While lazing in our new hammock the other day, Nisheet and I decided that we weren’t taking enough advantage of living in Florida. This state offers beaucoup activities year round, and if we don’t get off our behinds soon, we will never see it all! First on our list of adventures this summer was Cocoa Beach and a Delta IV Rocket Launch.
Heading to the Delta IV Rocket Launch
The Delta IV launch was the main reason we dragged ourselves away from our comfy hammock and gorgeous clear gulf waters. What other state can you live in and decide spur of the moment to watch a rocket launch? And not just any rocket launch but a Delta IV which is the biggest baddest rocket in the US. It is also considered the most powerful one in the world! The rocket even trumps the space shuttle in height and is way bigger than SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Fortunately for us, this particular launch was postponed again and again until it fell on a Saturday morning when our schedules were empty and the weather forecast was clear. Hooray!!
Although the launch window wasn’t scheduled to open until 1:51pm, we arrived in the area shortly before noon. The last launch we viewed was completely crazy and showing up 2 hours early wouldn’t have been early enough. Granted that was for the last shuttle launch. But, we weren’t really sure what to expect, so we got there early.
Online articles directed us to 401 in the Port Canaveral area for the best views. There is even a small Air Force Space and Missile museum just before you enter the air force base which has bleachers to watch the launch. Word of warning. Do not turn around when you see police in the middle of the road. Just tell them you are going to the museum, and they will let you pass.
The Museum
Since the area was still fairly empty when we arrived, we checked out the free Air Force museum first. The museum is tiny, but it contains tons of interesting artifacts and info on all of the launch pads and history of launches that took place at the base. The volunteers were friendly and eager to share information. Be sure to browse through the gift shop because that and donations are the only two sources of funding for them.
The Launch
Wandering through the museum didn’t take long, and then we walked across the road to the bleachers. The crowd was still fairly light, but everyone was happy and excited about the launch. And, it was neat to meet people from around the world who were about to witness their first rocket launch. We ended up not sitting in the bleachers because there were too many power lines in our view, and instead, we set up our chairs and cooler full of lunch right at the water’s edge. Then, we sat back and enjoyed!
Right on the dot at 1:51pm, it suddenly happened. We saw a giant puff of grey smoke and witnessed the massive 3 booster core rocket slowly rise inch by inch towards the blue sky. The view was spectacular with 3 huge bright orange flames coming out the bottom that seemed as big as the rocket itself. After about 20 seconds, the rumbling sound hit us, and it grew louder and louder. A deep thunder surrounded us, and the vibrating sound penetrated our bodies. Just amazing and definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Tip 1: Be aware that a “live” broadcast stream from your phone could be 1 minute behind like it was for us.
Tip 2: There are port-a-potties here, but I recommend using the clean facilities at the museum.
Cocoa Beach
Up next was Cocoa Beach. I mean, how could we not? We were right there. You might be wondering why we chose to go to a beach when we live at the beach, but Florida’s east coast beaches are very different from Florida’s west coast beaches. The number one difference (for me) is the waves. The east coast waves tend to be much larger than the west coast waves.
Anyways, we headed towards the beach. We initially thought we would park at the Cocoa Beach Pier, but when we pulled up, all the metered spots were taken and it was $15 to park in the parking lot. We drove 2 streets past the Cocoa Beach pier and were happy to find plenty of open parking spots. Parking was $2 an hour on the streets, but coming from Chicago, this is still cheap for parking, and it is definitely cheaper than $15. If you don’t mind parking further away from the pier, I believe there is free parking at Ron Jon Surf Shop.
We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling on the beach, playing in the water, and watching the cruise boats leave from Port Canaveral. (See the Carnival cruise ship 2 pictures down.) It surprisingly wasn’t very crowded, and the pleasant ocean breeze to kept us cool.
Cocoa Beach Pier
Around 7pm we were getting hungry, so we walked down to the Cocoa Beach Pier to see what it offered. The pier was buzzing with life. There were volleyball nets, outdoor showers, restrooms, shops, and fishing spots. There were also a couple restaurants, and none of them got good reviews on Yelp.
Eating on the pier sounded fun though, so we went to Pelican’s Bar & Grill anyway. As you approach the grill, there is an outdoor seating area, and beyond that there is an inside area. I suggest going inside and requesting seating at the outdoor area even further down the pier. It is a hidden treats since you otherwise have to pay to access this area of the pier. We thought the food and atmosphere was good, so I’m not sure what all the negative reviews were about. We split onion rings, a big burger, and wave winder fries with a fantastic view of the beach. Our sever told us stories on the Pelican’s history and how astronauts came here after a long day of training back in the day.
Ron Jon Surf Shop
Before we left Cocoa Beach, we had to swing by Ron Jon Surf Shop. It is a tradition whenever you’re on the East coast. Ron Jon is a crazy huge store filled with everything you could ever want for the beach. It has bathing suits, towels, chairs, surf boards, paddle boards, hats, water proof bags…. You name it, and they probably have it. Even if you don’t have any plans on purchasing anything, we recommend you check out this store just for fun.
After our full day of adventures, we had one more stop. Allison and Pete’s house! Stay tuned for our post on a Sunday-funday with them.
Rocket Launch Packing List
- Cooler with water and snacks
- Chairs or blanket
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Hat
- Camera + camera equipment
- Sunglasses
- Radio
Cocoa Beach Packing List
- Cooler with water and snacks
- Chairs
- Towels
- Beach toys (raft, body board, frisbee, etc)
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Bathing suit
- Change for parking meter
What’s your favorite activity in Florida?? Where should we go next?
