Space Coast — Beachcomber Pete Travel Adventures

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Cape Canaveral is one of Florida’s most popular travel destination. Nestled on Florida’s Space Coast along the eastern Atlantic coastline, this lovely city is also located near the cities of Melbourne and Palm Bay. Here are five of the top attractions to see while visiting Cape Canaveral:

Port Canaveral

Majestic cruise ships can be seen arriving and departing from this seaside retreat. The port additionally features a variety of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Sterling Casino Lines, which is also the world’s largest casino ship, is another main attraction of the port. Many people also come to this location throughout the year to enjoy vibrant festivals and exquisite views of the ocean and will find numerous Condos in Cape Canaveral are available to suit all budgets.

Kennedy Space Center

Located less than 30 minutes from Cape Canaveral’s city center, this notable attraction gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about the NASA space program. The Astronaut Encounter exhibition allows guests to interact with a real-life astronaut. The center’s Astronaut Memorial was built to honor those astronauts who were lost during space exploration missions. Two different IMAX theaters show 3D films with extra special effects.

Jetty Park

Outdoor enthusiasts will no doubt be pleased by this peaceful parkland. The park includes 150 campsites and a 1,200 foot fishing pier. A tackle shop and numerous picnic tables can also be found within the park. Guests who visit this park have the opportunity to experience the splendor of the area’s natural ecosystem.

Manatee Sanctuary Park

More than 10 acres of land make up this popular city park. Its location along the Banana River makes it an ideal place to spend a day basking in the Florida sun. A manatee viewing area showcases one of the state’s most symbolic creatures. The park also features a boardwalk, a fitness trail and an educational kiosk providing more information about manatees. Guests who wish to savor a tasty meal outdoors can use the park’s picnic tables and two grills.

Canaveral City Park

This safe park is an ideal place for families with children. A series of play areas and a climbing web are able to keep young ones entertained while visiting the park. Exciting baseball games often take place inside the park’s little league ball field. Several family restaurants are also in the vicinity.

Filed Under: Cape Canaveral, featured, Florida, Melbourne, Space Coast, United States

Melbourne, Florida

Sweetly situated on Florida’s scenic Space Coast, the town of Melbourne offers peaceful beaches, wondrous seascapes and enchanting historic sites, all within an easy drive of such popular tourist meccas as Disney World and the Kennedy Space Center.

Originally two townships, Melbourne and Eau Gallie, this delightful little bit of old Florida offers a lively marriage of historic and modern charm. Dating back to the 1800s, the city was named for its first postmaster, Comthwaite John Hector, an Englishman who relocated to Florida after many years in Melbourne, Australia. Today, Melbourne offers visitors plentiful recreational, shopping and entertainment opportunities along a sunny, sensational stretch of coastline.

Exciting air-boat rides and peaceful paddling journeys allow ample exploration of the Indian River Lagoon, an enchanting waterway separating mainland Melbourne from its picturesque barrier island. Tour Sebastian Inlet State Park for glimpses of intriguing native wildlife and marine animals. Melbourne incorporates a portion of Florida’s Saltwater Paddling Trail, bringing intrepid explorers through tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems as they journey across the lagoon and into Haulover Canal, a popular playground for manatees and dolphins. The multi-use, traffic-free East Coast Greenway also winds through Melbourne, allowing bicyclists and hikers a safe and scenic path through some of the state’s loveliest coastal areas. Golfing, snorkeling, swimming and biking opportunities abound throughout the region.

Stroll into the Florida of old in historic Downtown Melbourne and Olde Eau Gallie, where streets are lined with funky little specialty shops, lovely historic buildings and intriguing museums. Shop for crafts, antiques or bikinis in the bustling downtown area or just browse art galleries and bookstores before enjoying a hip happy hour or fine seafood dinner. Celebrations of all kinds keep the city’s streets alive with color and excitement, and annual events like the Arts Festival, Independent Filmmakers’ Festival, Aviation Day,IndiaFest and Oktoberfest help keep an exuberant vibe in town year-round.

Great tourist attractions are within a short drive. Head to the nearby Kennedy Space Center for a day of out-of-this world fun and education. Kids love floating beside spacewalking astronauts in the IMAX film Hubble 3D, thrilling to the Shuttle Launch Experience and roaming amid towering rockets. Featuring over 550 animals from around the world, Brevard Zoo invites kids of all ages to visit with giraffes, cheetahs, monkeys and white rhinos before heading into the tree tops for the zoo’s zip line and obstacle course or into the water at the splashy Paws On play area.

Filed Under: featured, Florida, Melbourne, Space Coast, United States

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Closest beach to the amazing attractions of Orlando, Cocoa Beach, Florida is six miles of waterfront enchantment nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River Lagoon on Florida’s scenic Space Coast. Awash in bewitching old world Florida ambience, Cocoa Beach has the timeless allure of southern beach resorts with its pastel vintage architecture and long stretches of untouched sand.

Originally settled by a family of freed slaves during the Civil War, the Town of Cocoa Beach was established in 1925 by Gus C. Edwards and experienced major growth in the 1960s with the birth of the space program. The town’s first building project, a fishing pier, still sprawls 840 feet over the Atlantic today, lined with lively gift shops, restaurants and boutiques.

Affable, affordable Cocoa Beach offers matchless sunning, swimming, golfing and snorkeling, as well as such adventurous options as parasailing, jet skiing and world-class surfing. Take a guided deep sea fishing cruise or just walk to the end of the half-mile Cocoa Beach fishing pier to try your hand at landing one of the Atlantic’s big fighters. Entice Lady Luck on a glittery casino boat cruise, experience the adrenalin rush of an open cockpit biplane ride over the beaches and space center, or experience the thrill of an afternoon at the greyhound races. Plentiful cultural venues include the Surfside Playhouse, Phoenix Theater and King Center for the Performing Arts.

Kids love Cocoa Beach, from the go-karts of Andretti Thrill Park to the stunning planetarium and laser shows of Astronaut Memorial Planetarium. Take the youngsters to visit the alligators, anteaters, kangaroos and kookaburras at the Brevard Zoo, boasting over 400 animals from Latin America, Australia and Florida, or check out Jungle Adventures, billed as the largest alligator park in Florida. The area is of course home to the Kennedy Space Center, and the popular visitor’s center includes a shuttle launch simulator ride on a full-size replica, tours of the launch area, IMAX movies and vintage spacecraft. US Astronaut Hall of Fame is right next door, where you can experience simulated astronaut training from launch to zero gravity.

A unique combination of temperate and warm subtropical climates has blessed Cocoa Beach with one of North America’s most diverse and fascinating ecosystems. Spend a day exploring turtle nesting beaches, sea life-rich lagoons or miles of lush tropical flora on a kayak tour through Cocoa beach’s breathtaking Thousand Islands. Kids of all ages will stand in awe of majestic cranes, frolicking dolphins and endangered manatees as they follow the magnificent nature trails of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Filed Under: Cocoa Beach, featured, Florida, North America, Space Coast, United States

Daytona Beach, Florida

"Drivers, Start Your Engines!" When you think of Daytona Beach, Florida, the chances are you immediately think of car racing. As the home of NASCAR, Daytona Beach has hosted many great races going back for more than 50 years. The city of Daytona is also the headquarters for the Great American Road Race Association, offering even more opportunities for race car enthusiasts to enjoy the city.

Located Florida's Space Coast, along the Atlantic Ocean, the city of Daytona Beach was originally settled as the Williams Plantation in 1871, when a man named Mathias Day, Jr. purchased a tract of land totaling over 2,100 acres on the coast of Florida and began building a hotel to attract visitors. The area continued to develop with more hotels and businesses being built along the coastline, when the Florida East Coast Railway took notice of the growth and decided to put a railway line through the area. This made transportation to the little community even easier, causing a boom in development.

As the area continued to grow, there were four separate communities located close to each other along the coast including Seabreeze, Kingston, Daytona and Daytona Beach. In 1926, they all merged together and became the city of Daytona Beach. The inviting sandy beaches of Daytona have long been an attraction for many visitors including young people looking for a place to enjoy a Spring Break or families just wanting to go to the beach for a day of fun. With plenty of hotels and attractions available in Daytona Beach along with great weather, it is a perfect location for tourists to enjoy a vacation.

It's no wonder that the area has attracted a number of automotive races including the legendary Daytona 500, one of the most popular of all NASCAR events each year as well as races like the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Race, the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 and even non-automotive races like the Daytona Beach Bike Week Daytona 200 and the annual Biketoberfest in October.

Due to the city's popularity and exciting attractions, more than 8,000,000 tourists visit Daytona Beach each year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. The climate around Daytona Beach is known as humid subtropical and temperatures in the summer can often reach just above 100 degrees Fahrenheit while winter temperatures can get as low as the upper 20s.

Filed Under: Daytona Beach, Florida, North America, Space Coast, United States

Vero Beach, Florida

Vero Beach, Florida is located on the south end of Florida's Space Coast and boarders the northern portion of Florida's Treasure Coast , and is the county seat for Indian River County. Vero Beach offers many recreational opportunities including small craft boating, surfing and fishing. There are many wonderful reasons to visit Vero Beach but the main reason is for the beautiful beaches.

Humiston Park Beach is a family friendly place to visit. It is located 300 yards south of Beachland Boulevard on Ocean Drive. Lifeguards are on duty daily from 10am to 3pm daily. They have lifeguards on duty for extended hours during spring break. The beach is narrow but gives you plenty of room to spread out with your family. It has several large pavilions and a great playground for kids.

Jaycee Park is another lovely beach area north of Beachland Boulevard. It gives tourists access to the Intercoastal Waterway for fishing and water activities. The beach is beautiful and has many amenities that are desirable for families. It has fresh water showers, public telephones, restrooms and a lovely restaurant. Bring a picnic lunch; there are plenty of picnic spaces available to the public.

The Golden Sand Beach has been relocated due to erosion of the beach at the previous site. It has since been reopened with added attractions. The parking is increased, there is a boardwalk over the dunes and has a beautiful playground for children. It also features fresh water showers and public restrooms. Golden Sand Beach is a wonderful area for beachcombers and has lifeguards on duty. A temporary lifeguard tower is being constructed and plans are drawn for a permanent tower that will be tall enough to see the entire swimming area.

This beach is attractive because it is less populated than other beaches on Treasure Coast. It has public restrooms, showers, restrooms and a playground for the kids. It is located at the end of the 17th Street Bridge and is perfect for picnics. It has grills, picnic tables and showers where you can wash off the saltwater and beach sand. It is the perfect beach for lounging and sunbathing.

Filed Under: featured, Florida, North America, Space Coast, Treasure Coast, Vero Beach

Florida’s Space Coast

Just about anything you may need for an outstanding vacation, you can find on Florida’s Space Coast. If your preference is history, fine arts, amusement or the beach the Space Coast offers a variety of activities.

Daytona is at the northern end of the Space Coast. Daytona Beach is popular with college students on spring break and is known for its hospitality to bikers during Biketoberfest in October and Bike Week in February. NASCAR enthusiasts pour into Daytona during the Daytona 500. Daytona also offers great golf courses. When you need a break from the Florida sun and sand, you can explore the Museum of Arts and Sciences where you will find hands on exhibits and an outdoor boardwalk through a beautiful eco-system.

Cape Canaveral has a little bit of everything. It’s the place that the space shuttles call home. Visit the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville to get a peek into the United States space program. There are real rockets, and hands on activities in the awesome visitor’s center. Ocean going vessels often make stops at Cape Canaveral as well. The area boasts some of the most engaging natural parks and wildlife you’ve ever seen and includes a trip out to see the manatees. You will be delighted by Canaveral National Seashore, a wildlife and plant preserve. It is open all year round for camping, fishing, canoeing, and other outdoor activities.

Brevard Zoo is in Melbourne. Visit each of the habitats to see animals from all over the world. If you happen to go in the summer, you may be able to see their “butterfly extravaganza,” a sight you will never forget.

If you’ve traveled much on the east coast, you've have probably seen the signs for Ron Jon’s Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach. The shop specializes in surfing and body boarding equipment. If you’ve never surfed, the Ron Jon Surf School of Cocoa Beach, along with other surfing schools, teach newbies to surf. You will be hanging ten before you know it. The Cocoa Beach Pier juts out 840 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. You can fish from the pier, and visit the restaurants and stores.

There are a variety of accommodations on and near the ocean all up and down the Space Coast. Restaurants abound along this beautiful stretch of the Atlantic beaches. Wouldn't you like to explore it for yourself?

Filed Under: featured, Florida, North America, Space Coast, United States