Discovering Florida’s Space Coast With Kids
It’s always been a dream of mine to travel to Florida and explore the beaches with my family. Many Canadian families in our circle, have told us about the shores of Daytona Beaches and Cocoa Beaches, making them a must-stop on our trip. Google pointed me to check out Florida Space Coast, which is known as the closest beaches to Orlando. Since Disney was our final destination on our family vacation, I knew a trip to Florida’s Space Coast was a must-do.
Melbourne Beaches
We stayed in Melbourne Beaches, which is 20 minutes South of the famous Cocoa Beach. Unlike the famous Cocoa Beach, Melbourne Beach is very quiet and secluded. Besides for the surfers catching the next wave, miles out, we had plenty of room and most of the beach all to ourselves.
Melbourne Beaches are 33 miles long and unspoiled. Giving you the complete tropical feeling us Canadian’s crave in the colder months of the year.
Did you know? Porter Airlines is now flying direct from Toronto to Melbourne at extremely affordable prices.
We found the waves and tide to be much stronger than they were North of Melbourne Beach. Unlike some of the more touristy beaches in Florida, there are no lifeguards on hand on Melbourne Beaches that we saw.
This did mean we always had one parent in the water with the kids and one parent on the shore continually doing headcounts. We didn’t have much downtime but watching our children boogie board made me very proud.
I even went out of my comfort zone and gave boogie boarding a try myself. I laughed like a kid again as nature pushed me towards the shore. What an experience and memory we all will hold close.
Bookmark this: Part 1: Canadian Walt Disney World Vacation Value Tips
Must-Do On Florida’s Space Coast
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Space
Our Florida bucket list included a couple must do! One of those was a visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
What I was surprised about was the cost to get in. I assumed there would be a family discount for six people to get in. To our surprise, it cost us just under $300 US to get in. We did find that very steep, but we quickly learned that the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex facility has been entirely self-supporting and received no taxpayer or government funding; hence, why the admission was very steep.
However, once you are in the doors, you don’t need your wallet at all. We brought in food, and all the entertainment is included in the admission price, including all IMAX® movies.
In the IMAX® Theater at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, we watched the Hubble Space Telescope and experienced the mind-blowing world deep inside the stars.
However, my favorite experience by far was when we saw the historic Space Shuttle Atlantis showcase. This mind-blowing piece of our history represents that when you work hard with a goal in mind, anything is possible!
Overall, our family had a great time discovering the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Our younger boys didn’t take in much knowledge from experience. I would have to say for us Canadian’s to get your money out of the day, wait until your children are a little older. I want to go back when our children stop and read the signs with me, and we can learn together.
Bookmark this: Part 2: Walt Disney World Value Tips For Canadians
Brevard Zoo
We ran out of time in Melbourne before we got to Brevard Zoo. Brevard Zoo in Melbourne is like no other, you can kayak through Africa and zip line through South America, over gators and crocs! It is home to more than 650 animals and a very affordable day out with the family. The next time we are in Florida’s Space Coast, Brevard Zoo will be our first stop because the adventure lover in me wants to zip line over some crocs!
UNO Chicago Grill
After you spent the day in the wild, directly across the road in Melbourne is Uno Chicago Grill for a very hands-on meal with the family. What I liked most about Uno is that the kids can make their pizza and sundaes!
My husband couldn’t stop talking about how amazing his deep-dish pizza was, and the staff worked with my dietary needs. The portions were huge, so much so, we even left with a doggie bag. That is something that never happens around our dinner table.
UNO in Melbourne is broad support when it comes to local charity work.
If you are Melbourne and looking for a great family dining experience, be sure to check out UNO!
Ron Jon Surf Shop
I was told that when on you are on Florida’s Space Coast a stop to Ron Jon Surf Shop. Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach is the World’s Largest Surf Shop, and you cannot miss it on your drive down the main street.
Although we don’t surf, there were so many great deals to be snagged. Boogie boards were very affordable because those are a must-have when on the coast of Florida. They have a vast selection of skateboards which left my kids very interested in checking out. Clothes, sunglasses, beach toys and so much more!
Cocoa Beach Pier
Now that you have your boogie board in hand head over to Cocoa Beach so you can say you did! This tourist area is a historical landmark on the Space Coast and was established in 1962.
There is no end to entertainment on the Cocoa Beach Pier. There are five restaurants, four bars, gift shops, live show, plus, fishers can spend their day with their lines cast over the 800- foot-long fishing pier trying to catch your dinner!
It’s unfortunate we ran out of time and couldn’t make our Vegan pancakes at Backwater in historic Melbourne Downtown. We didn’t get to rock jump at Sebastian Inlet State Park and next time I want to see Florida’s wetlands on an Airboat Ride!
Stay tuned for our review of Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront in Melbourne Beach.
Thank you for reading In R Dream!
Thank you, Space Coast, for your hospitality during our stay.
Wow! I had no idea there was all this stuff to do there! I always associated Florida with Disney but I love all these options.
Wow,this sure look like a wonderful place to take a vacation,the water looks so inviting !!
My son has special needs so for travel destinations we need to take that into account regarding his interests, etc. And Florida’s Space Coast is actually quite interesting & appropriate, I’ve never heard of it before. The water, beaches, zoo, and even the Kennedy Space Center would all be appealing to him. Now I just need the money to go!
Krista, there is so much to do with children on Floridas Space Coast, I am sure you can find a place that will make his heart sing! Happy planning.
I remember visiting Myrtle beach as a child when we drove to Florida from Ontario, beautiful spot to visit for sure!
Love those memories. I hope our children will look back just as you did on our drives south!
Unfortunately, our dollar is so poor right now a trip to the US really isn;t looking promising for now.. It’s a shame as Florida is def one of the places I would LOVE to venture to as an adult (I was there as a kid) as there is so much to see and do
Let’s cross our fingers the Canadian dollar will soon rise!
Looks like so many things to do On Florida’s Space Coast, never been there but after reading your post feels like I did.
So happy I could take you away (in mind) while you read my post. Thanks Fan!
Florida is now one of our favourite places to visit. It’s affordable and has so many different options. We want to go back this year, not sure if we would do Disney the whole week, but maybe a day trip. It would be wonderful if we all got together to rent a big house for a week.
These memories your kids will remember for a lifetime. Thanks for sharing.
A group trip would be a blast. We’d like to get back to Florida this fall and road trip our way through again.