Port Canaveral: home to cruise ships, rocket ships, and a whole lot more

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2004 by Deborah Williams

It is a port with a difference--one of the world's busiest cruise passenger terminals; home to rocket and space-shuttle launches; the surfing capital of the Atlantic Coast; the largest sea-turtle nesting area in the country; and a national refuge with more endangered species than any other.

This is Port Canaveral, just 45 miles east of Orlando--mecca for theme-park lovers everywhere. In fact, this area, known as Florida's Space Coast, also bills itself as "Orlando's closest beach."

But the Space Coast offers up real-life excitement that extends beyond theme parks. No other spot in the United States has sent men and women rocketing into space. The premier attraction here is surely the Kennedy Space Center.

What is so exciting about a day at Kennedy is the opportunity to meet and talk with an astronaut. Officially called the "Astronaut Encounter," the program is held several times daily and consists of question-and-answer sessions, mission briefings, and personal stories of space travel as told by one of the few who have flown in space. There are opportunities for autographs and photographs with the astronauts.

Colonel Bill Pogue, who has spent 84 days in space and has flown 34 million miles, was the astronaut of the day during our visit. His talk was full of interesting tidbits. As the author of Space Trivia and How Do You Go To The Bathroom In Space?, he entertained the audience with fun facts about outer space. Did you know that your height increases by three inches and your weight decreases by three pounds out there in space?

For an even more in-depth encounter with an astronaut, there is the daily "Lunch With An Astronaut" program for an additional charge. Each lunch program begins with an introductory video highlighting lighthearted aspects of everyday life on the Space Shuttle. There's a tasty lunch including the signature dessert--a milk chocolate "Space Shuttle" surrounded with whipped cream and topped with fresh berries and melba sauce--appropriately named "Chocolate Liftoff." All lunch visitors receive an autographed photo of the astronaut, and there is time for photos and autographs as well as a talk by the astronaut.

The Visitor Complex is home to the only back-to-back twin IMAX theaters in the world. The newest film, Space Station, is narrated by actor Tom Cruise. Amazing 3-D technology enables audiences to sit inside the Space Shuttle during launch, experience the exhilaration of a space walk, and float effortlessly through the Space Station.

Other highlights include the Apollo/ Saturn V Center, the Rocket Garden, and the newest attraction--the Astronaut Hall of Fame. The latter houses the world's largest collection of astronaut memorabilia as well as displays, exhibits, and tributes dedicated to the heroes of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. In the Simulator Station realistic astronaut training simulators allow guests to feel the pressure of four times the force of gravity, take a virtual moonwalk, and ride a rover across Mars. Of course there is a gift shop, but this is one with a difference--it is the largest retail store in the world devoted to space-themed merchandise and includes creations such as freeze-dried ice cream.

If you are as lucky as we were during our recent visit, you might be on hand for a rocket launch. We had a prime viewing spot from the balcony of our room al the Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach. Others gathered along the beach, at Cocoa Beach Pier, and at Jetty Park at Port Canaveral. It was a magical night with a full moon and a dramatic fiery launch of an Atlas Rocket carrying a communications satellite.

Edging the Indian River and overlooking Kennedy Space Center is the only river-walk in the United States that preserves America's history in space through displays of memorabilia, interpretive plaques, art, sculptures, and bronze markers. The waterfront terrace is a favorite viewing platform for NASA shuttle lift offs.

The 220-square-mile Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge surrounds the Kennedy Space Center. It is home to more endangered species--such as the Western Indian manatee, Southern bald eagle, and Atlantic loggerhead turtle--than any other refuge in the United States. A six-mile driving tour with shaded boardwalks weaves through lush pine and oak hummocks.

This is also the largest sea-turtle nesting region in the country. More than 6,000 loggerheads and leatherbacks each lay up to 600 eggs from May to August. Following sundown, guided tours to view the nesting turtles are held along area beaches.

The Space Coast boasts miles of pristine beaches and crashing surf that attracts surfers who wait patiently for the big waves. Surfers and water-lovers flock to the massive 50,000-square-foot Cocoa Beach Ron Jon Surf Shop with everything under the sun for beachcombers. It is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Florida this year and is open 24 hours a day, every day.

Shopping hours follow the more normal 9-to-5 schedule in historic Cocoa Village along the shores of the Indian River Lagoon. A variety of boutiques and shops line the streets of the five-block district. Its large trees and shaded benches add to the ambiance. Dolphins often show off their antics just off the board walk that hangs over the river. Established in the 1800s in the center of the famed Indian River citrus region, the village is filled with history.