I live in Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach, Florida.  It is on a barrier island.  We have to drive across a bridge to get to Merritt Island, and then another bridge to get to the mainland in Cocoa!  When I was 17, my mother, brother, and I looked for a place on the beach to call home in Florida.  My Duke Pulmonologist had suggested that I go to the East Coast of Florida to see if the ocean air would improve my breathing.  It did!  The Space Coast has the cleanest air and a temperature that is not too hot, not too cold.  In addition, the area is very much geared towards families and locals.  Tourists do come and enjoy the area as well, but not in the vast numbers that you see elsewhere.  In Cape Canaveral, hotels are no longer allowed to build above the fifth floor, in order to preserve the city’s character. 

Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach has a small hometown feel about it.  The people who live here all year long know each other well.  There aren't many of us!  In the summer, we get vacationers; in the winter we get snow birds; in the spring, we get spring-breakers (usually with their family), and in the fall we get hurricanes.  The Space Coast offers a central location to go to all the major attractions in Florida.  The Space Coast is Orlando’s Beach; we are straight east from there.  Port Canaveral brings in tourists from all over the world.  I sometimes get the feeling that they are studying everyone here in Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach, thinking that is how all Americans are!  The people who actually dwell in Florida all year long are very diverse and offer a taste of all cultures.  People from all over the world choose make a home here.  Hardly anyone has been in Florida all his/her life.  Most of us come from “Up North,” meaning anywhere from Georgia to Maine; even Alaska and Canada! 

Our beaches have beautiful white sand mixed with dark grains.  Every morning, seashells from as far as the Keys wash up!  Our waves may be mild compared to some, but Cocoa Beach remains a world-famous surfing destination.  A famous surf contest is held in Cocoa Beach every year.  Ron Jon’s Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral/Port Canaveral is a major surfing destination.  Our pelicans like the waves too; you can see them out bobbing on the surf any day.  The pelicans have an air about them that they are the true rulers of the beach.  Little wading birds and seagulls also fly around.  If you go the beach when it isn’t crowded, little light colored crabs will poke their heads out and shuffle around. 

The Cocoa Beach Pier is the most active place in town.  Every day, there are a few people out trying to surf, mainly by the Cocoa Beach pier, where the waves are some of the best.  Boogie Boarding is also popular.  Most all of the tourists stay on the right side of the pier.  It is very easy to spot out the tourists – they are the red lobsters in bathing suits that you see walking around.  You can see them looking all around, taking in the sights.  Well, why shouldn’t they, it is a beautiful place!  The other side of the pier is mostly all locals.  If you set aside a few hours, you can walk to Jetty Park and watch the cruise ships and boats go out or come in.  Jetty Park is also the best place to watch shuttles and rockets go off.  To celebrate July 4th, 2006, the Shuttle went off during the day.  To cap it off, later on that night there were fireworks by Ron Jon's!

The Space Center is what Cape Canaveral is known for.  One of the most breath-taking things to experience is a shuttle (that’s the big show) or a rocket/satellite being launched.  Before you can see it, you feel a ground-shaking rumble and hear a loud roar.  When it goes up, there is a cloud that spirals into weird shapes, depending on the wind currents.  The time of day can change the viewing experience entirely.    Clouds add to the total effect.  From the beaches, there is an excellent view of the launches, but I always watch it from my condo balcony, where I can see it quite clearly!  

Banana River also has a lot to offer in terms of wildlife.  There are manatees, dolphins, alligators, blue heron, pelicans, and boaters.   Boats docked on the river often have slides into the water.  Locally, they are called “alligator feeding chutes.”  Actually, alligators are quite harmless if you keep your distance and don't feed them.  Also, watch out if you are trying to sneak into the Space Center.  They are part of the defense system.  Yes, NASA actually considers them part of the defense system.  There are more there then elsewhere.  Mostly, jet-skiing, boating, canoeing, taking a tour boat, rafting, and windsurfing are what people enjoy doing on the river.  Our manatees aren’t able to hear the sound a boat makes because it is out of their range of hearing.  It is not part of the natural environment.  In the Manatee Zones you must go without a wake.  Unfortunately, the manatees are the ones that pay when boaters speed through the Manatee Zones. 

Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach have many others things to offer.  Patrick Air Force Base is to the south.  The jets patrol the air often, especially after September 11.  Our military are very friendly and helpful.  They are here to keep the area safe.  Cape Canaveral usually protects us from any hurricanes, but we have not been so lucky recently.   I Dream of Jeannie took place in Cocoa Beach, FL.  Every year there is a I Dream of Jeannie contest!  There is a 4th of July and a Christmas Boat Show in Cocoa Beach.  One of my favorite Christmas boats is the boat decorated with Santa being pulled by his dolphins.  The boats go in and out of the canals along Banana River, giving each house or condo on the Banana River a chance to see for themselves.  Cape Canaveral has its Christmas treats, too.  I was shocked one year to see a fire truck drive through the condo’s parking lot with Santa on top.  My brother John and I were standing there with our mouths wide open.  We were pretty grown up, but he threw us candy anyway.  Since Santa Claus actually came to visit me, I believe in him!