12. Melbourne’s Eau Gallie Arts District
The district is an eight-square-block area of shops for artisans and their art suppliers. There are small shops housing artworks from disciplines like oil painting and photography. Jody Carter’s Art Expressions shop sells many artists’ works and specializes in framing for local fine art photographers and painters. In addition to the arts, there is also a pawn shop, hardware store, barbershop, and a vapor smoke shop. You’ll find a lot of character in one of the oldest neighborhoods in town.
13. Uncrowded Beaches
Driving south on Highway A1A leads you to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a 900-acre undisturbed beachfront. There is limited public access restricted at a few small beachside parks. The Refuge was established in 1991 to protect the egg nesting shoreline for loggerhead, leatherback, and green turtles.
Editor’s Note: Love turtles? Read up on eight places to see baby sea turtles hatch (yes, many are in Florida!), plus the story of endangered sea turtles found “cold-stunned” on Cape Cod who are now being cared for in the Florida Keys.
14. Fishing And Surfing At The State Park
At the very southern end of the Space Coast is the Sebastian Inlet State Park. The biggest features are the two fishing jetties that reach out into the Atlantic. Hundreds of anglers can be found there almost any day of the week, trying to snag fish that migrate through a pass between the Atlantic and Indian River Lagoon. The park is known as one of the best surfing beaches in Florida, with boarders trying their luck with breaks called Monster Hole and First Peak. A campground offers good RV camping, but tent campers have little shade cover from the Florida sun.
Florida’s Space Coast is more laid back than other beach destinations on the Atlantic coast of the state. It’s not rowdy like Daytona Beach can sometimes be. It’s not overly crowded like South Beach in Miami. But for the eco traveler, there are lots of things to do. The best way to see it is to travel highway A1A along the coast, through beach towns and wilderness preserves. Have fun, and maybe get lucky enough to catch a rocket launch.
