Tag Archives: Intracoastal Waterway

Getting to Hobe Sound

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bridge roadWhen you come to Hobe Sound it just “feels different”. Everything slows down. Even motor traffic on Florida’s infamous U.S. Route 1 is less crowded. Big box stores are nowhere to be seen and folks shop local. Parking at the beach is free and main street is lined with small, independently-owned shops—many with murals painted by local artists and Jimmy Stovall, one of the original Highwaymen of Florida.

RVers coming up from the Florida Keys using U.S. Highway 1 (the scenic route) motor north through the congestion and craziness of Miami and the Palm Beaches before finding a certain quietness somewhere around Tequesta, just north of Jupiter’s historic lighthouse. Beyond County Line Road, it’s a pleasant 55 mph through the 11,000+ acre Jonathan Dickinson State Park on your left and snapshot views of the Intracoastal Waterway on your right. This is Martin County, with its beautiful beaches and more than 75 parks, and the most diverse lagoon ecosystem in the Northern hemisphere. At the crossroads of Hwy 1 and Bridge Road, you enter Hobe Sound and step back in time to the days of Old Florida and a slower pace of living.

Just a few blocks north of Hobe Sound’s only waterfront restaurant (when it rains) Harry & The Natives, you’ll find Floridays RV Park.

If you discover Hobe Sound from the north through Brevard County, US 1 wanders through the lower section of the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway and winds along the tree-lined streets of Sebastian before entering St. Lucie County, famous for it’s fabled 1715 Spanish treasure fleet that sank off its shores. Further south, Hwy 1 crosses over the St. Lucie River into Stuart, the largest town on the Treasure Coast and known as the Sailfish Capital of World. Arrive on a Sunday morning to check out Stuart’s quaint downtown and Sunday morning Green Market.

Coming from the west, RVer’s want to take Martin Highway (County Road 714) with it’s beautiful 12-mile Martin Grade Scenic Corridor shaded by a canopy of 100-year old oaks and surrounded by pastures, groves, swamps and woods that are the perfect prelude for the timeless nature of Hobe Sound. We’ll keep the lights on!

Learn more about Hobe Sound’s history and imagery at Florida Living Realty.

What’s a Good RV Park?

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RV bloggers Tom & Stephanie Goner from Bend, Oregon, enjoy and write about the RV lifestyle at RVersOnline. They freely share the information they gather, and as they say, “nothing is for sale here.”

So when we ran across their article “What makes a “good” RV park?” we scrambled to see if we fit the bill – considering that there are no “right” answers because everyone has different preferences, let’s take a look at how Floridays stacks up.

#1 First impressions.

RVers look for a park that makes a good first impression, one that says “that’s a place we’d feel good about staying tonight.” Floridays is a place that you just intuitively know is full of RVers who love life on the road. It’s not a low-cost housing option. At Floridays, we do have full-time guests, but they live by the rules so that when you look down a row of RVs it’s real hard to tell which one hooked up yesterday and which one lives here year-round.

#2 Site spacing.

RVers like ample space between sites with a little privacy. Site layout, as the article states, can be a challenge for the park owner who needs to maximize his return. Floridays was originally a mobile home park, so our sites are spacious by design. Today, Floridays’ park layout is treasured for its ample patio space, long driveways, and diagonal offset sites that are both private and pleasing to the eye. When you go out your door, you won’t run smack into your neighbor’s.

#3 Site landscaping.

Everyone has a concrete slab. Outdoor plants are allowed in moderation if they give the park a more pleasant overall appearance. We are always improving our landscaping and common areas.

#4 Friendly staff.

We get as many great reviews about our park manager, George Vryhof, as the park itself! George lives onsite and sleeps with his cellphone. There are no impersonal check-in counters here—just George to check you in, help you if need with your hookups, answer all your questions, and be available 24/7 (unless he decides to go fishing or cruising down Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway on his big pontoon boat—usually with a boatload of guests from Floridays!)

#5 Site assignments.

There’s always a trepidation about being “assigned” a site in a park never visited. Will the site be level? Are the utilities appropriately placed for easy hookup on the right side of my rig? Will we be able to open our slideouts without crashing into a pole, tree, or neighbor? Will we have gravel or concrete, and not mud or sand, at our doorstep? George is able to assess exactly where a rig will fit, alongside what (and sometimes who), and his choice will assure effortless hookups and the best site available for every RV.

#6. Settling In.

A big piece of the RV lifestyle is getting out to experience the local area. When the park is located minutes from one of Florida’s best beaches, fishing, boating, public golf, a state park with hiking and biking trails and kayaks and canoes, nature center, historic downtown, and renowned restaurants—well, enough said. Floridays, along the Florida’s Treasure Coast, has all these things and more. Just ask George for a local map and check our website for local attractions.

Based on RVersOnline, Floridays scores high marks.