Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles Dig the Dark – lights out, why? It can disturb a nesting mother, and/or hatchlings – having them crawl the wrong way. Beachside lights should be off from March – October, or an approved color. Sea Turtles only come on dry land to nest, so seeing one is rare for many people. If you are on a walk and see one at night, do not use a white light flashlight or flash photography. If staying on the beach turn off patio lights and close the blinds. Check out www.cccturtle.org for more information. We recently watch the release of “Bree Varda” a female turtle from the Space Coast. She is taking part in an educational event following the migration of 10 sea turtles being released from different locations. See who is the first to reach 26.2 hundred kilometer marathon, that’s 1,628 miles – you can follow some of the turtles by going go www.TOURDETURTLES.org
Leatherbacks are the largest type of sea turtle. They are easy to distinguish because they have a leather looking shell, can measure up to 10 feet! Green Turtles are endanger of being extinct and have even been hunted for their meat.
Hatchlings are threatened by many things; birds, crabs and other wildlife out of the ocean, and in the ocean as well. Humans also pose a threat with lighting, replenishing sand over nests and even sand castles & holes dug in the sand for fun. Remember when you are at the beach to knock down you castle and fill in your holes.

Hurricane Numbers

List sent in an email, I thought it was great and worth posting

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Out of state point of contact
Red Cross Brevard Disaster Serv.(321) 632-0881
Brevard Shelter/Food(321) 723-7141
Emergency Management Offices Brevard County(321) 637-6670
Brevard Emergencies(321) 633-1728
National Weather Service Information Line(321) 255-0212
Florida Power & Light(407) 723-7795 (407)631-2000
Bell South 611
Orlando safe destination phone
Alternate safe destination phone
Florida Department of Insurance 1-800-342-2762
KSC/CCAFS Hurricane Info. Hot Line(321) 861-7900(866) KSC-HURR
Humane Society Cocoa(321) 636-3343
Melbourne(321) 259-3400
Brevard County Animal Control(321) 633-2024
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(321) 267-8221

Birthday Party Idea for Sports Fans

As a mom who is always planning gatherings, parties and events, whether at work or at home. So of course I have spent years making sure my kids have fun birthday parties.
However, this year my plate was a little to full to take on another celebration. After tossing around some ideas for my son’s 10th birthday, my daughter suggested Space Coast Sports Academy, which is located in Melbourne and opened this past March.
We celebrated Kaden’s birthday in June with a group of his friends, mostly boys. My son was able to pick from a list of games to be played, which were a big hit with not just for the boys who attended but the girls as well.
Planning a party in June you always have the threat of bad weather in Florida. This particular day it was a downpour but indoors we had a full game of dodge ball, kick ball, an obstacle course and basketball. The staff filled in to even out the teams for better competition. One employee was assigned as our party assistant making sure food / cake / presents were done at the time I liked. She boxed up the left over cake, decorations and put together all the presents for us to take….even reminded us that we had goodie bags (we provided) to hand out.
The price is well worth it, leaving nothing out (pizza, cake, soda all included), but more importantly I was able to take pictures at my leisure, sit back and enjoy the party!
http://spacecoastsportsacademy.com/

Space Stories

Reflections of Cape Carnival by Hal Povenmire, no the title is not spelled wrong, it says Carnival. At first I was thinking this book was a little to KSC technical for me, but that quickly changed. The author has a collection of short stories about the space program from the early start to current. It contains fascinating facts that I enjoyed sharing with my own family members who work at KSC…and do not know everything. At the end of the book I found out Hal Povermire lives locally which makes it more so interesting. Any space lover would enjoy this book.

Moving Wall Part 2

The 2009 Moving Wall at Wickham was better than ever. I went 4 times during the week and each time saw something new.
Did you know that you can adopt a hero? That’s right, retired military working dogs can now become a family pet. Check out: www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com Every Friday I get to pick up my son from school along with 3 other girls (one being my niece). I wanted them to learn something not only about the Vietnam War but about Vets in general. We were honored to meet a RMWdog (Rudy)who served in OIF for 4 tours. Rudy is now 11 and has lived with his current owner for 2 years. While talking to Rudy’s owner we met a young man who was on furlough from Iraq. I was somewhat sad to hear he returned to Fort Bragg with no one to visit, so he came to Melbourne to stay for the Wall. I thought of my brother and was so thankful he has so much support during his time in Iraq. Another important site for veterans is www.VetCenter,va,gov which assists soldiers in readjusting from the war zone. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is real and more of our soldiers suffer from this than we know. We tend to put the war on the backburner, it no longer makes news like it did just a few years ago and yet it continues. I wish people would remember those that continue to put their lives on the line for our country.
*More on Moving Wall - see Florida Space Coast tab - Moving Wall label

Melbourne - Brevard Zoo

One of my favorite places is the Brevard Zoo. We were lucky enough to have it built right here in Melbourne in 1994. Since then they have added new exhibits and remodeled some areas to accommodate the growing number of guests. The BZ has modeled the enclosure to resemble the environment the animals would be found in, no cages or bars, just all natural. Each area is named for the area where that particular group of animals is from: Florida, Australia, Africa, and South America. Each vicinity houses their native species spread out over a loop walkway, except Africa. You can see gators, otters, deer, and lots of birds in the Florida section. They have a feeding time for the gators, so if you are interested you should check to see when it is scheduled. In the Australia loop you enter an enclosure to see fruit bats and then further in for the aviary. You can purchase nectar to feed the colorful birds, warning – birds will be all over you so if you do not like this do not enter. My favorite section is Africa.

After going over the bridge and up the walkway you are now eye to eye with the Giraffes. For a small price you can feed them biscuits. It is a great photo opportunity and they are soooo cute! I would recommend going there first, and then returning before you leave. This way you are giving yourself 2 chances to see them.

The BZ has a “Paws On” park, but is currently under construction. I can’t wait for it to reopen because before I thought it was great for kids. The zoo also has kayaking through Africa and Florida. When the remolding is done they will offer snorkeling as well. The cost is not much; you can bring your own food or purchase it there. Other cool animals include red wolf, fox, and jaguar. If you live in the area you should consider a zoo pass that lasts for a year. BZ is right off the 95 Wickham Road / Viera exit. http://www.brevardzoo.org/

An anteater trying to sleep

King Center Melbourne

The King Center http://www.kingcenter.com/ located at the Melbourne BCC this is a smaller venue to see some big names. I can honestly say the King Center does not have a bad seat. I have seen Sesame Street Live in the front row and Chris Daughtry in the last. Over the years we have gone to see Howie Mandel when he did stand up, Randy Travis crooning his top tunes, and David Cooperfield making cars appear on stage. The kids go on field trips with school to see things like the Chinese Acrobats or science shows. Warning – do not use a laser pointer, the older people there who work as ushers have great eyes for spotting the culprit and will embarrass you with their own lights!

Loved this show!!

Parks in the Melbourne Area

Rotary Park at Suntree (Rockledge) – oddly we have 2 parks named Rotary. But this one is just a little north of the Pineda Causeway off US1. It’s small but offers a look not many parks have, a view of the river. The park has a playground; it’s closed on Wednesday mornings for mowing, several smaller covered pavilions that you can use unless they are rented, and one large pavilion that can hold 150 for a party, all have grills…and some pretty daring squirrels. The park also has a nice pier with seating and a boarder along the river that you can walk along.
Erna Nixon Park (West Melbourne) – If you are looking to learn something or enjoy nature this is your park, it does not have a playground but offers Florida in a natural state. It is listed as one of the great Florida Birding Trails. I joined my son’s class on a field trip here, went for the Cracker Fest and also went several times to the moonlight stroll to look through telescopes set up by the Brevard Astronomical Society. Erna Nixon has a butterfly area set up, a covered pavilion with some tanks in a room displaying wildlife, and some hands on things. They have guided tours on certain days, but you can roam around yourself with a booklet that gives you lots of information.

Downtown Melbourne

http://www.downtownmelbourne.com/ Of course downtown has a good selection for dining and shopping, below are just a few things, to find out more click the link. They offer holiday candlelight shopping during December and many Christmas items at the Christmas Cottage all year long.
Friday Fest – once a month, the 2nd Friday from 6-10pm, the streets are closed to vehicles and open to people. Businesses stay open later for shopping, tents are set up with food and drinks, crafts are displayed and they offer a variety of things to do for the kids. Check the website for more information.
Off the Traxx (918 E. New Haven Ave.) – a large room, booths and tables to eat on one side of the bar, pool tables on the other, a very large bar in the center, stage and small dance floor to the back of the room. Smoke free. To name a few items on the menu; pizza, crab fritter & dip, crocks of soup, burgers. They of course have drinks, weekends (maybe other days as well?) bands. It could be a little loud if you were going just for dinner on the weekend, so call ahead to check on the events. I liked this place, it’s a nice change from the places we have here.
Mainstreet Pub - http://www.mainstreetpub.cc/
this place has several hang out areas, out back tiki bar, upfront whiskey bar and upstairs lava bar with a variety of food and entertainment with Dj’s, live music and $ beer night. Check out their web site for more info.
Meg O’ Malley’s – http://megomalleys.com/
The name says it all. Malley’s not only offers the typical Irish dishes it has a calendar of events that very often spill out into the streets, which are closed to cars every once in a while. Their annual Meg O’Ween is very popular, but also very crowded!

Moving Wall in Melbourne

Vietnam Veterans Memorial – http://www.themovingwall.org/
The Moving Wall is a replica of the wall in Washington, D.C. that makes it way to Wickham annually – usually around April – May for a week stay. During this time the park is crawling with Vets, bikers, miltary and lots of events, so do not expect to find a camping spot open. Over the years it has grown to be more of a teaching tool with equiptment on display and Vets to talk about it. Tents may have art work, pictures or even memorials to K9’s that died during the war, you can even climb on an old boat and sit in a helicopter. This is a great way to show the younger generation what the military used during the Vietnam War and what they lacked. The also have bands play old firmilar war and peace songs well into the night.

In 2002 my 3 year old son wore his Uncle Sam’s Halloween costume that was made for him the year before, combined with his Army fatigues from Fort Bragg (where our nephew was) and carried his (real) ascutic guitar stapped on his back (a Christmas gift). We stayed long past any kid events but weren’t ready to leave. Kaden took out his little guitar and jammed along with the band to the side of the crowd when I was approached by an old rocker. He told me the members of the band, Molly Hachet, wanted Kaden to join them on stage. Within a minute Kaden and I were being shuffled through the crowd to the front of the amitheather where I ducked down but close to him. I turned to look at the sea of people watching and thought “no way will he do anything with all these faces staring at him”. To my amazement I turned back to see Kaden scan the crowd, look down at his guiatar and jam like he was a Van Halen. The people went wild, drunk and all, they loved it. Unfortuanly being the mom, I had the camera and never took a picture because I was so nervous for him. After we were led back to our area and soon had people asking to take a photo with Kaden. That year his photo was taken near a little jeep that goes around with the wall (?), it still can be found displayed. Whether you make it to Wickham or somewhere else to see the Wall, stop and talk to a Vet, listen to their stories and thank them for their service.
http://www.floridaveteransreunion.com/
Will be at Wickham Park April 19-26, 2009

October in Melbourne

Oktoberfest – this annual event is at the Wickham Pavilion but behind BCC not actually in the park. The week before you can always find a coupon buy one get one free admission. Of course it is in October but the dates change from year to year. They have traditional German food among other types, rides, dancing and beer…yes beer. I am not into the German music but love the local bands that play on the main stage. Over the years I have become disappointed in the food choices but I really do not go for the food. We spend one night there with the kids and one with the adults.

Taken 10/08

Wickham Park in Melbourne

Wickham Park is a public county park located at 2500 Parkway Drive, in Melbourne. It offers a variety of things to do outdoors including 2 softball fields, a soccor field (home of the Space Coast United Soccor), an exercise trail, paved roads for walking, running clubs meet here, dog park, camping, freesbie golf, horse shoes, volleyball, pavaillians, 2 lakes, equestrian facilities, archery, and many annual events including the Light Fest, Oktoberfest and Vietnam Veterans Moving Wall Memorial among others. I love Wickham Park and go there weekly, whether to hang out and play a game or walk with the girls in my family. We have spent every Easter since 1996 there with a huge egg hunt and yearly game of kick ball. Grills and table are placed throughout the park randomly but you can rent a pavillian for a fee to host a larger gathering. Currently they are building a Senior Center on the west side of the park which will be a nice addition. The park closes at dark unless you are camping. You almost always can see gopher tortises eating in the mid day sun but watch out for geese, ducks and peacocks, they own the place.
http://www.campingspacecoast.com/wickham/index.php a site for more information on camping at Wickham Park
http://www.brevardparks.com/dogs/index.php more information on dog parks in our area including Wickham Park


Took this pic in Dec 08

Cocoa Village

Not far from where I live is Cocoa Village, a quant area that has a feeling of years ago. The buildings are styled different from most on the Space Coast and many of the streets are one way. It is located near the river with an open park that has a stage facing the water, which hosts many events. New this year is an ice skating for the holiday time, in Florida that is a rare option when looking for something to do. I have been to the old playhouse to see a few things and enjoyed them all. Not much seating and the place is small but you will have a good view no matter where you are…unless you are directly behind the worlds tallest hair do like I was recently during Peter Pan…hello Don King! Nearby are many small stores that offer unique items, those made locally are great gifts for people who do not live here. The best thing to do is park in a lot and walk, this way you do not miss anything. There are many options for eating, some outdoors, as well as craft shows, live music and special events. Check out http://www.cocoavillage.com/ for more information and dates.

Christmas in Melbourne

Melbourne Light Parade – this annual event is getting bigger each year. Being in scouts our troop marched in the parade for 7 years, which was a lot of fun but after getting out of scouts I looked forward to just watching it. The route is from a Melbourne High School area to downtown City Hall. Streets are closed but spaces are taken early. I recommend parking close to where you will sit and then go eat or shop somewhere. The parade starts at 6pm, usually the 2nd Saturday of December. Just make sure you arrive in enough time to claim your spot. Of course if cuteness is not on your side, then out holly jolly, someone is bound to come your way with some candy.

KSC - Basic

How can I blog and not mention the place my husband works…Kennedy Space Center. Well he doesn’t work in the tourist fun spot but his area (Solid Rocket Boosters) is very interesting. We were lucky enough to attend several open houses for the family of KSC employees to see things others are not allowed to. After 9/11 they stopped most of those types of days, but we were able to attend 2 years ago, which was great for the kids.
Did you know that the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) is the largest by volume in the world? From a distance (that’s a song isn’t it?) the building doesn’t loot that big. Take the flag, for example, each strip is wide enough for a bus to drive on it. The ceiling is so high rain clouds can form inside, how crazy is that?
That is why we are known as the Space Coast, also where we get the 321 area code.

K9's

Dogs – Wickham Park is a great place and now you can take your K9 companion. The have an area that dogs run free with others, as long as you provide a shot record. Also many people walk their dogs there…just don’t forget to clean up after them. Our local shelter is on the west end of Eau Gallie Blvd.

My Penny...she is in Heaven

Jetty Park

Jetty Park – Cape Canaveral. This park is popular for Shuttle Launch viewing because it is so close to KSC. Jetty Park is located in the port and they offer camping / fishing. Although I have never camped there, I will one day soon, I have been there often since we have a time share next to the park. When we go, I like to go on the (1,200 foot) pier because we always see baby Sea Turtles – my favorite! It’s also cool to see the ships go out to sea, especially the Disney ship. The beach is a nice, clean, and flat which makes it nice for having kids in the water.

Jetty Park Pier

River Fun

Kayaking – with so much water around us navigating it by boat is a great way to see things. You can see nature up close and personal with a knowledgeable guide. Kayaking is fairly easy and kids can even go along. Don’t forget a covering hat, SPF, water and a camera.

A dolphin in the river

Skydiving on the Space Coast

Sky Diving – for my husbands 27th birthday I surprised him with skydiving trip. We went out from Titusville north of Melbourne across from the Space Center. Our training was quick and before I knew it we were boarding the small plane. I was the last one on. I was nervous when the door wasn’t shut…duh we are jumping out! As our plane climbed altitude I could swear everyone could hear my heart beating rapidly but just as we reached our height for the dive I relaxed and was ready. Now if you are going to go sky diving, pay the money for photos and video because people might not believe you ever jumped. While quickly descending we were both able to soak in the view of the river below and KSC. It was breath taking in more than one way.

Long Point Camping

Long Point Park - Camp Ground: off A1A
We have always loved camping and have visited different areas to do this. We started camping at Long Point well before we had children, as a matter of fact, that is where I was proposed to. So we have great memories there. At first it doesn’t look like your typical camping because of the lack of trees but it’s on the river, and that scenery makes up it. Long Point is in a circle surrounded by the Indian River Lagoon on all sides, they even added a swimming pond in the middle of the layout to enjoy. You can walk over to Scout Island. The prices are good and pets are welcome. Of course it is not far from the inlet for something to do during the day…unless of course you love fishing.