Louie & Lisa’s Guidebook
Food scene in Melbourne
Nice old Main Street in downtown Melbourne. Lots of shops and good restaurants. Shops range from junk to upscale art, to soap. Wide variety of restaurants as well, see below.
38 locals recommend
Melbourne
Nice old Main Street in downtown Melbourne. Lots of shops and good restaurants. Shops range from junk to upscale art, to soap. Wide variety of restaurants as well, see below.
The Mansion
1218 E New Haven AveGood food and ambiance
Indoor outdoor dining, great fried oysters. Marina views
18 locals recommend
Ichabod's Dockside Bar & Grill
2210 Front StIndoor outdoor dining, great fried oysters. Marina views
I have had some really nice dinners here, but it is quite expensive. Ambiance is old and tasteful.
30 locals recommend
Crush XI
923 E New Haven AveI have had some really nice dinners here, but it is quite expensive. Ambiance is old and tasteful.
Sightseeing
Birders Paradise with alligators. This is a remarkable place nearby for birders. More info in what I wrote-up in the house.
21 locals recommend
Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands
3658 Charlie Corbeil WayBirders Paradise with alligators. This is a remarkable place nearby for birders. More info in what I wrote-up in the house.
This place is historic, beautiful, and loaded with cool stuff like sculpture and an historic building. Largest mahogany table in the world! Read up on the Owner and his architect Waldo, and then go visit Waldo's in Vero Beach for a drink and dinner. we love this place.
93 locals recommend
McKee Botanical Garden
350 US-1This place is historic, beautiful, and loaded with cool stuff like sculpture and an historic building. Largest mahogany table in the world! Read up on the Owner and his architect Waldo, and then go visit Waldo's in Vero Beach for a drink and dinner. we love this place.
Wonderful small museum. Great traveling exhibitions. Nice sculpture garden.
There is a good relaxed restaurant near the museum on the water and under the causeway called, Riverside Cafe. It's good food and fun.
56 locals recommend
Vero Beach Museum of Art
3001 Riverside Park DrWonderful small museum. Great traveling exhibitions. Nice sculpture garden.
There is a good relaxed restaurant near the museum on the water and under the causeway called, Riverside Cafe. It's good food and fun.
Interesting historic house in the Eau Galle art district.
12 locals recommend
Rossetter House Museum Office
1320 Highland AveInteresting historic house in the Eau Galle art district.
A great place to hike, on or off the boardwalk. Down at the creek are lots of turtles, gar, and sometimes manatees. You can bike there from the house.
59 locals recommend
Turkey Creek Sanctuary
1518 Port Malabar Blvd NEA great place to hike, on or off the boardwalk. Down at the creek are lots of turtles, gar, and sometimes manatees. You can bike there from the house.
You can hike it or bike it. Biking is 15-20 minutes from the house. Decades ago it was going to be a housing development, but it was abandoned and turned into a sanctuary. We've seen scrub jays there, which are pretty rare these days!
Malabar Scrub Sanctuary
Malabar Woods BoulevardYou can hike it or bike it. Biking is 15-20 minutes from the house. Decades ago it was going to be a housing development, but it was abandoned and turned into a sanctuary. We've seen scrub jays there, which are pretty rare these days!
This is a great bike ride! It's down on the barrier island below the Sabastian Inlet and north of Vero Beach. Either go over the Melbourne Causeway and drive south on A1A or go down US1 to the next causeway at Wabasso, cross and come up a couple miles. Look for a small sign marked "Jungle Trail".
It is a packed dirt road, with the occasional car, and at the bottom where it ends, we come back north via sidewalk on A1A. Where A1A crosses Rt 510 is a nice shell beach, but there is a good little deli with cold beer, which is what I'm looking for! The whole trip is something like 12 miles. One can take a detour off the trail to the west, shortly after starting, into a reserve to see nesting pelicans on TADA... Pelican Island, the first National Wildlife Refuge in America. If you're not a biker you can drive there. We've seen porpoise/dolphins swimming in the Lagoon on the lower leg of the trail.
9 locals recommend
Jungle Trail
Jungle TrailThis is a great bike ride! It's down on the barrier island below the Sabastian Inlet and north of Vero Beach. Either go over the Melbourne Causeway and drive south on A1A or go down US1 to the next causeway at Wabasso, cross and come up a couple miles. Look for a small sign marked "Jungle Trail".
It is a packed dirt road, with the occasional car, and at the bottom where it ends, we come back north via sidewalk on A1A. Where A1A crosses Rt 510 is a nice shell beach, but there is a good little deli with cold beer, which is what I'm looking for! The whole trip is something like 12 miles. One can take a detour off the trail to the west, shortly after starting, into a reserve to see nesting pelicans on TADA... Pelican Island, the first National Wildlife Refuge in America. If you're not a biker you can drive there. We've seen porpoise/dolphins swimming in the Lagoon on the lower leg of the trail.
Bob's Beach Bicycle Works
113 5th AveWhere we rent bikes. Good folks, knowledgeable.
Hands down the most stunning plant nursery you've ever seen. It rivals some botanical gardens Lisa has taken me to. You can even get married there!
Valkaria Gardens
Hands down the most stunning plant nursery you've ever seen. It rivals some botanical gardens Lisa has taken me to. You can even get married there!
Area Golf Courses
A challenging and beautiful golf course close to home, surrounded by nature. Lots of Sand Hill Cranes, alligators, and the occasional Scrub Jay.
6 locals recommend
The Habitat
3591 Fairgreen StA challenging and beautiful golf course close to home, surrounded by nature. Lots of Sand Hill Cranes, alligators, and the occasional Scrub Jay.
On the barrier Island a couple miles south of Indialantic. Short but challenging. Named after a former governor.
18 locals recommend
Spessard Holland Golf Course
2374 Oak StOn the barrier Island a couple miles south of Indialantic. Short but challenging. Named after a former governor.
Baytree National Golf Links
8207 National DrIt's tough and beautiful. Bring extra balls.
Food Scene Sabastian
Restaurants and bars
Earl's Hideaway Lounge
1405 Indian River DrThe best biker bar I know, and there arn't many.
Mo-Bay Grill
1401 Indian River DrGreat place and food. An island slant.
Capt'n Butcher's Grille, Bar & Marina
1732 Indian River DrGood seafood and view
Capt Hirams Resort
1580 US-1Fun outdoor scene on the Lagoon. Touristy.
Good local hangout. Good smoked fish dip and views. Live music frequently.
22 locals recommend
Tiki bar & grill
1109 Indian River DrGood local hangout. Good smoked fish dip and views. Live music frequently.
City/town information
A laid back cool fishing town. It's history was a fishing village known for supplying seafood restaurants further north. The trade became so robust that the Sabastian Inlet was dug through the barrier island to get the ships to the ocean more quickly. It was filled in by storm, redug, refilled. Finally a breakwater and other infrastructure was built so that it lasts. Sabastian has a great fruit stand on the south end of town.
20 locals recommend
Sebastian
A laid back cool fishing town. It's history was a fishing village known for supplying seafood restaurants further north. The trade became so robust that the Sabastian Inlet was dug through the barrier island to get the ships to the ocean more quickly. It was filled in by storm, redug, refilled. Finally a breakwater and other infrastructure was built so that it lasts. Sabastian has a great fruit stand on the south end of town.
Antique shopping
If you're into shopping for antiques you've got to see this complex of over 100 vendors, in Grant, FL. Lots of Highwayman Art too.
Grant Antique Mall Highwayman Gallery
If you're into shopping for antiques you've got to see this complex of over 100 vendors, in Grant, FL. Lots of Highwayman Art too.
City advice
Don't miss
Beaches & Indialantic
The Atlantic Ocean is 20 minutes away. Drive up to Melbourne along the Indian River Lagoon, cross the Melbourne causeway (Rt. 192) go straight until you hit sand.
You're in Indialantic. Besides the beach which is white sand with mild surf, there are some good restaurant/bars. The Bikini Bar a couple miles down A1A is a second floor view on the beach. A couple miles up is a good Thai restaurant Thai Thai II. Djon's Market on the main drag is an eclectic mix of market, restaurant, and rooftop bar. Skewers is Mediterranean grill.
There are numerous beaches down A1A with amenities.
Don't miss
Kayaking the Turkey Creek
This is a good midday excursion. Depending on the wind it can be a fair amount of work. It's a few miles each way. We've taken it up to the viewing stand in the Sanctuary. You can see birds, fish, and sometimes an alligator that might be a wee bit close. Rent Kayaks from Palm Bay Marina on US1 at the creek.