Cocoa Beach, FL

Kaye

Kaye

Line Up and Wait
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Ok, it's time for the traditional May get-away.....1st week. We're headed south, but i'm not motivated to go all the way to the Keys (already been there twice). We're stopping in SC for a couple of days to visit family, and then heading on south. I haven't been to the Kennedy Space Center, so thought we'd park it at Titusville and spend a few nights at Cocoa Beach. Question is....what's the beach like, the area, etc. We like a beach where we can swim, but also walk for miles. It seems like we can do that.....

Anyone been there and can give me a clue?
 
Kaye said:
Ok, it's time for the traditional May get-away.....1st week. We're headed south, but i'm not motivated to go all the way to the Keys (already been there twice). We're stopping in SC for a couple of days to visit family, and then heading on south. I haven't been to the Kennedy Space Center, so thought we'd park it at Titusville and spend a few nights at Cocoa Beach. Question is....what's the beach like, the area, etc. We like a beach where we can swim, but also walk for miles. It seems like we can do that.....

Anyone been there and can give me a clue?
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I used to live there in the early 1980's it has changed a bit, all for the better. The beach by the pier is nice, not as nice as Daytona and if you are staying in Titusville it is probably easier to get to Daytona than Cocoa Beach. I worked at the space center and would just cut through their property when I needed to get from south to north. You would have to head out towards I-95.

In Cocoa Beach you would also get to visit Ron Jon's. It is the Wal-drug of the Florida east coast. South of Cocoa Beach is Patrick AFB and they also have a missile display that is worth a side trip. It is in front of the AFTAC building on A1A.

South of Cocoa Beach is one of the best kept secrets of the east coast besides St. Augistine, that would be Jupiter and Ft. Pierce. Nice beaches, open land not covered with giant condos like you would see south of their.
 
My personal recommendation on a really nice place to eat would be Grills Restaurant and Tiki Bar at Port Canaveral.
If you go on a weekend get there early and find a seat near the boat ramp, after a few Rumrunners you won't be able to stop laughing at the ramp follies.

If you're there around 3-5pm you'll have the cruise ships passing so close that you can almost reach out and touch them.


David
 
The best tip I can offer about Cocoa is that if you are even just a beginner snorkeler, or even if you've never done it but can swim in light surf and have a mask, go to the beach at the Breakers hotel, where there is an old freight pier under the water, providing a natural reef. The Gulf Stream swings quite close to shore there, bringing lots of cool critters that you'd normally only see farther south.

First time I did that, we waded in, I put my head in the water and bam!- two juvenile sea turtles came by. Lots of colorful reef fish, a few barracuda... it was amazing, and at the time (about 10 years ago the next time I went), there was no beach fee or need to deal with the hotel.
 
Kaye:

CJane, Tommy and I were just there a few weeks back. We liked it; not nearly as faux-foo-foo as Destin or (now) PCB.

Strongly recommend the Inn at Cocoa Beach ( http://www.theinnatcocoabeach.com/Default2.html ), where we stayed after Celia's usual diligent and thorough research. Very nice people, it's on a nice stretch of beach, and in walking distance of some mildly interesting stuff ( a block from Ron Jon, ref above, which I agree is really something). Free wine and cheese in the evening, free breakfast in the morning.

Also, FWIW, we ate the best meal I have ever had (really!) at a small restaurant called The Fat Snook ( http://thefatsnook.com/ ). Looks like a dump, not at all cheap, but just heavenly. Only time I ever ordered a steak that cost $58.00, and felt it was worth it. Seafood was heavenly. My mouth waters at the remembrance.

Do not accept the suggestion to dine at Florida Seafood.

I'll go back, it was a fun place.
 
Thanks, Spike! I've been agonizing over where to stay.

And I was also trying to figure out if there was any good snorkeling spots. As always, PoA comes through.
 
Kaye said:
Thanks, Spike! I've been agonizing over where to stay.

And I was also trying to figure out if there was any good snorkeling spots. As always, PoA comes through.
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Remember... right behind the Breakers hotel. :thumbsup:
 
Kaye said:
And I was also trying to figure out if there was any good snorkeling spots. As always, PoA comes through.
Click to expand...

I caught a Hammerhead Shark at Cocoa Beach. Other boats where also pulling some in at the same time. :yikes: It was just a little shark though. And it was, like, 43 years ago. Have fun snorkeling! :D

Barb
 
Kaye said:
The only Breakers hotel I can find is in Palm Beach.:dunno:

Has it become something else?
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That is the only Breakers Hotel on the east coast I know. It is a great hotel at that, but it is far form Cocoa Beech. I have stayed there before and it is not what one would call a budget hotel. I tried posting a couple of pictures but I keep getting errors from PoA

Your submission could not be processed because a security token was missing or mismatched.

If this occurred unexpectedly, please inform the administrator and describe the action you performed before you received this error.
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Not sure what that error is all about as I have never gotten it before.
 
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Kaye said:
The only Breakers hotel I can find is in Palm Beach.:dunno:

Has it become something else?
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D'oh (smacks forehead)... it is in West Palm, sorry. :redface:

Got confused- first snorkeling I did in Florida was at Cocoa... but that's not the spot I was thinking of.

I'd imagine that's a bit out of the way for you on this trip...and as Scott points out, that hotel, and W. Palm in general, is quite ritzy- I didn't stay there; just stopped there to get in the water.

But Cocoa is not bad for snorkeling, either. And of course, there's the Space Center... I highly recommend that, and it's definitely near Cocoa Beach. :D
 
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rottydaddy said:
D'oh (smacks forehead)... it is in West Palm, sorry. :redface:

Got confused- first snorkeling I did in Florida was at Cocoa... but that's not the spot I was thinking of.
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As a diver I was wondering if you had found a secret location.
In Florida the only good diving or snorkeling is all south of Palm Beach with the exception of the North Florida springs.

David
NAUI Divemaster #39726
 
SCCutler said:
Strongly recommend the Inn at Cocoa Beach ( http://www.theinnatcocoabeach.com/Default2.html ), where we stayed after Celia's usual diligent and thorough research. Very nice people, it's on a nice stretch of beach, and in walking distance of some mildly interesting stuff ( a block from Ron Jon, ref above, which I agree is really something). Free wine and cheese in the evening, free breakfast in the morning.
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Reservations made!!! Thanks again, Spike!
 
flav8r said:
As a diver I was wondering if you had found a secret location.
In Florida the only good diving or snorkeling is all south of Palm Beach with the exception of the North Florida springs.

David
NAUI Divemaster #39726
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That is true for the east coast of FL, although there is decent shore based lobstering local near Ft. Pierce, watch the tide though. Over on the west coast up in the Panhandle is some good wreck diving, including the big O. Also if you are into spear fishing the west coast has some good dives.
 
ScottM said:
That is true for the east coast of FL, although there is decent shore based lobstering local near Ft. Pierce, watch the tide though. Over on the west coast up in the Panhandle is some good wreck diving, including the big O. Also if you are into spear fishing the west coast has some good dives.
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My dad's next door neighbor/best friend makes reefs in the Pensacola area. They go out spear fishing once in a while and the spots make for some serious good regular fishing. I don't know if he makes to sites easily known.

Barb
 
If you are going to Cocoa, You have to eat at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville. Huge plates of Rock shrimp and other seafood, decent prices and great service.
 
ScottM said:
Not West Palm Beach, it is in Palm Beach proper. Huge difference between those two cities.
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Again, a big "D'oh!"... W. Palm is the "slum" across the bay. :rolleyes:

A Floridian once described it to me as "the place where the people who work for the people who live in Palm Beach live." :D
 
One more question: Which FBO at Titusville? Bristow Air Center or Space Coast Jet Center.

Keep the good ideas coming!!! I'm getting real excited!!! I just love vacations!!!:D
 
Space Coast Jet! They were as accommodating as can be.

Plus, they were hosting a discovery-flight thingy when we left, and I like that kind of spirit.

Excellent service.
 
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