Feature Article

Kennedy space Center and Florida's Space Coast
by Ania Savage

     After you've visited both Mickey Mouse and Shamu and you still have a day or two left in your central Florida vacation, you might think of driving out to Kennedy Space Center and Florida's Space Coast.
     With its rockets, space capsules, full-scale mock-ups of space station modules and an occasional astronaut stand-in outfitted in a silvery space suit, Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral will intrigue the most jaded child or adult, particularly if he or she is a "Trekie." It's Star Trek, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Space Shuttle adventures come to life.
     The second draw of this portion of Florida's eastern coast is not as well known. Beyond the launch pads, huge assembly buildings and a sprawling Visitor Complex devoted to space exploration, lies the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore. The refuge is home to some 300 species of birds, while the seashore offers miles of undeveloped beaches and sand dunes. So, take your pick: space exploration or a day on the beach followed by an hour at dusk in the refuge watching for alligators and armadillos.
     These diverse attractions are located about 40 miles due east of Orlando, the gateway to Disney World and other theme parks. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) operates the Kennedy Space Center, while the National Park Service operates the beach and the refuge.
     The Visitor Complex at the space center consists of pavilions, two back-to-back IMAX movie theaters, numerous exhibition halls with historical and hands-on exhibits, an outdoor rocket park, as well as two restaurants and the world's largest gift shop of space memorabilia. On view are the Saturn V rocket that took U.S. astronauts to the moon and other launch structures that were used to send the Mariner, Explorer, Viking and Voyager spacecraft to the planets in our solar system.
     Bus tours take visitors to several launch areas, including the International Space Station Center. The guided bus tours are available daily with the exception of certain launch days. A space buff will find it thrilling to drive by or stop at a launch site that, in the near future, will be used for missions that will take astronauts to revisit the moon and send robotic explorers deep into our galaxy. It is even more thrilling to plan a visit during a launch of the Space Shuttle or a communications satellite and watch a rocket propel the payload into the cloudless Florida sky.
     Launch updates are posted on the Internet and are also available by phone (see sidebar). Launches can be seen from a specially designated area near the Space Center or from the mainland. Hours before a launch, side roads leading to Cape Canaveral are crowded with cars parked on the shoulders of the road.
     Those who wish to stay overnight can find accommodations and restaurants in Titusville, called "Space City USA" because of its proximity to the space facilities. A lagoon of the Indian River separates Titusville from Cape Canaveral. The town is also a great place to view a space launch. It is just far enough from the launch pads to offer both a clear view of the lift-off and the breathtaking spectacle of a rocket's fiery trajectory.
     To reach Titusville and the Kennedy Space Center, take the Beeline Expressway (SR 528) from Interstate 4 that serves Disney World and other theme parks. Road signs direct visitors past U.S. 1 to the causeway that leads to the Kennedy Space Center, nine miles further east. Driving down the palm-lined boulevard, you will pass the Astronaut Hall of Fame (not a government facility). Here you can view rare video footage of early space launches, examine personal mementos of the early astronauts and sample interactive exhibits. Once you reach the Space Center, you will leave your car in the shadow of a large park of rockets that have been used by NASA since space exploration began in the 1960s.
     After visiting the Space Center, retrace your drive down the causeway, then turn north on U.S. 1 to Titusville. Founded in 1867, Titusville was named for Confederate Army Col. Henry T. Titus, who, according to local legend, won the right to name the town in a dominoes match. The town grew during the heyday of Henry Flagler's railway that popularized Florida vacations. After 1900, Titusville became the center of the Indian River citrus industry, famous for the Indian River grapefruit. In the early 1960s, the town's population grew ten-fold as the space program developed on Cape Canaveral. Today, Titusville not only serves the Kennedy Space Center and the adjacent U.S. Air Force base that launches military intelligence and communications satellites, but it's also a tourist stop in its own right, with antique shops and a local museum on Main Street. Another attraction is the Space View Park-Space Walk of Fame on the Indian River riverfront. Here are several memorials commemorating the astronauts and workers who took part in the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Mercury astronauts Scott Carpenter and Gordon Cooper dedicated the first monument in the park five years ago. The palm-lined park is also an excellent place from which to watch a space launch or sunrise.
     If you visit Titusville, plan to lunch or dine there on rock shrimp, a tough-hulled shrimp that's a specialty in this area. This crustacean is a cross between the soft pink shrimp and a tiny split lobster tail. Rock shrimp turn a vibrant pink when cooked, and are in season July through March.
     Access to the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge and to the beaches is just north of Titusville. From U.S. 1, follow signs for the Intercoastal Waterway and Route 402, which will take you to the refuge's visitor center. Pick up a brochure here for a self-guided car tour past marsh, scrub and wetlands of the refuge. It is quite possible that you will see alligators, armadillos, osprey and thousands of migrating birds.
     Route 402 terminates in Playalinda Beach, one of Florida's few undeveloped and secluded stretches of natural oceanfront. Boardwalk crossovers from the parking lot provide access over undulating dunes covered with native vegetation. This beach is home to hundreds of giant sea turtles that come each summer to lay their eggs. The unspoiled beauty of Playalinda Beach, diverse wildlife and the Kennedy Space Center are all part of the appeal of this region. While the idea of a Florida vacation typically brings to mind famous theme parks, the visitor willing to explore a bit further will find a wealth of attractions and entertainment options on Florida's Space Coast.

     Ania Savage is a Littleton-based travel writer and the editor of the "Pocket Guide to the Colorado 14ers."

If You Go

     AAA Travel can assist in planning your Florida vacation. For airline and hotel reservations, call or visit your nearest AAA travel office or complete this form and an agent will contact you shortly.    

Admission to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is $24 for adults, $15 for children and includes the Visitor Complex exhibits, shows and movies, and the bus tour. Parking is free. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is open every day of the year (except Christmas Day and certain launch days) from 9 a.m. to dusk. The telephone number for information is 321-452-2121. The Web site, which includes a wealth of information and Space Shuttle launch dates, is www.kennedyspacecenter.com. This site offers also driving directions, maps, and an overview of the exhibits and bus tour. The first bus departs at 9:45 a.m. with continuous departures until approximately four hours before closing.
     If you will be in Florida during a Space Shuttle launch, you should know that there are a limited number of Launch Transportation Tickets (LTT) available to watch a launch at KSC. The cost is $16.50 per person. The LTT pass transports visitors by bus to a viewing site approximately six miles from the launch area and includes limited admission to the Visitor Complex. LTT tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the ticket plaza located at the main entrance of the Visitor Complex. Tickets can also be ordered online by following the links from the KSC Web site or by calling 321-449-4444. Tickets can be ordered several months in advance of a launch, although launch dates are prone to changes, often because of weather.
     Latest launch information is available on NASA's recorded phone message at 321-867-4636. This message updates launch schedules and instructs you on how to obtain a LTT.
   A tentative list of launch dates for the Space Shuttle is as follows:
March 1 Discovery, about 11 a.m. EST
April 19 Endeavour, 2:04 p.m. EDT
May 17 Atlantis, 2:48 a.m. EDT
June 21 Discovery, 12:42 p.m. EDT
Aug. 2 Columbia, Time to be announced (TBA)
Oct. 4 Endeavour, 6:27 p.m. EDT

U.S. Air Force and non Space Shuttle launches:
This information is available at http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/mixfleet.htm
March 28 NASA/Orbital Sciences government civil launch TBA
April 7 Mars Odyssey 10:13:11 p.m. EST
June 6 NASA/Boeing government civil launch, time TBA
June 11 U.S. Air Force launch, time TBA
June 30 NASA/Boeing government civil launch, time TBA
July 12 NASA/Lockheed Martin government civil launch, time TBA
July 19 Research mission TBA, time TBA
Oct. 1 NASA/Lockheed Martin government civil launch, time TBA

     Information on Titusville, as well as brochures to local attractions, can be obtained from the Titusville Chamber of Commerce, 321-267-3036.

Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism can be reached at 800-872-1969 for dining, accommodations and site information. The Web site is www.space-coast.com/florida.

Canaveral National Seashore information is available at 321-267-1110. The seashore includes Playalinda Beach, which is closed periodically during launches.

Titusville has two seafood restaurants, Dixie Crossroads Restaurant, 1475 Garden St., 321-268-5000 and Don's Riverside Restaurant, 5401 Riveredge Drive, 321-269-0268.

Return To Top

© Rocky Mountain Motorists, Inc.