Florida Family Beach Vacations; The Space Coast

Florida Space Coast Beaches; img courtesy of florida-insider.com

Florida is most known for its gorgeous coastlines, laid back atmosphere, and beautiful beaches, but on this coast of Florida where it’s aptly named from, the Kennedy Space Center, NASA and Cape Canaveral take center stage on Florida’s Space Coast. There’s still bunch of beaches around for sinking toes into and relaxing, as well as tons of fun and kid-friendly attractions on Florida’s Space Coast, it’s the perfect place for your next Florida family beach vacation.

Wikipedia says, ” The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around Kennedy Space Center, where NASA launches space shuttles; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Cities in the area include Titusville, Cocoa, Rockledge, Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne and Palm Bay. Most of the area lies within Brevard County.”

Best Kid-Friendly Beach on the Space Coast:

The best kid-friendly beach on Florida’s Space Coast would have to be Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach. It’s got a great (newer) playground (at the south end of the park), a great beach overlook, volleyball, restrooms, and pavilions that can be reserved . Located at; 1525 Highway A1A, Satellite Beach,ph# (321) 773-6458. Park hours are from 9:00am till dusk.
Check this website for FAQ’s about Pelican Beach Park.

Anne K. had this to say about Pelican Beach Park, “We ventured to Pelican Beach Park to enjoy a view of the Atlantic Ocean, let the kids play at the park, and eat a picnic on the beach the day after Christmas just because we could… In addition to the mostly enclosed play area with new play structures with padding, Pelican Beach Park has beautiful views, access to Pelican Beach, reservable pavilions (named Beach Vista and Star Fish), restrooms, showers for beach goers, and lots parking. The view of endless beach and surfers really did make me realize what a treat it is to celebrate Christmas in Florida.”

Canaveral National Seashore (321-267-1110, www.nps.gov/cana) The Canaveral National Seashore might also be something you want to check out, with it’s 24 miles of undeveloped coastlines, lined with natural dunes, and varied wildlife, it wouldn’t be out of the norm to see blue heron, bald eagles or local flora and fauna of Florida’s Atlantic east coast. It’s a place that definitely makes you feel small in comparison to the wonders of the sea. And being so close to Kennedy Space Center, the seashore may also allow you to glimpse an equally astounding flight.

Things to Do on your Florida Family Beach Vacation on the Space Coast:

Of the many points of interest, besides the beaches on Florida’s Space Coast,here are a few: the Brevard Zoo, the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Port Canaveral, the Space Coast Stadium, Patrick Air Force Base (PAFB), and Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the first on most family’s list is NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Kids, adults, grandparents and everyone in between will love this place. A bit of history, science, and the ‘wow factor’ will have all visitors astounded and in awe of how much it actually takes to get astronauts into space.

What to Do at your Visit to Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center:

Space Shuttle Launch at Kennedy – img. courtesy of nasa.gov

Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at Kennedy – img courtesy of nasa.gov

View a Launch from the Visitor Complex →

Space Coast vacations aren’t complete without a trip to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Just east of the most popular Orlando attractions and theme parks, NASA’s launch headquarters is the only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet a veteran astronaut, see giant rockets, train in spaceflight simulators, and even view a launch.› Watch a Rocket Launch –

View a Shuttle Launch or Landing

›Get the scoop on the best Launch viewing locations –Learn where all the best vantage points for viewing shuttle launches are in Brevard County and get tips for viewing a shuttle landing.

› See the Visitor Complex-

Tour Kennedy – History, the future, nature and technology come together for an inspirational journey through space and time.- Where else in the world do history and the future, nature and technology, young and old meet for an unforgettable and inspirational journey through space and time? › Take a Closer Look

Kennedy Space Center Tour-Included with admission, this unique tour takes you to the LC 39 Observation Gantry and the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The tour bus departs every 15 minutes from the Visitor Complex.Price: Included with General Admission.

Discover KSC: Today & Tomorrow Tour

Cape Canaveral: Then & Now Tour

Both Kennedy Space Center tours sell out daily. Reservations are strongly recommended.

After visiting Kennedy Space Center, I’ll bet your kids will say they want to be astronauts when they grow up…how many of us said the same things? Read more about Kennedy Space Center HERE.

For More Family Fun on Florida’s Space Coast

Check out Brevard County Parks

Of the many parks and facilities available throughout the county, those that the Brevard Co. Department manages include 108 parks, 3 campgrounds, 3 golf courses, 6 nature centers, 42 beach access sites, 13 school athletic sites, and more than 17,000 acres of Environmentally Endangered Lands sanctuaries and conservation areas. There are so many great places, it doesn’t matter which one you choose, wherever you stay on Florida’s Space Coast, you’ll find a great one nearby.

More Fun with the Kids on these Florida’s Space Coast Attractions:

The Brevard Zoo – is a super fun place to take the kids while on your family beach vacation at Florida’s Space Coast. It is located at;8225 North Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32940 Phone# 321.254.9453

Check out this page to see all the animals at the Brevard Zoo.

click here to see the Zoo Packages. It’s a great price for a local zoo with many animals you won’t see anywhere else.

Kid Friendly Restaurants in Melbourne and Satellite Beach

Makotos Seafood…
Simply Delicious Cafe…
Texas Roadhouse
Florida’s Seafood Bar…
Matt’s Casbah
River Rocks Dining…
El Bohio
The Scrambled Egg Cafe
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Papa Vito’s Pizza

Also Bonefish Willie’s, on the river in Melbourne just a little north of Eau Gallie Blvd, off of Route 1 is a great spot. It’s on the river, great view, really decent food, and not too expensive. Also Skewers, on 5th Avenue in Indialantic, for great Lebanese cuisine, and very kid friendly. If you’re a fan of Chicago style hot dogs, there’s Mustard’s Last Stand, most kids love hot dogs and theirs are awesome. Nothing like roadside eateries. There’s two locations; one’s in Downtown Melbourne & the other’s on Rt. 1, north of Rt. 192. Another tip; is Longdogger’s , all of their locations would be a great place for affordable, family friendly dining too. Also, Mimi’s Cafe in Viera deals well with small children. Da Kine Diego’s over beachside is kid-friendly and delish. Great menu and atmosphere. No smoking and always families. Very fresh and delicious & complete with tropical sodas all the kids want!

The best Satellite Beach Restaurants according to the urbanspoon.com

Best of Cocoa Beach Kid-friendly Restaurants- courtesy of urbanspoon.com

The Fat Snook
Simply Delicious Cafe…
Cocoa Beach Ice Cream…new
Crabs On The Beach…new
Roberto’s Little Havana
Florida’s Seafood Bar…
Taco City
Slow & Low Barbeque
Italian Courtyard…
A New York Pizza House
Tokyo Japanese Steak…
Boston Beef & Seafood