1. Holiday Inn Express North Palm Beach Oceanview Hotel
City: Juno Beach, FL
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (561) 622-4366 or (800) 345-80
Address: 13950 US 1
Description: Built in 1992, the entire facility was gutted and then renovated in 2009, from top to bottom, from public areas to pool to guest rooms. So, for all practical purposes, it’s a “new” hotel. The 108 rooms all come with one king- or two double-beds, and all come standard with coffeemaker, microwave, minifridge, iron/ironing board, free newspaper, and an award-winning complimentary continental breakfast. There’s also a pool and fitness center, a business center, and an on-site florist. Pets allowed; $20 per night/per pet. You can see live ocean turtles next door at the Marine Life Center. The hotel is less than a block from the beach. Also less than a block are a number of good restaurants, among them The Juno Beach Fish House, The Hurricane Café, and the Thirsty Turtle. Baseball at Roger Dean Stadium is only 3 miles away, the Burt Reynolds Museum and Park is only 4 miles, Jonathan Dickinson State Park is only 5 miles (as is The Gardens Mall), and downtown West Palm Beach is only 15.
2. Juno Beach Park
City: Juno Beach, FL
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (561) 966-6600
Address: 14775 S. R. A1A
Description: This park, too, is on the beach, and has a 1,000-foot-long pier for fishing, with a bait shop and snack bar on it. There are also picnic tables. From Mar through Oct, this is a turtle-nesting area, where turtles come to lay their eggs. Since they come at night, the park closes a half-hour before sunset.
3. Loggerhead Park
City: Juno Beach, FL
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (561) 966-6600
Address: 14200 US 1
Description: This is a beautiful spot, with beach dunes and sea oats and the ocean. The park has a nature trail that wanders among those beach dunes, and if you stoke up an appetite while walking it, you can throw a couple of steaks on the barbie in the picnic areas. The kids will enjoy the playground. This is also the site of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, where you can view all types and sizes of turtles—including red ones! This is a turtle-nesting area, and it’s a wonderful sight to see the staff at the center care for injured turtles.
4. Ke’E Grill
City: Juno Beach, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (561) 776-1167
Address: 4020 US 1
Description: People who love good seafood love Ke’e. The seafood here is always fresh, always cooked just right, and always looks good on your plate. There’s a South Seas element to the decor, with bamboo accents, a thatched-hut ambience, and tiki torches outside. Appetizers include excellent clams, and many folks go for the Cajun spring rolls. The restaurant’s known for its Chilean sea bass, grouper, and seared ahi tuna. But the most popular entree may well be the encrusted fish with pineapple mango salsa on top and creamed spinach on the side. There’s a good wine selection with reasonable prices. For dessert, there’s only one choice—go for the key lime pie.
5. Loggerhead Marine Life Center
City: Juno Beach, FL
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (561) 627-8280
Address: 14200 US 1
Description: Sitting adjacent to one of the busiest sea turtle nesting grounds in the world, Loggerhead Marine Life Center is a hospital for sea turtles. Your children can get to see these huge, magical creatures up close and gain a real understanding of the fragile sea-life and eco-system on which Florida is based. The hospital houses sick and injured sea turtles who are cared for by hospital staff. Among the species here are loggerhead, green, hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles. If the kids have questions, volunteer “patient interpreters” and docents are on hand to answer them.Several exhibits give insight into the fascinating world of giant turtles. Rehabilitation and Research shows the process by which a patient is admitted to the hospital, and the ways in which researchers gather information on sea turtles. The Archelon exhibit features the replica skeleton of an ancient sea turtle that lived 65 million years ago, suspended from the ceiling. At Beach Ecology and Shells you’ll have an interactive experience and learn how sand is made and which animals “wear” shells. For the younger kids, there’s a soft-sand outdoor play area, complete with turtles, manta rays, and sea-stars. Admission is free; donations accepted.