Notes from the host
Blue Heron Pond Tropical Oasis
Imagine waking up at your own "private resort" on 2 beautifully landscaped acres, fully fenced for your children and pets, enjoying your morning coffee on the patio overlooking the gorgeous gardens, taking a dip in the warm saltwater pool, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores at the firepit overlooking the pond, playing table tennis before lunch, reading a book by the pond, playing horsehoes before a great barbecue, sipping cocktails on the covered patio overlooking the beautiful pool ~ all from the comfort of your home away from home!
Our spectacular single family home is on a quiet cul de sac in Paddock Park, the heart of Wellington's horse country, 2.9 miles from WEF, 1.7 miles from the Wanderer's Club and 5.4 miles from the Polo grounds. This tropical oasis features a heated salt water pool at no additional cost, a fantastic outdoor kitchen, a tiled outdoor shower and a custom fire pit (with lots of wood to burn) overlooking the spectacular pond and dock.
If you enjoy wildlife and/or birding, you will absolutely love our property - we regularly see Blue Herons, Egrets, Ibis and dozens of other birds, plus turtles, iguanas, river otters (occasionally) and more! Our property boasts dozens of varieties of plants and shrubs plus many mature trees including several types of palms. It truly is more beautifully landscaped than most upscale resorts.
Exquisitely decorated and meticulously clean (really!), this will truly be your home away from home. Lots of space to spread out and relax: the large family room with an oversized leather sofa with 3 power recliners, 2 swivel barrel chairs, a bright dining nook with a view of the gardens, a large kitchen with an island, a spacious living room with gorgeous Restoration Hardware furniture overlooking the pool and pond, and the dining room with seating for 12. The 5 bedrooms are beautifully decorated and so relaxing with very comfortable mattresses ~ 4 with king beds, one with a queen, all with room darkening blinds and/or curtains, 49" Smart TVs and a 65" Smart TV in the primary bedroom. All bedrooms have garden views, 3 have views of the pool and 2 also have views of the pond.
In the kitchen enjoy newer appliances including a Samsung bespoke refrigerator (2024), microwave and convection oven with air fryer option (2022), Bosch dishwasher so quiet you can't hear it (2022), coffee bar with a Keurig, drip coffee maker, coffee bean grinder and French press, plus a wide variety of small electrics including an electric griddle, crock pot, Vitamix blender, Kitchen Aid free-standing mixer, toaster and electric knife. Everyday dishes plus beautiful china and plenty of serving dishes make entertaining a breeze, perfect for stress-free gatherings.
We are a pet friendly property: Up to two dogs under 50 pounds each, with a $250 per pet fee (per stay).
Just minutes from our home enjoy food trucks on Thursday evenings at the Wellington Amphitheater, along with live music, tribute concerts and movies. The Wellington Amphitheater has a calendar of weekly events you can find online - sorry we are unable to publish the exact site but everything is free and about a 7 minute drive from our home. On Friday evenings visit the lakeside market with dozens of vendors. Within minutes find dozens of great restaurants including Kaluz, Oli's Fashion Cuisine, Agliolio's (Italian) and many, many more. Literally hundreds of fantastic restaurants, many with ocean-front dining, can be found within a 20 to 30 minute drive. Wellington is best known for its equestrian and polo events from January through early April. See below for more info on these world class events.
The Palm Beach/West Palm Beach area has beautiful public beaches open year-round. Families can enjoy Lake Worth Beach (35 minutes) or Jupiter Beach Park (45 minutes) as both have lifeguards on duty and plenty of parking. At Lake Worth Pier, eateries include Kilwin’s Chocolates and ice cream, Mamma Mia’s Pizza, and Benny’s Pier, a full-service restaurant and bar. Jupiter Beach Park lies on the south side of the Jupiter Inlet with 1,700 feet of guarded beaches, picnic areas with grills, restrooms, outdoor showers and a sand volleyball court.
Family fun and adventure awaits in the Palm Beach area. Visit Lion Country Safari (10 minutes) with 1,000 animals on 600 acres. The safari preserve is divided into 7 main habitats, where you will see a variety of iconic animals, including some of the largest herds of zebra, rhino, and giraffe on record in the country. On foot, explore the 55-acre adventure park with rides, animal habitats and encounters, food and shopping. Our favorite event is feeding the giraffes!
Rapids Water Park, located in Riviera Beach, FL (30 minutes) sits on 30 acres and includes 42 slides and attractions, including a wave pool, dual seven-story speed slides, and a quarter-mile lazy river. Enjoy kayaking on the Loxahatchee River or an educational visit to Loggerhead Marinelife Centre (40 minutes).
Discover the Everglades on one of many airboat tours, glimpse the homes of the rich and famous on a Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale Sightseeing Cruise, or take a Jupiter Island Cruise and see the Jupiter Lighthouse and celebrity homes, especially lovely at sunset. Private cruises, fishing charters and tours are plentiful. Wellington is conveniently located to West Palm Beach (30 minutes), Jupiter (45 minutes), Miami (75 minutes), Orlando (2.5 hours) and the Florida Keys (approximately 4 hours).
A visit to Palm Beach is an absolute must! “Whispered secrets. Massive fortunes. Marked graves off Worth Avenue and sequestered public gardens; billionaires and heiresses and presidential retreats … this is Palm Beach, and there’s no place in the world quite as tantalizing.” (Travel and Leisure Magazine). Worth Avenue is an upscale shopping and dining district in Palm Beach stretching four blocks from Lake Worth to the Atlantic Ocean. Worth Avenue also includes smaller, architecturally significant "vias" off the main avenue. Spend the day browsing or shopping in approximately 250 high-end shops, boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries including Trillion, Giorgio Armani, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Hermès, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Chanel, Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers, Salvatore Ferragamo, Island Company, St. John, Valentino, Akris, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Max Mara, Vilebrequin, Van Cleef & Arpels and more. Take a break from shopping and visit The Breakers, the undisputed icon of Palm Beach, where non-guests can sip cocktails and enjoy a meal at the oceanfront Seafood Bar, where an elongated aquarium with live fish serves as the bar’s countertop.
Spend a fun-filled day at CityPlace (25 minutes) comprised of 600,000 square feet of retail businesses, over 20 restaurants, a 20-screen theater, open-air plaza, cultural arts theater as well as hundreds of private residences. Shop in a place where old-world architecture, beautiful fountains, and sidewalk cafes create an atmosphere strikingly reminiscent of a European town center. The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts borders the west side of CityPlace and walking north on Rosemary Avenue will take you straight into the Historic Clematis Street area. The Kravis Cultural Art Center features amazing performances from around the world, including the fully professional Palm Beach Opera ~ a small slice of New York City in the Sunshine State!
One of our favorite places to visit in West Palm is Elisabetta's for a waterfront brunch with bottomless mimosas, bloody marys, bellinis or aperol spritzes while overlooking the yachts, followed by a visit to the Flagler Museum (30 minutes). When completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed that Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Today, Whitehall is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, offering self-guided tours, changing exhibitions, and special programs.
If flying in or out of Fort Lauderdale International Airport or Miami International Airport with time to spare, a visit to Flamingo Gardens is a must! Stroll 60 serene acres and see an impressive collection of rare tropical plants, massive oaks, native birds (flamingos, peacocks, Ibis...) and other tropical critters. The gardens are one of the region's few remaining citrus groves and are home to a large collection of wading birds.
January through March, enjoy the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and immerse yourself in world-class show jumping events. WEF is a wonderful family-friendly event showcasing top riders from around the world. In addition to the spectacular riders, children can enjoy a free petting zoo, carousel and other activities. Equestrian events take place throughout the year as well. Take in a polo match and brunch at the USPA National Polo Center (NPC) in Wellington. Each year, the biggest names in polo make their way to the pitch for an impressive lineup of events that start in January and lead up to the prestigious U.S. Open Polo Championship® in April.
There is no lifeguard on duty. The house, its owners, and agents of the property will not be held liable for accidents, pool-related, sea wall, lake, or dock accidents, drowning, or bodily harm/personal injuries.
We have a lovely smaller home (4 bedrooms with 2.5 baths, approximately 2000 square feet) on a gorgeous landscaped lot with a 32' heated saltwater pool in Wellington located ten minutes from this house, just 3 miles from WEF. For listing details and 50+ wonderful reviews, please see VRBO listing number 995401.
