We’re continuing to travel north on the Atlantic ICW. The region of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is known as the space coast.
We’ve been asked the question “How do you decide where to stop?” Most Loopers travel on average about 50 miles a day. Since our average cruising speed is 8.5 mph, that makes for a full day. We generally leave early in the am, so we can come in early enough for Ron to check in on the business.
Other times we’ll schedule a stop where there are not as many attractions so Ron can just focus on working. That’s how we landed in Melbourne, FL. So we were asked by other Loopers “What’s in Melbourne?” We figured we surprised the local AGLCA Harbor Host because he reached out to us! Probably doesn’t see that many Loopers in his town.
We found it interesting that this Marina doesn’t get a tide in its basin, too shallow or just too far upriver. The marina boasts of manatees and dolphins, saw many dolphins, but no manatees. Our last manatee sighting was Marathon.
We arrived early afternoon and needed to do a Post Office Run, which could have easily turned into a Pub Run with all the bars located in this downtown area. There were many shops and restaurants here and both of us ended up surprised with the purchases we made. We also had a great dinner at Ichabod’s which was one of two restaurants located right at the marina. We always seem to find something interesting and fun at each stop, even when we don’t expect much.
There are over 150 sights just in the US to see on the Loop and you can’t do them all. We thought since we had previously been to the Houston Space center that we might skip the Kennedy Space Center, especially since there weren’t any launches to view. But with rain in the forecast at our next stop in Titusville, we changed our minds, so glad we did!
The Rocket Garden welcomes you to the Kennedy Space Center. These are actual historic rockets that put astronauts and satellites into space.Once inside the center, they recommend you go take the luxury coach bus out to the Apollo Saturn Center. You pass the Vehicle Assembly Building, where they assemble rockets. It’s a huge building which we saw from the ICW on our boat. The bus also takes you pass the launch pads and observation areas. On the bus, you pass through the swampland of the Center where you see lots of birds and natural vegetation. We spotted the eyes of one gator swimming down a canal. When you arrive at the Apollo/Saturn Center you wait in line to enter a theatre. They do a nice Multi Media presentation giving an overview of the early days of the space program paired with music from that era, it makes for a very engaging experience. After the movie, you’re led into a theatre where they have recreated the mission control room from the first moon landing and from there you walk into the main room to see the largest rocket ever flown. This is the Saturn V retired launch vehicle. The exhibits here included Alan Shepherd’s spacesuit and huge collection of very cool artifacts.This was the actual mission control room where they recreated the final few minutes leading up to the first words ever spoken from the surface of the Moon, ” . . .the Eagle has landed,” The next stop was the Space Shuttle Atlantis Building on the main campus of the Space Center. This was another amazing multi-media overview of the birth of the space shuttle, after the movie, the doors of the theatre open and you’re looking right at Atlantis, very dramatic. This is the home of the Space Shuttle Atlantis which completed 34 missions. The building has so many interactive exhibits, the airstream that transports the astronauts to the launch pad as well as a beautiful memorial to the crews of the shuttles that never landed. This is the bottom of the vehicle with all the heat tiles.A Lego model of the Mars Exploration Rover, brought Ron back to his days of coaching the Jr. High Robotics Team! There was also an IMAX theatre here, a flight simulator and plenty that we missed, all very very engaging and educational. Guess we’ll have to save it for next time, although our mode of transportation to get here likely won’t be by boat!
With all the attention sanitation systems get on boats, I was intrigued to see how they had to design a toilet for space.
After our time in Titusville, and a rather remarkable experience at the Kennedy Space Center, we are off to Daytona Beach. Wonder if any spring breakers are still there.
Reimanns 'round the loop in 2022 