Since everyone seems to arrive at their destination hungry, let's start with a good place to eat.
A favorite eatery for locals and visitors alike is Grills Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar.
GENERAL INFORMATION and AMBIENCE
The atmosphere here is Island Casual, and the place really hops at night. It's right ON the ship channel, so you can watch the ships pass while you eat indoors or at a waterside table, or sip your favorite beverage at the tiki bar. It's great fun to see a cruise ship dwarf the building as it passes. Get there before 5 on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday for this event. Or, watch a much smaller casino boat leave around 4 pm any day. You'll also enjoy watching the pelicans play amonng the many other vessles, both moored and moving. If you're lucky, a gentle manatee will come to call at their dock!
NASA will provide an occasional special treat as well. Grill's provides a wonderful vantage point for launches.... especially those of the unmanned rockets.
MENU
The menu is heavy on seafood, and it's all good, much of it caught in local waters, though there are some choices for those who prefer other fare. They DON'T fry their seafood, so don't even ask! The owner also owns a charter boat, so the fish is very fresh!
My favorites - Shark Kebobs, paired with Island Vegetables, and preceded by their to-die-for cheese bread as an appetizer.
ENTERTAINMENT
Aside from people, pelican, and port activity watching, there IS live music Thursday - Sunday evenings, and some Saturday afternoons.
LOCATION
Grill's is in 'the cove', just a stone's throw east of the cruise ship terminals.
RESERVATIONS
They don't take reservations, and it's a popular spot, so if you don't arrive early, you may have a wait, but it will be a pleasant one. They use the hand-held alert devices to summon you when your table is ready.
What's a visit to Florida without a stop at a beach?
There are miles of public beaches in the area. Here's the scoop on two popular areas:
COCOA BEACH
The free public beaches here are popluar with surfers, bucause there is... you guessed it - surf!
Sun bathing, swimming, surfing, and strolling are all fun, free activities. Of course, there are vendors who'll rent you a beach chair or boggie board.
In season, there are life guards during the day.
The waves, right at the edge can be a little strong, so if you have very young children, be prepared!
If you choose a spot near the Cocoa Beach Pier, you'll see lots of surfers, and there is often a beach volleyball game or two in the sand on the south side of the pier. In this area, you'll also find places to get a drink, a snack, ice cream or even a sandwich.
Southeast of the Cruise terminals.
JETTY PARK
This is the beach you'll see from your ship (starboard side) as it passes the jetties leaving the channel. There is a $5.00 (per car) entry/parking fee. Ammenities incllude:
A 1200-ft fishing pier
4.5 acre family beach. (Waves are usually much gentler here than at Cocoa Beach)
Want to just hang out near the beach and soak up the atmosphere?
Then, make youir way to the Cocoa Beach Pier.
From the Cruise Terminals, head South on A1A. When you see the Holiday Inn Express on your right, and Perkins on your left, take the next left, and go two blocks.
PARKING: When the lot attendant is there, you'll pay $5 to park for the day. But, if you're just going for an hour of so, look for an emply diagonal paking space on one of the two streets that border the pier property to the north and south, and pop in several quarters.
LOTS OF CHOICES IN ONE PLACE
Before you set foot on the actual pier, you'll find
To your left - OH SHUCKS, a rright-on-on-the beach (literally) seafood bar. Oysters in season are good here.
To your far left (across the side street, actually, there's an ice cream parlor & arcade.
To your right - SEADOGS, for beach rentals, suntan lotion, etc.
As you stroll out onto the pier, you'll notice a couple of shops, selling typical Florida souveniors.
Then you'll come to the first pier bar, set up along the pier's railing to your right. Stop here for a quick drink, and you'll have a great view of the sunbathers below.
Next, you'll encounter the entrance to the Atlantic Ocean Grille (on your left) and Marlin's (straight ahead.) The Grille is open evenings for full dinners, what a spectacular view looking over the ocean toward the Cape. Marlins is open during the day and evening for lighter fare, icluding some pretty decent fish sandwiches. For a nice interlude, ask for a window table at Marlin's. Then, order up a piece of their Chocolate Kaluha Cake (mmm!- goes great with beer), and watch the surfers directly below you as you feel the Atlantic Ocean waves lap against the pilings of the pier.
Waaaaaaaay out on the very end of the pier, you find the Mai Tiki bar, and you MIGHT even find it open. On your way out to the end, be sure to check the fisherman's board, which lists the day's catches!
Sheila; when my two brothers who live in Fla. and I met up post cruise a couple of years ago, (One lives in Umatilla the other in Jacksonville), we met at the space center. After leaving there we went back towards Orlando, but we stopped at a Bar-b-cue Buffet place. It seems like it was just a few minutes from the Cape. Do you know the place i'm talking about? I just loved it, and I'd like to try it again the next time I'm down there.
We regularly enjoy Island Bar-B-Q on Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, but I'm sure that's not the one you are referring to. Their 'feast for two' will easily feed four!
For a great little excursion without the high cruise ship pricing, try Island Boat Lines, owned by a former Miss Florida.
They have several different tours, but you'll love their "In Search of Wildlife" tour for just $20.00 per person. (10% discount for active military, senior citizens, and children!)
The pontoon boat tour leaves Mon - Sat at 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, and before sunset from the Cactus Flower Restaurant on 520 and Banna River Drive South on Merritt Island (that's at the west end of the causeway and bridges connecting Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island.)
You'll be treated to a relaxing, informative, and entertaining tour of the Cocoa Beach Thousand Islands and Banana River Rookery Islands (home of large flocks of roosting pelicans) as your guide shows you a side of the area that most visitors never discover!
You're sure to see Mangroves (and learn a little about them, too) and an assortment of fish and native water fowl, along with some pricey waterfront real estate.
In the clear, shallow, brackish water, you MAY also encounter a Manatee or two, turtles, and maybe even a dolphin. Last time we took this tour, a dolphin accompanied us, leading the way for the boat for about 3/4 of the trip, after which, he/she met up with a partner, and the two of them bid us adieu.
For Baseball fans who plan on visiting our area (Florida's Space Coast) in the spring, you might want to catch a game at Space Coast Stadium, home for spring training of the new Washington Nationals.
The stadium is in Viera, about 15-20 minutes from the cruise ship terminals by car. I-95 South will get you there.
If you have teen-aged boys, their visit to the Space Coast just won't be complete until you take them to Ron Jon's near legendary surf shop. There, you'll find surfboards and gear, and those gotta-have surfer shirts - 24 hours a day!
Even if YOU haven't heard about it, your kids and grandkids have. My grandson in Arizona (a loooooooooong way from the beach) just had to have a shirt from Ron Jon's for Christmas last year.
Check out the impressive statues just outside the entrance on A1A just south of 520.... you can't miss the big, bright Ron Jon's building - it takes up the entire block!
And, Ron Jon's is just a short walk to the beach, so you can kill two birds with one stone here!
Like doing just about anything ON the water?
Want to go boating, kayaking or jetskiing?
This is the place to do it.
And, if you didn't bring your own watercraft with you,
You can rent the following at Island Watercraft Rentals:
Pontoon Boats (11 person capacity)
Jet Skis (3-person)
Kayaks (1 or 2 person)
Find them at the edge of the Banana River, at the west end of the Cocoa Beach to Merritt Island Causeway (1872 E Merritt Island Causeway), or on the web at www.floridawatercraft.com.
Their phone number is: (321) 454-7661
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