoz]

PamOKW, the Jungle Trail borders water on one side and private homes on the other, so yes, there's vehicular traffic, but it's not busy. Actually, during some of the trip, I thought about Icabod Crane's ride, I felt isolated, and I had my hubby with me and it was daylight! My imagination went wild!

I think the Jungle Trail extends even beyond the place where we would take a right to get us back to VB, but the 5 miles that we did was enough. We would do it again.

Bobbi

 

[floridafam]

The Jungle Trail, is it better suited for casual riding vs. a long distance ride on a road bike?

 

[bobbiwoz]

floridafam, I think that it became a dirt/gravel road for much of what we rode on, and that's what I noticed continuing on the other side, when we turned right to go back to VB. We just had the VB rental bikes. It was fun, level and fine for us. VB sometimes "sponsors" group rides, they say that they allow an hour for the circle, we did it in that time.

Bobbi

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing! Hoping to go next year!!!

Allison an associate

 

[DisneyPhD]

Thanks for the report, it sounds great. We are going for the 1st time in less then 2 weeks (with a 3 year old and I am 24 weeks pregnant!) It sounds like just what we need for this summer vacation. We normally go to NC outerbanks (Oacracoke ) and Virginina Beach so it was good to hear your compairson.

We don't plan to spend any time in Orlando (but we are flying in there) and I have been worried that we will miss WDW and all our normal events. (and that 3 year old DD will be dying to visist WDW,) but from your report it sounds like we will be fine just a VB

Thanks !!!!!!! Now I am really looking forward to it.