Space Coast, FL - February 8 - 24, 2007
On February 8 we left the Keys heading north through the confusing highway construction zone known as Miami, destination - Grant on Florida's Space Coast. We selected Orbit RV Park because it is directly across the road from the lovely Indian River, which is part of the Intercoastal Waterway. We didn't realize its western border is the very busy Norfolk Southern Railroad line. The Amtrak trains weren't too bad, but the freight trains really rocked our world. Susan still has Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" playing in her head.
We were quite busy with the Point & Surf business the first several days of our stay, including a trip back to the Ocala Forest. On the way back from Ocala we stopped by Blue Spring State Park in our opinion, one of the most beautiful areas in Florida. The springs are "gin clear" providing great views of tarpon, perch, blue gills, turtles, alligators, manatees, etc. The day we were there the manatee count was 53. We saw about 30 including some babies. The area is forested with live oaks, palms and pines and truly looks like a perfect movie location.
After those four days of work on satellite stuff - whew! - it was time to play. Of course, the big thing on the Space Coast is the Kennedy Space Center - we visited twice. We were fortunate in that the shuttle was scheduled for a launch during our stay and was already on the launch pad. We were unfortunate in that it was delayed - then was damaged by a hailstorm and delayed again. The launch is currently schedule for June.
(Hint: Make reservations for tours and purchase tickets online to avoid the long lines at the ticket kiosk and ensure you get the tour you want. Also, be prepared for security checks comparable to those at airports.)
We did get to see a rocket carrying five satellites launched from Cape Canaveral, which was quite exciting for these space novices. We went to Jetty Park to watch the launch with several hundred of our soon to be closest friends all huddled together on a fishing pier. While awaiting the launch we waved bon voyage to several cruise ships sailing from Port Canaveral, watched the dolphins feeding in the wake of the ships and caught sight of a few sea turtles. For those looking for an RV park in the area, Jetty Park has an attractive campground with full hook-ups, a long white beach, the fishing pier, numerous restaurants nearby, and it is a great place to watch the space launches.
On a rather overcast day we trekked up to the beautiful town of Stuart to visit our close friends Anita and Dave's son John. John owns the Key Lime Café in Stuart's downtown bistro, gallery and boutique area. John and Adrienne recently became parents of a lovely little girl, Ashlyn. The baby was enjoying her nap and even the little pinches couldn't keep her eyes open for long. It turned cold and rainy so we didn't stay long, but were pleased to see how well this new little family is doing.
Towards the end of our stay on the Space Coast we got together with Ralph and Jeanne, a couple we met a few weeks earlier on Fiesta Key, to do some kayaking on the Indian River. It was fun paddling through the mangroves - well, Bill did the paddling while Susan reclined on the pillows and did her best Cleopatra imitation. We saw the usual wading birds and very large schools of fish - but, alas, no spoonbills. After kayaking the four of us went to lunch at Port Canaveral and continued our Monaco motor coach discussion that we started in the Keys.
We were spending a lot of sleepless nights on trying to decide if we should buy a motor coach. We drove all the way across the state to visit the Lazy Daze mega-RV-facility (really, one needs a map and a scooter to get around this place). We window-shopped at RV dealers along the Space Coast and test-drove Honda CR-Vs. By the time we left for Jacksonville on February 25th our minds were made up. After saying for years we would not invest in a motor coach, we decided to take the plunge and in the process committed to another four years on the road. Yipes!
