Things to Do
The city of Cocoa and the town of Cocoa Beach are the main focal points of the Space Coast. You can take a guided tour through the cobblestone sidewalks of Olde Cocoa Village, a restoration of the historic downtown, into a neighborhood of tree-lined streets filled with unique specialty shops, sidewalk cafés, and art galleries (321-433-0362).
If you're interested in Florida history, the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa will take you back in time through exhibits and dioramas depicting life from the prehistoric era to the Space Age. Fossils, Indian tools and pottery, and Victorian furniture help bring each era to life. The museum also displays an extensive shell collection. Your little ones will enjoy the museum's Discovery Room, with lots of objects they can touch. After you finish your visit inside, you can walk the nature trails over the museum's 22 acres. Admission is $4 per adult, $4.50 per child. (Open Tuesday through Friday 10 A.M.–5 P.M., Saturday 10 A.M.–4 P.M., Sunday noon–4 P.M., 321-632-1830, www.brevardmuseum.org)
RAINY DAY FUN
If a sudden rain shower disrupts your beach time, head to the BCCP Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory on the Brevard Community College Campus in Cocoa. It offers the largest telescope in Florida to give you a bird's-eye view of the heavens, as well as space memorabilia and multimedia programs. Admission is $4–$14 (www.brevardcc.edu/planet).
For the baseball fans in your brood, Cocoa Beach and Vero Beach each hosts a major league baseball team for spring training — see the Houston Astros at Cocoa Beach and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Vero Beach during March. Two minor league teams, the Vero Beach Dodgers and Daytona Beach Astros, play exhibition games in August.
If you're interested in buried treasure, visit the McClarty State Museum, the site of an old Spanish salvage camp at the south edge of the Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area. In 1715 a fleet of twelve Spanish ships with heavy cargoes of gold, silver, and jewels from Mexico and Peru wrecked in a violent storm. Though 1,000 passengers drowned, the 1,500 who survived set up camps on shore to salvage some of the treasure. Today, Mel Fisher, who has salvaged Spanish galleons off the Florida Keys, has salvage rights to the underwater treasures. You'll see exhibits about Spanish trade, other area shipwrecks, and the history of the local Indians. Admission is $1. (Open daily 10:00 A.M.–4:30 P.M., 772-589-2147)
Nature Activities
The Indian River, also known as the Mosquito Lagoon for obvious reasons in the summer, is a 160-mile-long mixture of fresh water and salt water that runs down the coast between the barrier islands and the mainland from Titusville to Sewall's Point at the end of Hutchinson Island. It's the most diverse estuary in the country, with more than 4,000 species of animals, including 700 species of fish and 310 kinds of birds. Driving the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway, following U.S. Route 1 and A1A down the coast from Titusville to Wabasso, will introduce you to a variety of coastal ecosystems. Teeming with marine life and dotted with hundreds of island wildfowl habitats, it varies in width from 5 miles near Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the John F. Kennedy Space Center to one-tenth of a mile at Vero Beach.
TRAVEL TIP
Spend a day at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on the Saint Johns River, riding a fifteen-passenger airboat for thirty minutes to see alligators, tropical birds, and tall cypress trees. Afterward, fish for catfish and bass, then eat raw oysters, frog's legs, or alligator tails in the family dining room. Boat ride is $18 for adults, $10 for children. (321-632-4199)
Here, you'll find a wealth of opportunities to explore Mother Nature's handiwork. You can hike 25 miles of unspoiled beach in Canaveral National Seashore and 22 miles of trails through slash pine and cypress forests. You can also choose between biking on land or fishing, water-skiing, sailing, boating, and board sailing on water. You'll find the best diving and snorkeling at Vero Beach and Jupiter Inlet.
For the Kids
When your kids get all spaced out, take them to the unusual Brevard Zoo, where you'll stroll along shaded boardwalks and see over 550 animals in a tropical setting. You can rent a kayak, ride a train, or feed a lorikeet or a giraffe. Admission is $9.95 per adult, $6.95 per child. (Open 9:30 A.M.–4:15 P.M., 321-254-9453, www.brevardzoo.org)
TRAVEL TIP
For some real earthbound thrills, take the kids to the Andretti Thrill Park, with its go-cart race tracks and kiddy karts for the little ones, miniature golf, bumper cars, laser tag, and an electronic arcade. A three-hour pass is $27.95 and a four-hour is $31.95. (www.andrettithrillpark.com)
Visit the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum, honoring U.S. police officers killed in the line of duty. There are over 10,000 objects on display, plus an indoor gun range and police helicopter rides. Admission is $12 per adult, $8 per child. (Open 10 A.M.–6 P.M., 321-264-0911, www.aphf.org)
Festivals and Seasonal Events
While you'll find lots of smaller community events along the Space Coast, the following are some of the major ones that you shouldn't miss if you're in the area when they're scheduled:
Grant Seafood Festival: If you like seafood, plan on attending this festival held in Grant, a small community south of Melbourne, during the third weekend in February. (www.grantseafoodfestival.com)
Tico Warbird Air Show: This annual event is a must-see if you're in Titusville in mid-March. (321-268-1941)
