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The Gold and Treasure Coasts
From left to right Sand castle at a public beach, Palm Beach; Spanish moss and lily pond in the lush McKee Botanical Gardens, Vero Beach; White butterflies fluttering around the waterfall at Butterfly World, Coconut Creek; A surfer in the waters off Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Birds in the Flamingo Gardens, Davie
Running along Florida’s Atlantic seaboard, the Gold and Treasure Coasts extend for some 200 miles (322 km) from Miami to the Space Coast. The area is battered by tropical storms in summer, but the weather is subtropical, balmy, and sunny most of the year. The beaches are superb. The coastline is heavily built up as far as Palm Beach, trailing off into sparsely populated barrier islands, swamp, and pine forest farther north. Separated from the barrier islands and beaches by the Intracoastal Waterway, the mainland is dotted with mansions and is rich in marine and bird life. Roads are great in this region, but public transportation is limited north of West Palm Beach.
SEE MAP
2. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
3. John U. Lloyd Beach State Park
4. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
10. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
15. Juno Beach: Loggerhead Marinelife Center
The Lowdown
Getting there and around Air Flights connect almost every major city in the US with Fort Lauderdale (www.broward.org/airport). Taxis ($15–20) and the Go Airport Shuttle (www.floridalimo.com) provide shared shuttle van rides from the airport to Fort Lauderdale. Flights connect Palm Beach Airport (www.pbia.org) with all the major east coast hubs. Southeastern Florida Transportation Group provides taxis and shared rides. Train Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) connects West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale with Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, and places north along the east coast to New York. Tri-Rail (www.tri-rail.com) and Brightline make local stops between West Palm Beach and Miami. Bus Greyhound (www.greyhound.com) connects Fort Pierce, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach with Miami and points north. Local buses are limi-ted. Car Much of the region is best explored by car. Avis (www.avis.com) and Hertz (www.hertz.com) have rental offices at airports.
Visitor information See individual entries.
Supermarkets Publix (www.publix.com) is the major supermarket chain with outlets throughout this region.
Festivals Sea Food Festival, Fort Pierce: 772 466 3880; www.mainstreetfortpierce.org (Mar). Easter Egg Hunt, Flagler Museum: kids are invited to hunt for 8,000 eggs on the museum’s lawns; www.flaglermuseum.us (Mar–Apr). SunFest, West Palm Beach: live music, a Youth Park area with activities for kids, and a huge fireworks show; sunfest.com (Apr–May). Pineapple Festival, Jensen Beach: 772 334 3444; www.pineapplefestival.info (Nov).
Pharmacies Check the Publix chain of supermarkets (www.publix.com), CVS (www.cvs.com), or Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) to find an all-night pharmacy.
Restrooms All major shopping malls, attractions, and most gas stations have public restrooms.