Behind an Advance Auto parts lies the Brookside Historical Cemetery. It is a perfect example of an…read moreold Florida cemetery. African-American and White sections contain many of the founding families from the small agriculture centered community of Fellsmere which was founded in 1911. The cemetery is much older however and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Indian River County. The land for the cemetery was donated to the city of Fellesmere by Fellsmere Farms in 1916 but there are unmarked graves in the oldest section of the cemetery from the 1880's. Brookside contains an array of markers, homemade brick, cement, and modern engraved granite. Prominent people are buried here as well as the the lesser known turpentine workers who worked in the pine camps that is now the St. Sebastian River State Buffer Preserve. The city of Fellsemere maintains the cemetery. Across from the historic cemetery is the entrance to another piece of history, the rails to trails project. The abandoned Trans-Florida Central Railway trails have been turned into hiking trails. The trail is a 2-mile hiking and biking pathway sitting in a former railroad corridor that once connected Sebastian and Fellsmere. The centerpiece of the trail is the iconic bridge over Interstate-95 where the name of the trail is displayed prominently in huge letters across the span of the bridge. It was designed to look like an old trail bridge. Though the railroad trail is about 15 miles long, only 2 miles of trail have been completed.

After both of my parents have passed in recent months they both requested Strunk to handle the…read morearrangements. Tim and Richelle were very professional and handled all the major details of the viewings and the bodies. They were kind and compassionate about the work that they do. The attention to detail was outstanding. They were very helpful and took time to answer all of our questions. Their facilities were very nice and could accomodate a large amount of visitors. Overall, I was very impressed with the level of service in what was likely the most devistating time of my life.

I have thought long and hard about giving this review. We met George in Jan of 2026 at the…read moreSebastian location. We had what we thought was a heartfelt discussion. When we met with him later at the Vero site. We continued with that heartfelt topic. Im not sure where George was going with his part but when he leaned over his desk and pointed to me and told me to shut up twice. We were done.

Our family chose The Thomas Lowther Funeral Home based on reviews and the team, especially Jeff,…read moreexceeded our expectations. Our loved one passed on Christmas Eve morning and with one call, Jeff was there to take her into their care. Their kindness, compassion and respect for both our deceased loved one and those handling the arrangements was unparalleled. Jeff's guidance on how to bring our loved one back to NY to her final resting place was spot on. Delta TSA was kind and respectful when bringing her ashes through security. To my heart warming surprise, I learned that our loved ones ashes were formed in the shape of a heart. For those in the Vero Beach and surrounding areas, our recommendation is Thomas Lowther Funeral Home. Our heartfelt thanks to you, Jeff.

Lost a loved one recently. Thomas Lowther Funeral Home was able to assist a large group very well…read moreWith kindness and caring.

Cox-Gifford and their team were exceptional. These were the most difficult moments of my life and…read morethey took my hand and helped me throughout the entire process. They were kind, patient and thorough. Kristin was amazing and walked me through each step, answered all of my questions, and always checked in with me to see if I needed anything else. I couldn't thank these group of professionals more for their kind hearts and highly recommend their services to families who've suffered a loss and don't know where to begin or how to pick up the pieces. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Coxx-Gifford. Jennifer Luce

Marshall was easy-going with the process of organizing funeral arrangements for my mother…read more Joseph was fantastic with the prepping and transporting of my mother This funeral home is pleasant inside and very sympathetic to family members .

I will have to say Millennium Cremation Service has been top notch in assisting my family with the…read moreloss of my father. We are from out of town and Billy has been amazing in helping with so many things but most of all securing the perfect place to have the Celebration of Life services. He has helped us through such a difficult time in our lives. Thanks so much!

The service was kind, professional and sensitive to our needs. After my mother in law passed, my…read moresister in law was given a professional courtesy (she's a nurse) which they didn't have to do. Completely unexpected. It's that kind of customer care that goes a long way.

Definitely a service based family business. I came in to see how they service the community and was…read moreso pleased with how down to earth they were. They have been open since the 1930s and have served local pioneers.

Viking was a town settled in 1892 by Major B. Daniels (1860-1947) who started a pineapple…read moreplantation. In 1895 Norwegian immigrants Jens (1858-1944) and Agathe Helseth arrived, growing pineapples on Daniels 80 acre farm. More pioneers moved and the settlement grew and it became known as Viking, because of the large population of Scandinavians living there. Viking had a post office and school. It was a flag stop on the Florida East Coast Railway. The first sheriff of Saint Lucie County, Bob Lennard, was a Viking resident. Jens Helseth granted one acre of his property as the town cemetery in 1905 which was the year the first burial took place when Sea Captain Jacob Erickson was interred. The cemetery contains members of the Helseth family and WWI and II veterans. As the population in the area grew, pineapple farms were replaced with streets, houses, and businesses. Viking was renamed Indrio by Mrs. Edwin Bonney, the wife of the founder of Crayola Crayons. The couple had a home on Indrio Road. South Viking became Indrio and West Viking is now a protected nature preserve. Today all that is left of this Florida ghost town is the cemetery and the light posts from the Helseth estate.

We came here while visiting the area and really enjoyed the learning center!…read more We only stayed for a few hours but there was definitely a lot more to see and do here. We got to see a lot of fish and native Florida wildlife! There were a lot of walking trails, kayak/canoe launches, and tons of information posted around about native Florida habitats! There was also a play area for kids as well. We spent a lot of the time in the aquarium room (and yes it's a room not a super huge space) since it was air conditioned and our daughter really enjoys seeing the fish. They have a touch tank that's open for a few hours throughout the day, but we noticed that if the tank isn't open, there was no staff in the space. The facilities seemed a bit older but overall well maintained. There were summer camps going on while we were there, and felt like they sort of overtook some of the spaces we were in from time to time. Not a super huge deal as we were able to go explore other parts but it did feel somewhat chaotic as a large group of 8 year olds ran into the area. You do have to pay admission, there is a pass available as well if you plan to visit more than once. Parking was not plentiful so be mindful when planing, to come early or during a more "off" time. Overall this was a neat place to go to if you enjoy learning about Florida wildlife and nature.

Stopped into the Environmental Learning Center on a whim after driving past it many times, and now…read moreI'm wondering why I waited so long. This place is one of those hidden little Treasure Coast gems that almost hides in plain sight. The boardwalk trails through the mangroves were peaceful, scenic, and surprisingly immersive. Every turn felt like a mini nature documentary. Within a short walk I spotted a ribbon snake cruising through the water, an orb-weaver spider that looked like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie, and plenty of birds and wildlife along the way. Bring a camera because you'll use it. Bonus points for the rare opportunity to admire a spider web without immediately walking face first into it. The grounds are well maintained, educational without feeling overly touristy, and just plain relaxing. There's a nice balance between nature preserve, learning experience, and quiet escape from the everyday rush. Also appreciated that you can spend 30 minutes here or easily lose a couple of hours wandering the trails and slowing your brain down a notch. We didn't try the kayak rental this time but made a mental note for the future. If you live in or visit Vero Beach and enjoy nature, photography, kayaking, wildlife, or just finding peaceful spots that don't involve crowds and traffic, this place is absolutely worth a stop.