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Florida's Central East Region

Central East Florida makes a roaring start at the Birthplace of Speed, blasts through the Space Coast and quietly ends amid the buried gold and famous oranges of the Treasure Coast. From horseless carriages to speedy racers, and from sunken Spanish galleons to rocketing space ships, the Central East region blends the glory of Florida's yesteryears with the triumphs of her tomorrows.

Families looking for high-octane adventures will love Central East Florida, which stretches from Daytona Beach to Port St. Lucie. Here, kids of all ages can marvel at high-performance racing machines or jump aboard high-tech space simulators for the ride of their lives.

Early automotive pioneers once raced their "horseless carriages" on the hard-packed sands of Daytona-area beaches. Today, visitors can still drive along most of the 23-mile-long shore, stretching from Ormond Beach to Ponce Inlet. After a drive on the beach, families can check out the evolution of racing at the Daytona International Speedway, where modern-day racing machines thunder around the track at nearly 200 mph. Known as the "World Center of Racing," the speedway offers plenty of ways to enjoy the sport even when there are no races going on. At the visitors' center, Daytona's century-long racing heritage is showcased in exhibits such as a Surround-Sound audio presentation recreating the grandstand-shaking excitement of the Daytona 500 and a video wall playing film footage of the early races once held on area beaches. Families can hit the track on a 30-minute guided tram tour of the speedway. At Daytona USA, the speedway's newest attraction, visitors can participate in a NASCAR pit stop, design and test a stock car using computer-aided technology or talk to favorite drivers via video.

The Klassix Auto Museum also chronicles the area's auto and motorcycle racing history, including a stunning collection of Corvettes from every year since 1953. Families can enjoy cool treats at the museum's 1950s-style soda fountain. At the Birthplace of Speed Museum in Ormond Beach, visitors can see a collection of vehicles ranging from racing's modest beginnings at Ormond Beach to the 1937 speed record set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in Daytona Beach.

In addition to its world-famous beaches and racetracks, the Daytona Beach area also offers historical sites with surprising twists. At Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, visitors can explore the exotic botanical gardens surrounding the ruins of an old English sugar mill or catch a glimpse of the huge dinosaur statues left over from the site's days as a 1950s theme park. Nearby, the Spruce Creek Preserve offers natural sightseeing trips on pontoon boats as well as historical tours of a citrus packing house and a Florida cracker-style house built in 1907. For a touch of whimsy, let the kids visit the Snow White House, a cottage fashioned after the one in the classic 1930s Walt Disney animated feature film.

For a unique combination of art, science and history, visit the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach. Here, families can view 17th-century American art, meet a 13-foot-tall, 130,000-year-old giant ground sloth, stare at the stars and learn about Cuban culture all in one spot. Nature trails through the scenic Tuscawilla Preserve and the "Window in the Forest" Interpretative Center give visitors an up-close view of nearby coastal hammock environments.

Area fun parks serve up a wide variety of family entertainment. At the Boardwalk Amusement Area, vacationers can swoop and soar through the air on the 100-foot-tall "Skycoaster" or get a bird's-eye view of the beach on the revolving "Space Needle." For calmer vistas, stroll along the oceanfront boardwalk or out the quarter-mile-long Ocean Pier. Older kids will enjoy playing Frisbee golf at Tuscawilla Park's regulation 18-hole disc golf course or skateboarding on the Stone Edge Skateboard Park's challenging walls and hills.

While eastern Volusia County features world-famous beaches and well-known vacation destinations, small towns and natural attractions characterize its western region. Start a day in west Volusia County at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant, where the entire family can make breakfast together in historical surroundings. The restaurant, located at De Leon Springs State Recreation Area, features tabletop griddles for cooking pancakes, bacon and eggs. Families can also swim, snorkel and canoe in the crystal clear springs. For a look at the lifestyle of early Florida settlers, visit the Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts in nearby Barberville. Among the preserved structures featured at the 10-acre site are a railroad depot, authentic log cabin and blacksmith, woodworking and pottery shops, where visitors can learn about the tools and crafts of a bygone era. Children will enjoy meeting the friendly resident farm animals.

Stretching from Titusville to Palm Bay, Florida's Space Coast offers out-of-this-world adventures at a galaxy of attractions. Vacationers can experience space exploration from the first Mercury launches to today's modern shuttle flights. Visit the nucleus of America's space program at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, a massive 140,000-acre complex featuring full-size spacecraft models, lunar rock exhibits and astronaut memorabilia. Visitors can climb aboard a life-size replica of the Space Shuttle Explorer, walk through the Rocket Garden where Mercury- and Gemini-era rockets now reside, soar through various space adventures at two back-to-back IMAX theaters and get an up-close look at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, the most powerful rocket ever built. The attraction's newest additions include the Launch Complex 30 Observation Gantry, a 45-foot high, enclosed observation deck with a surrounding open air walkway and the International Space Station Center. The Center provides visitors access to operational areas for the first time in the history of NASA. Guided bus tours give visitors a behind-the-scenes peek at the working-side of the space center. Tour sights include the enormous Vehicle Assembly Building, astronaut training centers, actual launch pads, a simulated moon launch countdown and the old Mission Control Building.

Nearby, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, in Titusville, offers an array of hands-on exhibits and simulators that thrust visitors into various astronaut adventures. The only facility in the nation dedicated exclusively to honoring the astronauts of America, introduced its $4 million expansion in early October 1997. In the G-Force Trainer, soar through a jet fighter training run, or enter the 3-D world of aerial combat aboard one of the most realistic flight simulators ever created. For an exciting finale, blast off on a multimedia space flight aboard a full-scale space shuttle replica. And if that's not enough for the kids, try sending them to the five-day U.S. Space Camp Florida, where they can train like real astronauts. An out-of-this-world adventure, the camp includes building and launching model rockets, constructing a space station, trying out a microgravity trainer and space walk simulator and sampling freeze-dried astronaut meals.

For the best view of outer space from planet earth, visit the Astronaut Memorial Planetarium on the campus of Brevard Community College in Cocoa. Visitors will marvel at the dazzling star shows and thrill to the mysterious UFO shows featured on the planetarium's 360-degree domed ceiling. Or get an astronaut's-eye-view of the heavens from the observatorylhrough the air on the 100-foot-tall "S's giant, public-access telescope.

After touring the area's space age attractions, come back down to earth at the many sites centered around history and nature. Explore the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in Titusville to discover the early ancestors of space flight. Visitors can see over 350 vintage warplanes and hear fascinating first-hand stories from veteran tour guides. Several area attractions offer interactive ways to connect with history and science. Hear Florida cracker myths and songs at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa. Make music by moving in a computer-animated room at the Brevard Museum of Art and Science, and walk through a life-size whale replica at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne.

No family with teenagers can visit the Space Coast without stopping at the famed Ron Jon Surf Shop, open 24 hours a day. Located in Cocoa Beach, the massive shop offers everything vacationers will need for fun in the Florida sun, surf and sand, including beach bike, surfboard, boogie board and in-line skate rentals.

To the south, Florida's Treasure Coast, comprised of Indian River and St. Lucie counties, boasts more than 40 miles of golden Atlantic beaches edging cobalt-blue ocean waters. Nestled along the shore, Vero Beach's small-town atmosphere and casual lifestyle make it a relaxing family vacation destination. In addition to plenty of beach fun, visitors can enjoy the town's shop-lined streets and award-winning restaurants.

Central East Florida's larger tourist attractions offer plenty of family-friendly discounts, while a host of small towns help make beach vacations affordable and fun.

Through Daytona Beach's Small Lodging Program, travelers will find economical home-away-from-home accommodations with money-saving amenities such as efficiency kitchenettes. The program includes more than 53 select motel, hotel and bed-and-breakfast inns, many of which are beachfront, that emphasize affordable accommodations and high quality standards. Already low room rates decrease even more during the area's value season from May through October.

Considered Orlando's closest beach, vacationers will enjoy the Space Coast's 72 miles of Atlantic shores. Space Coast attractions also give family pocketbooks a break. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex boasts that a family of four can do everything on its massive complex for less than the cost of one admission to other major central Florida attractions. And visitors can get into Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, the Brevard Art Center and Museum and Brevard Zoo for $5 or less per person.

Small oceanfront towns dotting Florida's Treasure Coast add to the region's affordable beach accommodations.

Although speeding race cars and soaring space shuttles take the spotlight among Central East Florida attractions, travelers will be pleasantly surprised to find a wealth of historical gems quietly awaiting discovery, just slightly off the beaten path.

Not far from the roar of race car engines, Daytona Beach's downtown historic district features a variety of museums, churches, galleries and other cultural finds, nestled along the banks of the scenic Halifax River. Housed in an old bank building on Beach Street, the Halifax Historical Museum features Indian and Spanish artifacts found on nearby plantations, memorabilia from the early days of beach automobile racing and newspapers dating back to 1883.

Wandering the sunny downtown streets, visitors are sure to notice the animated window displays of Dunn Toys & Hobbies, reputed to be the "South's Largest Toy Store" and a Daytona Beach tradition since 1904. Inside the multicolored building, shoppers will find two floors of European toys, collector dolls and model trains to tickle their fancy. Downstairs, the charming 1904 Coffee Shop serves plenty of goodies. For more sweet treats, visit nearby Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory, which offers free, guided tours into the history and how-to of chocolate making. Free candy samples make this stop even more delicious.

Several miles away, travelers will find the white-framed, two-story house of Mary McLeod Bethune on the campus of historic Bethune-Cookman College. At the site, visitors can learn about the renowned civil rights leader and her famous college through photographs and artifacts. Nearby, on the campus of another educational institution, visit the Southeast Museum of Photography. Housed on the campus of Daytona Beach Community College, the museum is one of only 12 photography museums in the country and features historical and contemporary photography exhibits.

Once the winter home of John D. Rockefeller, the Casements is now the city of Ormond Beach's cultural center. Visitors will enjoy art exhibits, the Hungarian Historic Room, a Boy Scout exhibit and the historic Rockefeller period room.

At Lighthouse Point Park, visitors can stroll along a boardwalk stretching across a working jetty, or picnic under a waterfront pavilion with beautiful views of the ocean, river and lighthouse. Nearby, the 100-year-old Ponce Inlet Lighthouse offers a panoramic view of the surrounding Atlantic coast.

Within minutes of world-famous beaches, west Volusia County offers old-fashioned towns and oak-lined avenues, making it seem a world away from Daytona's hustle and bustle. Tucked along DeLand's shady streets, visitors will find more than 300 architectural gems, including Stetson University, Florida's oldest private university. On self-guided tours of the area, be sure to stop at beautiful DeLand Hall and the President's Home on the university's campus, as well as the Henry A. DeLand House, Gillespie Museum of Minerals, and the DeLand Museum of Art located nearby. The historic downtown district offers an abundance of antique shops, art galleries and eccentric bistros, such as Caffe' Da Vinci, an "artist's coffee house."

Central East Florida visitors will also find pleasant historic districts in the midst of the Space Coast's high-technology, space-age attractions. Originally settled in the 1860s, Historic Cocoa Village features a quaint collection of 50 shops and eateries along oak-shaded brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets. Numerous historical structures have been restored and are in use once again, including the Village Playhouse, a former vaudeville theater now used for community productions, and the Porcher House, the home of wealthy citrus grove owners, now open for public tours. Leisurely walking tours of the village are offered at Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science.

Nestled along the banks of Crane Creek, historic downtown Melbourne features galleries, boutiques and theaters housed in stunning turn-of-the-century buildings. Nearby, visitors will catch sight of a strange phenomenon - a 100-foot-long, concrete and steel dragon and its four hatchlings perched on the southern tip of Merritt Island. There's lots of dragon lore in the area, so stop a local resident for the colorful story behind the statues.

Florida's Treasure Coast, comprised of Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, is named for the treasure-laden Spanish galleons that lie sunken off its shores. But the bad luck of long-ago merchants affords dazzling displays to modern-day travelers. At Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum in Sebastian, see treasures excavated from the sunken galleons, including gold coins, bars and other Spanish artifacts. And among St. Lucie County Historical Museum's many exhibits, visitors will find a room dedicated to the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Pay homage to another famous gold sphere at the Indian River Citrus Museum in Vero Beach. The Treasure Coast leads the state in citrus production, and this museum chronicles the industry's history, from the late 1800s to today. For one last unconventional sidetrip, visit the Underwater Demolition Team - SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, where the equipment, weapons and demolition apparatuses used by these clandestine divers are on display.

Miles of Atlantic coastline dotted with wide sand beaches and protected wildlife areas are just the beginning of what Florida's Central East region has to offer vacationers looking for a natural Florida experience. Visitors will also find plenty of meandering canoe trails, famous fishing piers, dark cypress swamps and crystal blue springs to enjoy. Stretching from Ormond Beach in the north to Ponce Inlet in the south, the Daytona Beach area features 23 miles of hard-packed sand shores. Offshore, vacationers can discover rock-ledge reef systems and a number of shipwrecks, including the famous Liberty Ship, a sunken freighter loaded with jeeps and other war materials. For some quiet sunbathing, head to Ormond-By-The-Sea and the North Peninsula State Recreation Area, where driving is not permitted on the beach. Anglers will find some of the area's best fishing, and naturalists will admire the palmetto dunes and sea turtles.

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