Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach

 

Jeff and I really needed a vacation.  So, we took advantage of the long Memorial Day weekend (and my Marriott rewards points!), and headed down to Cape Canaveral for a few days.  It was just what we needed, and just the right mix of tourist attractions and relaxation for us. 

 

As soon as we got settled into our hotel room, a rocket was launched; We had the perfect view off of our hotel balcony.  This is the second rocket launch I've seen, but I've never been nearly this close.  It was very cool.  I can't even imagine what a space shuttle launch would have been like.

 

We spent most of Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center.  We were fortunate enough to be able to sit in on a presentation by astronaut Barbara Morgan, where she shared her experience in space and told audience members what it was like to launch off and then actually be in space.

 

Jeff and Ellie

Barbara Morgan shares her experience with "Lift Off!"

 


Ellie and I are on a mission to Mars!


After touring the Kennedy Space Center, we thought we'd cool off in the pool.  We recently joined the community pool, so Ellie had experience with pools before.  But, the pool at the hotel was the first time she seemed to have lots of fun in the pool.  She was splashing and giggling and playing in the water.  She also had fun playing in the hotel room itself.  She spent any time that she could this weekend working on her new skill -- walking!  She would walk back and forth across the hotel room, occasionally falling, but then just picking herself right back up and trying again.  The room had a floor to ceiling mirror she had fun with too.  We left it covered with tiny hand prints and lip-prints, since she loved touching and kissing the baby in the mirror!

Ellie playing in the hotel room

 On Sunday we headed a little north of Cocoa Beach to Canaveral National Seashore.  We wanted to go to the beach, but the crazy crowds at Cocoa Beach were just a little too daunting.  Ellie has also been to the beach several times before.  But, until this visit, she wouldn't even let us sit her in the sand.  She wanted nothing to do with the sand or the ocean.  This time, though, she had a great time playing with (and eating!) the sand.  As the tide was going out we took her down to the water and she splashed around in the low tide and the tidal pools. 

 

Me and Ellie on the beach

 

Ellie playing in the sand

Ellie and her Daddy (who dug a tunnel under Ellie's seat)

 When we left Canaveral National Seashore we drove a few miles west and took a driving tour of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge is home to numerous species of birds, fish, and animals.  Interestingly, most of the drive resembled our backyard, and we didn't see anything that we don't see in our yard (heron, eagles, egrets, storks, fish, etc), but it was still fun, and really pretty.  Plus, we learned about the various habitat of the animals we see on a regular basis. 

 

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

 Jeff didn't put on enough sunscreen at the beach, and he got a pretty bad sunburn.  So we took it easy Sunday evening, and just went to the grocery to grab a quick dinner and watched a little TV.  On Monday we went to the world famous Ron Jon Surf Shop and poked around the huge store.  Then we had a quick lunch on the beach before heading home.  We made it home with enough time to head to our pool before the end of the day and thus ended our nice relaxing weekend playing in the pool. 

 

Hopefully, we'll be able to take more weekend getaway trips in the future.  Ellie did such a great job traveling -- she slept in the car and was awake to enjoy the attractions.  Now we're recharged and refreshed to tackle whatever comes next!

 

Playing in the hotel room -- I think this was Ellie's favorite part of the trip