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Although speeding race cars and soaring space
shuttles take the spotlight among East Central Florida attractions,
travelers will be pleasantly surprised to find a wealth of historical
gems quietly awaiting discovery, just slightly off the beaten path.
Stretching from Titusville to Palm Bay, Florida's Space Coast offers
out-of-this-world adventures at a galaxy of attractions. If you
need to cool off then head to one of many fine east
central florida beaches.
Vacationers can experience space exploration
from the first Mercury launches to today's modern shuttle flights.
Visit the nucleus of America's space program at the Kennedy Space
Center Visitor Complex, a massive 140,000-acre complex featuring
full-size spacecraft models, lunar rock exhibits and astronaut memorabilia.
Visitors can climb aboard a life-size replica of the Space Shuttle
Explorer, walk through the Rocket Garden where Mercury- and Gemini-era
rockets now reside, soar through various space adventures at two
back-to-back IMAX theaters and get an up-close look at the Apollo/Saturn
V Center, the most powerful rocket ever built. Nearby, the U.S.
Astronaut Hall of Fame, in Titusville, offers an array of hands-on
exhibits and simulators that thrust visitors into various astronaut
adventures. And if that's not enough for the kids, try sending them
to the five-day U.S. Space Camp Florida, where they can train like
real astronauts. An out-of-this-world adventure, the camp includes
building and launching model rockets, constructing a space station,
trying out a microgravity trainer and space walk simulator and sampling
freeze-dried astronaut meals.
To the south, the Space Coast melts into Florida's
Treasure Coast, comprised of Indian River and St. Lucie counties.
Near this convergence, the popular Sebastian Inlet State Recreation
Area's dramatic shoreline entices beachgoers, while its crashing
waves beckon surfers. And the inlet's rock jetties, beach area and
river waters are synonymous with exciting fishing, making it one
of Florida's premier saltwater fishing destinations.
Here, fishermen will find snook, flounder, sheepshead and snapper
year-round. Cocoa Beach provides endlass water based activities for the whole family.
To the west, Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest
freshwater lake in the country, covers more than 700 square miles
and encompasses parts of five Florida counties. Situated on the
lake's northern shore, Okeechobee County offers plenty of ways to
enjoy the vast body of water. Hike or bike the Lake Okeechobee Scenic
Trail, a primitive 110-mile-long trek along a 35-foot dike encircling
the lake.
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