The big towns in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast may have the big news—from West Palm Beach’s developing convention district to the newly renovated golf courses at massive PGA Village in Port St. Lucie—but detouring off the beaten path can be its own reward, especially when there’s so much to see and do.
Palm Beach County alone is home to 38 distinct cities and towns, while the Treasure Coast, including the coastal cities of Stuart and Vero Beach, lives up to its name with multifaceted gems that are as near or far from civilization as groups desire.
Following is a roundup of just a few of the choices.
Fort Pierce
Set on the Atlantic just north of Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce is one of oldest towns on the Treasure Coast (founded in 1901), with a revitalized downtown whose modest proportions and Old Florida architecture make group strolls for dining, gallery hopping and theater-going a must.
“Our downtown is right on the Indian River Lagoon, with a lot of historic sites, unique boutiques and great little restaurants,” says Charlotte Lombard Bireley, manager of tourism and venues for the St. Lucie County TDC. “The Fort Pierce City Marina is the epicenter of it all, and we also have a pretty large community of ecotour operators… groups can go kayaking through mangrove forests or take a boating tour to look for dolphin and manatees.”
If you’re staying and meeting in the place USA Today named among the “top 10 most idyllic and historic main streets in the USA,” properties with meeting facilities include a Hampton Inn and Best Western, while the Havert L. Fenn Center has over 32,000 square feet of rentable space.
Hobe Sound
Occupying an environmentally sensitive stretch in southeastern Martin County, Hobe Sound is the gateway to Jonathan Dickinson State Park—home to 11,500 acres teeming with wildlife—as well as Blowing Rocks Preserve, where a rocky limestone shoreline is among a variety of coastal habitats, including dunes, mangroves and gumbo limbo trees.
But nature’s artwork isn’t alone here.
“Hobe Sound is like an outdoor art gallery,” says Nerissa Okiye, Martin County’s tourism and marketing manager. “It’s a mural community. There are 17 now and there will be 25 by the end of the year.”
Other adventures waiting in Martin County neighborhoods include thoroughbred horse training sessions at Payson Park in Indiantown; stand-up paddling in Port Salerno; and in Stuart Beach, vintage car displays at the Elliott Museum.
“I call it a car vending machine,” Okiye says. “If you want to see a 1920 classic Ford, you go into the kiosk, push a button and the car comes down.”
Martin County’s compact size puts meeting venues within easy reach, including the Hutchinson Island Marriott and an off-site event treasure, the historic Lyric Theater in downtown Stuart.
Lake Okeechobee
The Atlantic Ocean isn’t the only coastline in Palm Beach and Martin counties; both areas border Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest freshwater lake (behind Lake Michigan) contained entirely within the lower 48 states. Take your pick of fishing and boating charters on the lake or stay on dry land and trek around the perimeter via a paved pathway that also can be traversed by mountain bike or horseback.
PageBreak
“This is a great bass fishing capital, and if you’re a bird watcher, there are so many opportunities here,” says Brenda Bunting, executive director of the Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce, representing one of several communities directly adjacent to the lake. “Visitors can also take airboat tours and fishing charters.”
In fact, unless you’re on the lake’s perimeter trail or joining a boating excursion of some kind, it’s difficult to actually see Lake Okeechobee, the levees are so tall. One exception is in the rural hamlet of Pahokee, north of Belle Glade, where Canal Point overlooks the water and a wide parking area invites picnicking and photo opportunities.
If an overnight visit is planned, independently owned hotels, rental cabins and campgrounds are among the options.
Sebastian
As the Indian River Lagoon wends north from Martin and St. Lucie counties into Indian River County, it encompasses the entire Sebastian River Area, including Fellsmere, Roseland and Wabasso. Not surprisingly, water figures prominently in most activities here, from kayaking the St. Sebastian River to taking turtle walks through Sebastian Inlet State Park, communing with birds at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge—set smack in the middle of Indian River Lagoon—and even taking in the lagoon from 13,500 feet up with Skydive Sebastian.
“We’re focused on ecotourism,” says Nicole Capp Holbrook, tourism director for the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce, pointing to places like St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, set inland from the coast and part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
Fishing, airboating, flyboarding and nature tours are big here, according to Holbrook.
“We really have a little something for everyone,” she says
That goes for meetings as well; one of the largest venues is Captain Hiram’s Resort, where three conference-ready rooms include the Tiffany Room, accommodating up to 150.
Wellington
Polo, anyone? The “game of kings” was actually played by a prince—Prince Charles—who ventured to Wellington in the late 1970s to play the game at what is now the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, though the sport is still available at the nearby International Polo Club Palm Beach, which also has space for private events.
“Any type of sporting activity you want is here, and it’s all anchored by the polo,” says Joseph Piconcelli, manager of cultural programs and facilities manager for the Village of Wellington and the Wellington Amphitheater, which can accommodate up to 1,500 for private events or public happenings such as free concerts and the weekly Food Truck Invasion.
But there’s more coming for groups in Wellington.
“We’re building a new community center, coming in spring 2016,” Piconcelli says. “It will be 30,000 square feet with a ballroom that will seat 350.”
LISA SIMUNDSON is the Florida/Caribbean contributing editor with Meetings Focus.
