Randy & Jo Ellen’s guidebook

The theme of space exploration is omnipresent in Florida´s Brevard County. Approximately 80 rocket launches are taking place this year with the Artemis II crewed test flight just a year away. On the Space Coast visitors can easily sample life as an astronaut on an astronaut-themed itinerary. Space Coast Slingshots rents Polaris Slingshot vehicles with pre-programmed itineraries for exploring the area. Visitors can choose between half-day, full-day and overnight rental. In 1965 astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich into space on the Gemini 3 mission causing a scandal with NASA at the time. Nowadays a Mahi Ruben sandwich can be enjoyed all along the Space Coast, such as at Crackers Island Grille in Cape Canaveral and Rusty´s Seafood and Oyster Bar at Port Canaveral. Typical astronaut dessert is the freeze dried ice cream to be found at the Kennedy Space Center, while the mobile Cosmos Ice Cream Truck is a double decker bus serving cold, nitrogen-infused ice cream around the region. One of the final remnants of the 1960s space race is the Mouse Trap Bar at the Cocoa Beach Fish Camp Grill, which astronauts frequented at that time. The bar is still home to some space-race memorabilia. Also popular with the astronauts in those days was The Alibi in Cocoa Beach, which nowadays offers handcrafted cocktails, fine wines, craft beer and small plates. The original astronauts hung out at the old Canaveral Pier; today visitors can enjoy a tropical cocktail at the Riki Tiki Tavern at the end of the Cocoa Beach Pier. Another popular spot is Alan Shepard Park, named after ‘America´s First Astronaut.’ Ultimate space enthusiasts cannot miss Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with the rocket garden, Space Shuttle Atlantis, a launch simulator, the bus tour across the NASA grounds past the launch pads as well as the IMAX movies. Visitors can join the Astronaut Training Experience or even engage with a Chat with an Astronaut. A hidden space gem can be found in Titusville in the American Space Museum and Space Walk of Fame curated with artifacts and memorabilia donated by astronauts and their families as well as the space workers themselves. The collection includes launch controls from Space Shuttle and Atlas-Centaur missions, pieces of shuttles, launch suits, concept drawings and models. The Space Walk of Fame is close by, offering free entry and artifacts of each of the space programs as well as one of the best spots to watch an actual launch. Finally, the ultimate experience for visitors is witnessing a rocket launch; there have been 58 so far this year. Florida´s Space Coast Office of Tourism website features the next launch, the best viewing sites and the Space Coast Launches app with 24-hour and T minus 5-minute notifications.