Give Me 5; Top places to see & do along Cocoa Beach, Florida
The Atlantic Ocean is just one of the draws to this side of Florida - but admittedly an overall plethora of offerings, including Kite Boarding. Photo by Rori Paul.
Remember I Dream of Jeannie? How Jennie and Tony lived in Cocoa Beach and he was an astronaut who’d fly off into space… The 60′s are a pleasant memory of what was, where we were, where we were going… a Cocoa Beach devoted to its Space Coast roots and the men – and eventually women – who’d risk it all to race to the stars, the moon, the heavens we needed to explore. Flash forward to today… the Space Coast still prides itself on the spaces its chased, the worlds its reached and the men and women who risked it all to be heros.
Soon that space race will leave us, becoming perhaps a mere memory of a time and place when we dared to reach farther than we ever had before.
Yet Florida’s Space Coast and Cocoa Beach have offered so many other memorable and fun experiences – right along side that space race – that one can find a lot of fun along this stretch of Florida’s Atlantic Coast.
We recently spent a great day with our friends, Bev and Kirby, the crazy-wonderful people behind PlacesAroundFlorida.com who showed us just a few of the other options here.
So… just 5 of the great ways to enjoy Atlantic side – Cocoa Beach - the Space Coast…
Ron Job Surf Shop. You’ve heard of it, now experience the legend in person. There is a Ron Jon over here in Central Florida, but if you’re like me and want the pure joy of the original, you’ve gotta get to the first Ron Jon in Cocoa Beach and enjoy your little part of the legend. Surfing, paddleboarding, water fun and sunny summer Florida is what this boys of summer, girls of the beach place is all about
Grills Tiki Bar. Dude, this restaurant, bar, port-side spot is really fun. The food is delicious, the views amazing – we saw both dolphins playing and two manatee out for a stroll – and the prices really good. This day one of the Endeavor astronauts flew over a few times and rocked his wings at us all below, and at certain times of the day – and week – you’ll spot a passing cruise ship – like the Disney ships – heading off on a cruise or home from the fun.
We loved our meals at Grills at Port Canaveral - I had a land-lubbers delight, the cheeseburger in this paradise while Laura & company had fish sandwiches. Photo by Rori Paul
The Atlantic. Really – enough said. There are plenty of places to fund parking – except big holidays like Easter – avoid at all costs on Easter! You can stroll through the white sandy shores, let water lap across your feet or dive in for a salty swim.
Kite Surfing. We did not participate – its on the bucket list – but wow this looks fun. To be honest, this is something you might want to try elsewhere – like the Gulf coast where we watched the calmer waters play nicer training ground to newbies at John Howard Park in Tarpon Springs – but if you’re daring and you wanna go for it – dude, hit the waves and give it a try. Totally looks like fun! I’m stoked!
Port Canaveral. At Port Canaveral you’ll find several places to eat or drink, a little market that pops up when the ships come to shore, manatee and dolphins along the causeway, and the ships coming and going. It’s totally a simple-fun watching and waving. We had a great time with our friends, Kirby & Bev, talking, laughing, eating and drinking – we were going lite this time around – and its a really lovely, classic Florida setting.
So if you’re looking for a reason – or reasons – to enjoy the Atlatnic coast these should get you off and going…
