Rossetter House Museum (Eau Gallie Arts District)

Rossetter House is an historic house in the downtown Eau Gallie District.  It has the distinct architecture of the early 1900s and is fully furnished with period appropriate furnishings. 

Tours of the house are available on specific days, but hours are limited, so be sure to plan ahead. 

The family cemetery sits next to the house in a shady park.  There was a time when ghost tours were offered as part of their tours, but I do not see that listed on their website now.  It was an interesting tour.

There are other specialty tours and events that sound equally interesting.  Approximately once a month there is a seasonal event or a Murder Mystery Tour. 

This venue can be rented out for weddings and other events.  I was in the area recently when a wedding was set up in the gardens.  It was truly beautiful. 

This is an inexpensive visit in our own backyard.  It takes about an hour and it is surely worth doing. 

Tips:  Not open every day, check hours carefully.

While you are in the area, be sure to walk around the art district.  There are some beautiful art galleries, gift shops, and specialty food shops (cupcakes!).  The architecture is also interesting as is the wall art.  Don't miss the enormous red shark at the east end of the district by Shark Toof. and my personal favorite at the West End by Dave Thomas. 

Also in the area is Squid Lips Overwater dining and the public library with its fishing dock looking at Eau Gallie Causeway and a nice shady play ground.

I do not recommend Rossetter House for children.

Website:  http://rossetterhousemuseum.org/

Eau Gallie Causeway from the Library Pier

Green Springs Park and Gemini Springs (Enterprise, FL)

Green Spring

What a cool place this is!  The park is small with various short hiking paths.  The paths are various degrees of difficulty, but anyone should be able to get to the spring viewing area. 

Green Spring Hiking

This blog is going to be mostly pictures, because what can I saw except green, green, and more green!

What makes this spring special is its milky green color.  Apparently this color is caused by green Sulphur and there aren't other publically accessible springs like it around any longer.  It is very beautiful and peaceful. 







Coral Snake

Do beware of snakes while you are there (or anywhere in Florida).  We saw this beautiful, but dangerous Coral Snake underneath the viewing platform.

There is no swimming in this spring.  There is a play ground and a couple of nice pavilions.  It would be a really unique place to have a wedding, but I don't know if you can actually do that there.



Gemini Spring

If you would like a longer outing there is a Spring to Spring trail that goes from Green Springs to Gemini Springs.  Gemini Springs is a larger recreational area with fishing and kayaking/boating as well as a dog park and playground.  The two springs at Gemini are pretty, but traditional clear water.

Tips:   The terrain isn't rugged, so sturdy sandals are fine for walking...except, well, snakes. 

Website Green Spring:  http://www.volusia.org/services/community-services/parks-recreation-and-culture/parks-and-trails/park-facilities-and-locations/ecological-nature-parks/green-spring-park.stml







Website Gemini Spring:  http://www.volusia.org/services/community-services/parks-recreation-and-culture/parks-and-trails/park-facilities-and-locations/ecological-nature-parks/gemini-springs-park.stml

Swamp House River Front Grill (Debary, FL)

While we were out exploring we stumbled upon this place.  Well, we actually used a smartphone app, because you would be really unlikely just to accidentally find this place out driving around.  For one thing, it is at the end of the road.  For another, it doesn't really look like a public restaurant until you are parked and walking in.

This place is pretty unique.  We were there on a Saturday afternoon.  There was a man playing good country music.  Not too loud, just right.  They actually grill their burgers outside on a real grill.  And I'm here to tell you they are delicious.

They have a specialty drink called a Rum Bucket.  I watched the bartender pour 4 types of rum in and then a bunch of other stuff too.  Only 9.99 for the first one and 7.99 for refills.  This drink is NOT for the driver!

The restaurant sits right at a harbor where there are lots of boats parked and reserved parking for diners who wish to arrive by boat.  The country store sells fishing and boating supplies, some oddities, and also rents Pontoon boats for cruising up and down the St. John's river.  You only need a drivers license to rent one.
 

If you are up visiting the Springs, the Sanford zoo, Debary Historic House, or just in the area, it is worth stopping by here on a sunny day.

Tips:  Outside tables at the bar are first come first served, so be prepared to stand or wait or go upstairs to the inside restaurant.

Website:  http://www.swamphousegrill.com/

Andretti Thrill Park (West Melbourne)

There aren't many places in Florida with hours of entertainment for families that are as great of a bargain as Andretti Thrill Park. 

So what is it?  Well, a little bit of everything.  There are several go cart tracks (the original purpose of the place).  But there is so much more.  A not all inclusive list:  Rock climbing, mini-golf, paddle boats, batting cages, laser tag, aerial rope course, kiddie rides, picnic area for events, video games, and more.

How does it work?  They have one of the smartest pricing systems I have seen.  The price for children is based on their height, not their age.  Why?  Because the taller you are the more things you can do (safety).  So you pay less for the little ones that can't drive the big carts or do some of the other activities. 


The second great part of their pricing is that the cost is by the hour so you can spend two or three hours without feeling pressured to spend the whole day because leaving early feels like wasting money.  There is an all day price as well if you want to stay longer. 

What else makes this better?  No lines!  Or very short ones.  I have never been there when the line for any attraction was more than a few minutes.  No need for fast passes or 90 minute wait times.  (Of course I would like to see a little bit bigger crowds, this is a treasure that we would like to keep in Melbourne). 

There is a snack bar and the food is typical unhealthy park type food, but hey, who cares?  And you won't pay outrageous prices for that either. 


And birthday parties too!  Skip Chuckie Cheese (although there is one of those in Melbourne as well) and do your kids party at Andretti.  The equivalent in food, but so much more to do and a smaller price!


You can have other events there as well.  My office had a very nice corporate gathering there one year.  Less expensive than most outings and everyone had a great time. 

Tips:  This is a good place for kids of all ages, but the smaller they are the less there is to do.  If you have a wide spread of ages, make sure you have enough adults to accompany the little ones.

Website:  http://www.andrettithrillpark.com/index.html

If you have a little extra time in the area, take a stroll through the beautiful botanical gardens at Florida Tech campus.

Ginnie Springs (High Springs, FL)

Florida Springs are something everyone in Florida knows about and nobody who doesn't live here seems to understand, if they even know they exist.  Tourists want to see Disney and all of the theme parks, but they miss what Florida really is.  They go home with a great memory, but not the one I would want them to have.

There are a lot of springs on private land and in state parks that offer a bunch of different amenities.  This blog is only about Ginnie Springs.  I'll talk about some of my other favorites later.

Ginnie Springs is best known for its camping and tubing down the river.  The springs are a constant chilly 70ish degrees, but that is a great temperature for Florida summers.  The Santa Fe river is slightly warmer.

Aside from tubing in the water, you can dive, snorkel, swim, and fish.  It is about a 15 minute walk from the top of the tube run to the bottom and takes about an hour in the tube. 

This is a private spring and as such has its own fee schedule.  You can check out the costs for admission, camping, and equipment rentals on their web page. 

You should note that if you are looking for quiet out of the way interaction with nature, Ginnie Springs is probably not the right park for you.  This park is very popular with the college crowd from both University of Florida and Florida State University, so expect a bit of a party atmosphere.  Alcohol is ubiquitous.  Quiet hours don't start until midnight, so don't expect to get a lot of sleep.

Also note it is very busy on holiday weekends and spring weekends.  Make reservations early and arrive early to get a good spot.

Tips:  No pets allowed.

Everything at the camp store is a bit expensive, so plan ahead.

You can save some money by bringing your own floating devices.

Website:  http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com/

Bok Tower (Lake Wales)

 

 

Bok Tower and Gardens is an interesting day trip from the Space Coast.  The tower itself is built on one of Florida's few high points called Iron Mountain.  The tower houses a 60 bell carillon and is known as the singing tower.  There is a reflecting pond near the tower with swans and beautiful flowers. 




The rest of the gardens is a constantly changing, blooming flower garden and bird sanctuary.  It is worth a nice walk around on any sunny day. 

Events are being held at the gardens year round.  Many involve musical concerts.  Some are for children to learn and explore.  Others involve learning gardening techniques.  Whatever your interest, you are likely to find an event at Bok Tower and Gardens.

It is also a beautiful venue for a wedding or other event.  The information for renting their facilities is available on their website.  There is also a café that caters and a gift shop on the property.

Along with hiking trails, gardens, and bird watching, there are several opportunities to geocache on the property.  Geocaching is a popular outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices (you can get an app for your smart phone to participate). Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
The rules are very simple:

1. Take something from the cache.
2. Leave something in the cache.
3. Write about your find in the log book.
4. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com

I enjoy geocaching as it provides an opportunity to see a place I might have overlooked in just walking around an area, including in these gardens.

Tips:  Check the website events calendar before you go.  The gardens are open every day, but you might be able to see something extra special with a little planning.

Bring water to drink and pack a picnic lunch!  There are specified picnic areas on the grounds.

Pets are not allowed in the gardens; however, they do have a place for pets to stay during your visit.

Most areas of the park are accessible and a shuttle is available during specific times of year.

Website:  https://boktowergardens.org/

Kayaking

a double kayak

There are a lot of fantastic places to kayak on the Space Coast!  Any google search will show you all of the boat ramps in Brevard County.  The best kayaking will normally be at any ramp that is for non-motorized craft only, but there are exceptions to that rule. 



A manatee in the canal in Thousand Islands

One of my favorite places to kayak is in the thousand islands area in Cocoa Beach.  The boat ramp at the end of the aptly named Boat Ramp Road is a great place to drop your kayak in the water.  The area there is full off shallow lagoons and mangroves along with a deepwater canal for the bigger boats to use. 



I don't recommend getting this close, but sometimes it is
hard to get out of the way.

Wildlife viewing is great in this area as well.  Manatees are often present in the canals near the houses.  Dolphins skim by in the canals and even in the lagoons where the water is deep enough for fishing.  Birds are everywhere.  Some people even fish from kayaks out here.

Other nice areas to explore:  The Grand Canal south of Pineda Causeway.  Drop in at the causeway

I recommend a SUP if you want
to stand up

and cruise through the nice houses.

Further south off A1A is Honest John's Fish Camp.  http://honestjohnsfishcamp.com/  You can rent a kayak here and I think there is a small fee to use their ramp for your own boat.  There is a nice canal around some mangrove islands and a great opportunity to see dolphins and manatees.



sunset from paddling paradise

Want to try paddle boarding or kayaking for the first time?  Visit http://www.paddlingparadise.com/. They will rent you the equipment and show you how to use it.  They have scheduled tours and gatherings as well including sunset paddles that end with a nice fire by the river.  They are at off US1 at the Eau Gallie River.

You can also drop in a Ballard Park in the same area of the Eau Gallie River.  http://www.melbourneflorida.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/12/1539

I have heard that Turkey Creek in Palm Bay is a nice place to kayak, but I have not been there yet. http://www.brevardcounty.us/EELProgram/Areas/TurkeyCreek/Home There is also nice hiking in this park.

Sunset on Lake Washington

Lake Washington is a beautiful place to do a sunset paddle as well.  You won't see manatees or dolphins, but keep your eye out for alligator and perhaps don't get too near the shallow shorelines.

Further north there are several nice places on Merritt Island including the Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary.  This is another area that has nice hiking as well as kayaking. 

Set up for Bioluminescent Tour

Merritt Island Wildlife Sanctuary has several canoe drops worth exploring.  The one near Haulover Canal is likely to have some manatees in the area.  There is also bioluminescent kayaking in this area at night in the summer.  Go when there is no moon!

Water sports are abundant on the space coast, but few ways let you get closer to the wildlife than kayaking or paddleboarding. 

Tips:  Assume you will get wet.  Plan accordingly.

Waterproof camera and/or Go Pro.

Dry bag for anything that can't get wet, but be careful they aren't fool proof. 

If you are able to paddle yourself, I recommend it.  Two person kayaks are fun, but a little hard to coordinate if you don't know what you are doing.

Mckee Gardens (Vero Beach)

McKee Gardens is a short drive from Brevard County, but worth the trip.  Take Highway A1A and enjoy the scenery.  Maybe stop by Sebastian Inlet. 

McKee Gardens is a flower lover/photographer's paradise.  Beautiful paths run between reflecting ponds with stone bridges.  Butterflies flit between the flowers.  Giant ancient looking species of ferns  huddle together in shady spots.  Clumps of bamboo reach over the walking path, many with messages carved into the stalks by visitors over the years. 

There is a hall and a Spanish kitchen with beautiful antiques.  There is also a hidden pavilion in the bamboo garden. These areas can be rented for events.  The place would make a beautiful wedding venue.

From time to time there are special events, so it would be a good idea to check the website prior to planning a visit.  There are varying costs for admission.

Here is the link:  http://www.mckeegarden.org/index.php

Tips:  Bring a camera, but remember that professional photo shoots must be prearranged.

There is a very nice gift shop.

Bring water to drink.

No pets are allowed.

Schedule about an hour to tour the gardens.  Longer if you want to take pictures or just sit and enjoy the peacefulness.

Kennedy Space Center (Titusville)

Everyone knows that Kennedy Space Center is here.  That is why we call it the Space Coast, right?

The visitor's center is a neat place to go.  Tours of the center as very cool.  The Astronaut Training experience seems to appeal to the younger crowd.

And now, of course, the Space Shuttle Atlantis is on display.  That is the newest and latest attraction, but don't let that be the only thing you see.  The space program has a long and interesting history.  It may not appeal to everyone, but I have found that my out of town guests who experienced the space race back in the 1960s are particularly interested in the Apollo/Saturn V tour.

I've never seen anyone who didn't enjoy walking around the rocket garden, but that is just the beginning of the experience.



General Admission to the complex includes: 

Space Shuttle Atlantis℠	Twin IMAX® Theater 3D Films
Shuttle Launch Experience®	Special Viewing for Rocket Launches
Meet an astronaut	Numerous Shows and Exhibits