I had actually never heard of Space Coast before I went there. Man, I was missing so much! I could tell you how little I know about Space but it would be really embarrassing so I’m going to save the details. The biggest attraction in Space Coast is the Kennedy Space Center.
I’m not gonna lie, I wore this dress because the white dots looked like stars in the black night! haha space themed.
Every night Ben listens to science documentaries. It drives me nuts. When I am bored sometimes I’ll make one up and start telling him about it (a documentary about why black holes exist, which clearly I have no idea) and just talk nonsense that isn’t true. It drives him nuts. My brain just opposes science and unlike subjects like history and math, science was never a strong suit (even if I do have my bachelors in the science of nursing).
Space Coast is more than the Kennedy Space Center but it’s kind of a big deal. Other attractions here and in this Space Coast guide include Cocoa Beach (Kelly Slater is from here!), cruises heading out from Port Canaveral, Brevard Zoo, seeing turtle nesting, Sebastian Inlet, golfing, fishing, and lots more.
Space Coast Guide
Kennedy Space Center
By total coincidence, a rocket was shooting off the DAY WE WENT TO KENNEDY SPACE CENTER! It was so exciting! I mean people were pretty pumped so I jumped on board that excitement lol.
We met with the rep from Visit Space Coast and he told us the news. He goes you can tell people they can watch it live at U-L-A-L-A-U-N-C-H .com. I said Oh, cool it’s like “ooo la laaaaunch” fun play on words… he’s like umm no, it’s United Launch Aliance. Cue me saying nothing ever again about science, rockets, or NASA the remainder of the trip.
You can check out ulalaunch to see the rockets go off live. People from this area are pretty used to them and will put lawn chairs out in the backyard to watch. You have to get there about an hour before and if you want a spot on the bleachers you’ll want to go straight to them. Of course, you can’t be right near a rocket when it goes off (duhh… apparently) you have to be THREE miles away!
You will be in direct sun with nothing over you while you wait. What we did was wait in the shade then walk over to the edge of the bleachers and stood while it went off. It’s a 30 second thing. It’s pretty cool!
These photos are courtesy of ulalaunch.com.
This rocket was going up to put a satellite in space specifically for military WiFi.
After the rocket launch we toured the Kennedy Complex. There’s a lot to see. I went through things fairly quickly. I’m sure Ben would want to spend the whole day there. The Atlantis exhibit was VERY cool. There’s also a shuttle launch experience. The bus ride out to Apollo center was a bit much for me. There’s a lot more like Journey to Mars (their next goal), astronaut memorial (so touching and sad), a couple IMAX movies, and rocket garden.
We had lunch with an astronaut which was really neat. You could ask him anything, although they kind of only let the kids ask questions. It wasn’t a “kids” event or anything so not that I don’t want kids to have fun, but they were kind of lame questions lol. I guess I shouldn’t say that ;) The astronaut was inspiring though and I think a lot of kids left there with a new life goal. The food was mediocre so don’t expect a lot.
Kennedy Space Center tickets are $50 for adults and $40 for children. If you want lunch with the astronaut it’s 29.99 for adults or $15.99 for children.
Brevard Zoo
I normally wouldn’t mention a zoo as I’m not a zoo-lover. I was really impressed by this one though and totally understand that some people love zoos. I think because I travel, I’m more interested in doing safaris but obviously kids love zoos and some adults!
Brevard Zoo does not have animals which were captured in the wild. Many of their animals were rescued from owners who tried to raise wild animals at home. Interestingly my home state (Ohio) and Florida have some of the most lax laws on having wild animals as pets. It’s really fascinating and I suggest watching The Brevard Zoo Tickets are $17.95 for adults, 13.95 for kids, and children under 3 are free. The Cocoa Beach pier is over 800 feet long. You can go fishing, have amazing dinners, play volleyball, learn to surf, or hit up some mini-golf. The original Ron Jon surf shop is here if you’re up to that. We ate at the end of the pier and it was SO SO tasty. We took a boat tour with Island Boat Lines which was really neat. I’d never seen manatees in the wild and it was the seasons for babies! We saw about 3 little manatee babies with their moms in the mangroves. The tour hour boat tour is $28 for adults and $23 for kids plus tip. I didn’t have time on this trip to research where to stay. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach courtesy of the tourism board. It was a lovely stay and I only have positive things to say. Rates are coming up for the summer months as about $169 per night. Hampton Inn is the actually the best ranked hotel. There are also a Courtyard, Holiday Inn, and more. The Hampton Inn is ranked over the Hilton, Hilton Doubletree, and Four Points by Sheraton so that’s saying something! It was a great hotel. You can use this link to book. 
dress is from dancing leopard, purse is Chiaroscuro, and shoes are 
This is an outfit from Fabletics
Brevard was really clean, had lots of activities for kids, and I liked how big the animals’ new homes were. Their goal is “wildlife conservation through education and participation”. We kayaked through the zoo! They also offer zip-lining here.
Cocoa Beach Pier
We also went to dinner another night near the port at Rusty’s Oyster Bar. That was also delicious! I suggest going early for drinks outside at sunset before eating a late dinner. They don’t take reservations.
Manatee boat tour
There were also birds and playful dolphins following the stream of the boat. A bonus highlight was seeing the huge houses that line the water. You can use an app called Zillow to see how much they cost lol that was quite entertaining.
Where to stay at Cocoa Beach
The Kennedy space center is loads of fun. When I was younger we put my little brother in the astronaut G force simulator and he passed out it was so intense. They had to use orange juice and a cool cloth to wake him up it was pretty funny in hindsight now that he’s ok
I was crying laughing over the oo-laaa-launch and your fake science documentaries. Girl, we are two birds of a feather. Science was my WORST subject. I was in AP classes in almost every subject, except science for which I pretty much attended remedial classes ha ha.
Hahah I was the exact same way! I did do AP chem but turns out learning chemistry isn’t useful in normal life and no one casually talks about it… whereas physics (which I had trouble spelling just now) is the class I should have tried to struggle through so I could at least keep up with science convos! lol