Cocoa Beach, FL. a great time without the crowds

by James Brown
(Battle Creek, Michigan)

I went there for business actually but found it to be a great place to vacation.

Before you even talk about the recreational activities you must know that this area is so beautiful that just being there is a treat. The palm trees, blue skies and the great weather make it a hit before you do anything tourist-ey.

The majority of my offtime activities were spent:

At the wildlife refuge - Surely boring to many but this refuge has a wide variety of birds as well as the occasional alligator crossing the roads. If you are a fan of wild birds this is a great place to watch. There are observation areas throughout the refuge and it's completely free to visit.

Kennedy Space Center - Yes, this is where the shuttle launches from and you can go on the tours but not before or after the launches. There was a launch while I was there and it was not all that interesting until the shuttle was say 1/2 a mile high. Then you could feel the rumbling of the jets. Very cool and something that you see and hear on the TV if you watch a launch but being there is certainly an event you must experience at least once.

Cocoa Beach - Directly on the beach are obviously more than a few restaurants and bars. The water is warm, the sandy beach is hot and there is room enough to get in and have a good time. There's also more than a few very nice looking young ladies with very little on as well. Not exactly something that your 8 year old daughter would appreciate but the 'ol man will for sure. You can rent water boards and play volley ball, badminton or just sit on the beach. You can sit there sober or well,...relaxed. It's all up to you. There are many activities there available for kids and adults.

Kelly park - Bringing your own boat for a little time away? Probably not but there are plenty of boat launches around the area as well as sailboarding and fishing. This is just one tiny area that I would relax at. It's a free park with some concessions but just a nice free place to enjoy the atmosphere.

Shopping - There are plenty of specialty stores for beach clothing and surfing boards and accessories. In addition to the souveniers shops there are the normal stores that you would find at home.