Top Five Reasons Martin County, Florida, is Destination: Summer

Take a camp-cation, dance in the street, dive, fish, and walk with the turtles

Martin County, Florida, is an easy-to-get-to area, encompassing the communities of Port Salerno, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Indiantown, Jupiter Island, Hobe Sound and Hutchinson Island.

With beautiful beaches and 75+ parks–not to mention the most bio-diverse lagoon ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere–all within two hours or less driving time of four international airports: Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando, it’s the ultimate summertime destination and here are five reasons why it should be on your summer travel map:

1. This summer, take vacation plans to the next level with summer camps for kids in Martin County. Explore options for camps focused on surfing, fishing, diving, sailing, arts and more. Plan your camp-cation, where children are engaged in unique educational adventures while mom and dad relax seaside in a town known for its beaches, shopping and culinary offerings. www.TravelMediaPressRoom.com/plan-the-ultimate-summer-camp-cation-in-martin-county-florida
2. The 29th Annual Dancin’ in the Streets street party and music festival returns to Historic Downtown Stuart on Saturday, August 20.  The longest-running music festival in Martin County will take place on five stages with over 20 bands and a national headliner (to be announced) from 3 p.m.-midnight.  Every year, the streets of Downtown Stuart shut down and the community comes out for a day of live musical performances, food, drinks, vendors, kids activities and of course–dancin’ in the streets! www.StuartDancinintheStreets.com
3. Cast a line during summer fishing tournaments, from the Lionfish Rodeo in June, to the Come Fish our Reefs in July to the Junior Anglers in August. With numerous thriving natural and artificial reefs along Martin County’s shores, the area lives up to its reputation as the “Treasure Coast.” Each reef offers a bounty of rich aquatic life, creating ideal locales for saltwater anglers and recreational divers. Offshore, the prevailing north current allows boaters to begin at the southern end of a one-mile-long series of 14 artificial reefs that provide excellent fishing opportunities. Martin County’s Artificial Reef Program offers over 95 outstanding sites for fishing and dive exploration-and the number continues to grow. www.DiscoverMartin.com
4. Go on a turtle walk! For a one-of-a-kind adventure, Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, a coastal refuge bisected by the Indian River Lagoon into two separate tracts of land totaling over 1,000 acres on Jupiter Island, is home to the Hobe Sound Nature Center. The Center offers Sea Turtle Walks on Thursday and Friday evenings, May-July. Reservations are required. Learn more at www.HobeSoundNatureCenter.org. You can also join the Florida Oceanographic Society this summer for a Nighttime Sea Turtle Walk and have a chance to observe the nesting behavior of turtles up-close. Walks are held on Wednesday and Thursday evenings during June and July. Guests will enjoy an educational presentation about sea turtles in Florida Oceanographic Society’s classroom followed by the opportunity, if nature cooperates, to go out on the beach and witness the nesting process first-hand. The program fee is $12, and all participants must be at least eight years old. To register, visit www.FloridaOcean.org and select a date on the event calendar. An additional option, Florida Power and Light Turtle Walks are conducted Friday and Saturday nights in June and July. These walks are limited by permit to 50 people. The presentations begin at 9 p.m. at the Energy Encounter. Reservations are required. Call 1-888-646-6396.
5. Catch the Elliott Museum’s latest exhibit, “A History of Surfing in Florida,” through July 31 in the Changing Exhibitions Gallery. Dozens of boards by local surfboard shapers are featured in this exhibit, as well as vintage boards, photos and other memorabilia. Wear your loudest Hawaiian shirt and flip flops to immerse yourself in the surf culture experience! Named after prolific inventor Sterling Elliott, the Elliott Museum hosts a dynamic and interactive collection of antique automobiles, vintage boats, an extensive baseball collection and a deep trove of Treasure Coast histories and stories. In addition, the museum displays an array of traveling exhibits designed to challenge and inspire families and children. For more information visit www.ElliottMuseum.org.

Did you know?
Set the scene for memory-making in Martin County where building restrictions have limited structures to four stories, preserving breathtaking views throughout the county, yielding Old Florida charm accented with Key West style.  Stuart, the county seat, was recently named one of the Happiest Seaside Towns by Coastal Living and ranked #3 in the 2015 Annual Best Small Towns to Visit Guide by Smithsonian Magazine. Only in Your State ranked Stuart as one of the “8 Most Beautiful, Charming Small Towns In Florida” and the area was also ranked #9 by House Beautiful on its “The 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in America” list.