By Nanette Wiser
SURFING U.S.A.
Ron Jon Surf Shop, good waves and a Beach Boys playlist are your ticket to ride in Cocoa Beach. Family fun starts on the beach and winds up with a roar at the nearby Sands Space History Center in Cape Canaveral and CB’s Museum of Dinosaurs & Ancient Culture. Cocoa Beach is the East Coast surf capital and pro surfer, and hometown hero Kelly Slater’s statue is at the entrance to downtown. Learn to surf www.SurfGuru.com. Play golf, go ziplining or biking, book a helicopter tour, kayak tour of the Thousand Islands or boat ride (including airboat rides on the St. Johns River).
For nightlife or craft beers, head over to Coconuts On The Beach, Florida Beer Company or BeachFly Brewing Company. Sip and relax at The Skinny Mermaid or BLaCK Coffee and Donuts. Book a stay at Best Western Ocean Beach Hotel & Suites, and after poolside drinks and Atlantic Ocean bodysurfing, chow down at 4th Street Fillin Station, The Fat Snook, Cocoa Beach Squid Lips, Florida’s Fresh Grill, Pizzavola or Gregory’s Steak & Seafood Grille and Comedy Club. Shop historic downtown Cocoa Beach and check Facebook for events.
WILD KINGDOM
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is an ecotourism paradise and a must-see when in the Cocoa Beach area. Home to seven habitats, 330 bird species, 31 mammal species, 68 amphibian/reptile critters and 1,000 plant types, the refuge supports 16 wildlife species endangered or threatened such as gopher tortoises, wood stork and Florida scrub jay. It’s one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites in the U.S. with 1,300 loggerhead nests annually. You can hike, boat, take a wildlife drive, fish, boat and paddle, even see manatees from the observation deck. The island is open from sunrise to sunset.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 as an overlay of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center for the protection of migratory birds and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are on the island. Black Point Wildlife Drive, a 7-mile auto tour, is our most popular wildlife viewing area. Many refuge dike roads also offer excellent wildlife observation and photography opportunities. Hikers will love the hammock refuge and beginners can trek the ¼ mile loop on a wheelchair accessible boardwalk, with two freshwater ponds, a native butterfly garden, hammock, a wetland prairie and associated wildlife.
CULTURE & COCKTAILS
The Shelborne South Beach has partnered with Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and Verde for the ultimate getaway package. You’ll get two complimentary museum passes to tour the outdoor sculpture garden and exhibits, brunch on Biscayne Bay at Verde ($125 gift card) and enjoy the iconic art deco pool at this glamorous hotel, originally built in 1940 and designed by famed Art Deco architects Igor Polevitzky and Thomas Triplett Russell. It was embellished in the 1950s by Neo-baroque design master Morris
Lapidus. The Shelborne was the epitome of classic South Beach glamour and opulence throughout the 1960s.
World-famous for spirited pool parties, celebrity guests and vibrant nightlife, the Shelborne was always an iconic Miami experience. The property is known for its iconic Art Deco pool deck and recent launch of Sweet Beach by Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Co. and the David’s Cafe, cafecito popup, plus Drawing Room, its signature restaurant. In addition to the Miami Perez Art Museum package, you can book thru July 1 for travel through Sept. 30, 2021 another package featuring 50% off best rates and $50 towards food/beverage or valet parking if you book two or more nights during the weekday.