Cocoa Beach center of the Space
Coast
Cocoa Beach and environs have two
well-publicized obsessions: space exploration and surfing.
 Lesser
known assets round out the destination’s standing as a multi-dimensional
and affordable place to visit. For starters, there’s vast protected
wilderness and the fauna it attracts. City-side, museums, theater,
orchestra and historic downtown villages where character rules over
cookie-cutter: all add to the vivid beach scene the coast paints.
In promotional parlance, it’s known as the Space Coast. The U.S.
government staked claim to a huge parcel of land for NASA’s John F.
Kennedy Space Center and a buffer to surround the zone.
This creates on Merritt Island a land of startling contrasts, where eagles
soar within view of space ship launchings. Merritt Island National
Wildlife Refuge protects not only bald eagles in its massive 140,000-acre
embrace, but a host of endangered, threatened and other local natives
including the manatee, wood stork and loggerhead turtle. It abuts
Canaveral National Seashore, a lightly developed world of sand dunes far
from civilization, save for the launching pads one can spy in the
distance. Playalinda Beach is the easiest to reach; Klondike Beach
requires a hike down the beach and takes you truly away from it all.
Around the NASA complex, a tourist attraction has grown and continues to
regularly expand and upgrade its exciting offerings. Here is the seat of
the Space Coast’s identity, an attraction that encompasses several
campuses with launch site bus tours, IMAX theaters, a center devoted to
moon exploration, an astronaut’s hall of fame, space exploration history
exhibits, robotized presentations, opportunities to meet real live
astronauts, and sensational space simulation rides.
In the town of Titusville, NASA’s impact becomes clear. Pieces of
spacecraft decorate yards and the town and its chain hotels fill up for
every shuttle launching. Otherwise, Titusville remains quiet. Its historic
downtown holds a vintage theater, antiques shops, cozy restaurants and a
historical museum that displays, among other artifacts, astronaut
memorabilia. The waterfront U.S. Space Walk of Fame further honors heroes
of the final frontier and the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum deals
with aeronautics of a different breed. Inland, the town of Christmas, as
cheerful as it sounds, offers historic and nature attractions.
Cape Canaveral, home to an air force base and growing cruise ship port,
occupies a barrier island fronting the south end of Merritt Island. Catch
a short casino cruise or an extended getaway to the Bahamas and beyond. Its Jetty Park is a favorite for watching shuttle launches and
for fishing off the pier. The new Ron Jon Cape Caribe Resort opened there
recently, a spin-off of the longtime, big-name eponymous surf shop on
Cocoa Beach. This 24-hour watersports cathedral brought surfing fame to
the town. That and the funky, endearingly ramshackle Cocoa Pier, where
waves are always the best and diners and fishermen can watch the action.
Several major surfing contests center around the pier, including the
Surfing Festival over Labor Day weekend. It’s a partying kind of place
any weekend and particularly during shuttle launches. A surfing school and
surfing museum further Cocoa’s reputation.
On the mainland, the village of Cocoa has restored its historic streets by
installing specialty shops, ice cream and pizza joints, and other fun
stops into the riverfront district. Brevard Museum of History and Science,
an indoor-outdoor hands-on attraction, and the Astronaut Memorial
Planetarium and Observatory provide prime-time entertainment for the
family. The planetarium hosts star-gazing parties on- and off-site.
The city of Melbourne, likewise, has
developed some of its old neighborhoods in keeping with their historical
significance and individuality, particularly the district of Eau Gallie.
Visit the Brevard Museum of Art and Science Center for hands-on challenges
and changing exhibitions. The Brevard Zoo is divided into lands of animal
origin, from Florida to Africa and Australia.
Melbourne Beach continues the coast’s reputation for gnarly board rides
and carefree beach play. Accommodations here are mostly of the name-brand
variety and surf and beach shops make sure you’re ready to hit the sand
and the waves. Fishing, kayaking, airboating, horseback riding, miniature
golf and go-karting complete this picture of year-round outdoor pursuits.
|
