"Velcro Beach," I mean, Vero Beach

Blue Heaven Rendezvous #15
Vero Beach, FL
Monday, November 24, 2008

Some of the homes along the ICW are a wonder, but the ones close to Vero Beach are even more so. As you motor by, you wonder from where all that wealth came. We arrived in the famed Vero Beach, known to all cruisers because of the great mooring field and free bus service to about whatever type of store you need. This is where many leave to go to the Bahamas. However, many call this place “Velcro Beach,” because they stick and cannot get away from it for a long time because it is so nice.

We were assigned to a mooring with two other boats, Bird on a Wire and Gotta Life. Both boats have families on board, each with two middle school-age girls. We had seen both of these boats at other places along the way. It was nice to finally meet them.

After getting tied up and a line on the mooring, we headed in to check out the facilities and to go for a walk to give us some bearings of where things are. Once back at the boat we were invited to share dinner with the others on Gotta Life. We ate like kings with steak, spicy potatoes, Mandarin orange and almond salad and Raisin Spice Bars for dessert. It was nice to get to know one another over a delicious meal.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Up and to the bath house for a long shower (something we don’t get on the boat). After breakfast we caught the bus to go grocery shopping. Of course, the bus does not go direct, so we saw a bit of Vero Beach along the way. At home grocery shopping takes an hour. Here it took two and one half hours and that was only half our list. You are only allowed to bring on the bus what you can carry and put at your feet and on your lap. We will do another trip later this week.

When we came back to the boat, the young girls were having their music class. It was like having our own private concert. Erin and Geneva on Gotta a Life have four instruments on board. They have a saxophone, flute, keyboard and clarinet. I wonder where they put it all. And Al complains about my rug hooking supplies!

After lunch Al napped while I tidied up the cabin. Then we went ashore to explore. We found an art museum, the beach, and of course a cooking store. (I think I have found one in almost every place we have been!) When we came back to the boat the girls entertained us by jumping off the high dinghy davit platform on Gotta Life.
For dinner it was a dinghy ride to Riverside Café just past the bridge to the entrance of the anchorage.