Dummett's quest for seclusion led him to devote much of his time to this perfectly protected grove,…read moreuniquely lodged between two large temperate lagoons. It is thought that Dummett's experiments with grafting, as well as the mild lagoon climate, helped his grove survive the record-setting freeze of 1835 that killed groves throughout the territory.[8]

According to the historical landmark plaque (summary version):…read more In early pioneer times native Americans and explorers had to pull or haul their canoes and boats across this narrow strip of land from the Mosquito Lagoon to the Indian River. Hence it became known as "haulover". Fort Ann was established nearby in 1837 during the 2nd Seminole War to protect the haulover from Indians and also carry military supplies from the Lagoon to the River. In 1852, the first canal was dug using slave labor by contractor G.E. Hawes. It was 3 feet deep, 14 feet wide, and completed in time for the 3rd Seminole Indian War (1856-1858). By 1887 a new and deeper canal was dug not far from the original. This is its present day location. In 1927 the Haulover Canal was incorporated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to be maintained. It has been dug wider and deeper and a basin added for launching boats. I enjoy visiting here. It's a beautiful motorcycle ride that includes riding through the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge- just north of Kennedy Space Center. There's a drawbridge that crosses the Haulover and as one crosses over from the south, on the north side is a site for manatee watching. The manatee watching site has a paved parking lot and a raised concrete fenced platform where one can watch manatees as they forage for food and raise to the surface for air. They can stay under water anywhere from 5-15 minutes so be patient. I saw several on my visit. Several boats were going "out" into Mosquito Lagoon. I saw a pontoon boat, a fishing boat, a sailboat (that required the drawbridge to be raised), and even a person in a kayak. The boat launch is on he south side and west of the drawbridge. This is a great place to visit or bring your boat and enjoy a day on the water traversing between the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River by way of the historic Haulover Canal.

Love seeing Manatees, dolphins and gators at the haulover canal. Beautiful spot. Usually quietread more

While on our Florida Mini Vacay, Deacon, Kayla Beth Fields & I stopped at New Smyrna Beach area to…read morecheck out the Sugar Mill Ruins. This was Deacon's first historical site with his maw maw YoYo on her trek to see all things historical. He seemed to enjoy the adventure. The Cruger-de-Peyster Plantation Sugar Mill Ruins are superb. There are hiking trails in to the jungle like funa but we didn't have bug spray. I keep it in my car but we were enjoying Kayla's new rocking rover!!! We saw quite a few lizards. I guess they are a local staple to the wildlife here. Their little throats blow out a orangish bag, weird to us West Virginians....lol!! This park is nice! Pets allowed Small parking lot. FREE TO ENJOY! Well marked with signage to the location. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

Simple free walkthrough. With signage as to what it was and what they did. A little hard to find as…read moreit isn't a large sign

I came here with my homeschooling co-op, they did a free mini class event for us. Very nice of the…read moreteacher to take the time to teach the kiddos all about navigation and she made it really fun for them as well as broke it down for them to understand in game form. I think it lasted about 25 mins or so. Only wish I would have walked more into their trail to see the water view if there is one I didn't get to see it. In all a cool spot to get a bit of history and sight seeing.

Wow! What a cool place. My husband and I have been choosing a different nature sanctuary in…read moreBrevard county to explore and walk, today we chose Sams house and Pine Island sanctuary. We decided to park at the Pine Island end of the trail, there are a couple of rustic areas to park. The trail head for the Pine Island loop which is about 3/4 of a mile is near the manatee viewing area and kayak launch. The walk from parking area to the start of the garnet trail which takes you to Sam's house is a wide open green area that is used for walking or horseback riding, there is no shade but if you're lucky there is a beautiful breeze along the lake. The trail to Sam's house is very rustic with some boardwalks and lots of root covered ground. The path is clear but some areas a a little soft due to the surrounding canals. Sam's house is one of the original homes in Merritt Island. There are areas with explanations and examples of what was grown and sold in the area. Apparently there were prehistoric animal remains found in the area as well as the burial mound of Indigenous people. This is a definite place to revisit and explore the other trails and bits of history.

I can't think of a more befitting and deserving place for our Military veterans to be placed at…read morerest. The site is surrounded by oaks and pines and the grounds are kept meticulously clean and groomed. It truly conveys a feeling of peacefulness and serenity. I had been here on two previous occasions - both involved the placing of wreaths during the annual "Wreaths Across America" that is in December of every year. This time was to pay respect for a friend who had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. The Military Honor Guard's performance was very moving and the ceremony faithfully honored this proud veteran who had served his country. It's free to visit, and if you don't know the exact location of the grave you wish to visit, you can check in at the visitor center and they can help you and also provide you with a map. Only live flower arrangements are allowed, and there are vases at each marker. This is a very beautiful place.

The cemetery is always meticulously maintained every time I stop by to pay respects to my parents…read more The staff treated my family and I with great kindness during both funeral services, which I deeply appreciated. Huge gratitude for this wonderful National Cemetery.

**INITIAL REVIEW**…read more The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Tour (which I will shorthand simply to the Lighthouse Tour) has been one of those "backyard adventures" I've been wanting to go on for the longest time. Eventually, I was able to partake in said adventure with my friends, Nate and Chops. Afterwards, I have to say that even for a probably "one-and-done" for a tour, it is definitely worth every penny spent. This tour was everything I wanted and loved, and it delivered. First and foremost, the actual business building for the Lighthouse Tour is nothing you have to worry about. According to all the tours, you will meet up at the Sands Space Museum and take a charter van to multiple locales on the tour. Before we get to the actual tour I partook in, it should be noted there are numerous tour options such as the museums alone, the lighthouse alone, or the full experience. Prices range from $35 (lighthouse only) to $65 (full tour). I went with the latter which includes numerous museums, historic launch sites, and the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. It should also be noted that the more you do, the longer the tour. The full tour is four hours long. Please take note the things you need to check before the tour such as wearing shoes if you plan to walk up the five floors of the lighthouse, small bags allowed with small closed-contained foods and drinks only. Finally, you need to fill out a clearance check as all the stops, with the exception of Sands Space Museum, is on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Military Base. With those in mind, the full tour - known as the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and Space Flight Tour - is all the stops if possible. I say "if possible" because some stops may be closed for maintenance or upgrades. For us, The Sands Space Museum, where the tour stars, was closed for renovation. However, the museum is free and not on protected property so I can go back and check it out. We visited four different launch sites, three museums, and the Cape Canaveral lighthouse. I personally loved the lighthouse and Hanger "A" which housed some of the larger historic rockets and jets that have helped bring NASA and the U.S. military where it is now. I personally was surprised that the first drone was used as target practice. I can't really detail everything I saw or this would become one my longest reviews, longer than I usually do. Just know that, like I said earlier in the review, for a possible one-and-done, it is worth every penny. However, if you really want to make sure the tour is a one-and-done, pay for the full tour. You'll have enough time to visit everything within the four hours, and if anything is closed, they'll take you to the Canaveral National Seashore, which was amazing because it is literally almost "untouched" by tourism. I will give this tour four out of five stars. I am not going to say consistency will earn the fifth star because only a super fan will take this tour numerous times... or work for the tour company. I will say that the lacking star has to do with the price. It can be high overall especially if stops are closed for some reason.

Great experience an excellent adventure for all in the family. Make sure add to you agenda.read more

I finally made it to see a Falcon 9 NROL-77 launch and can confirm this is the best and closest…read morelocation to Launch Complex 39A/B (which is too close to allow public viewing during launches) and nearby LC-40 and LC-41. Arrival & Transit Time: From the moment you park at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Visitor Complex, it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to reach the viewing site. Bus Ride: The bus ride itself is about 15 minutes. Cost: The transfer cost was $88 on top of the daily entrance fee (you might consider an annual pass if planning to return at least one more time). Launch Experience: The narration was very interactive, and the sound was impressive. A major bonus was being able to clearly see the booster landing about 10 miles away at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2). Departure Time: The way back to the parking lot took a bit longer, almost an hour, since the bus made a couple of stops along the way. I liked it a lot and might return in 48 hours for another potential launch!

The Gantry at LC-39 is the newest attraction and first stop on the bus tour. It's adjacent to…read morelaunch complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. LC-39 offers 360 degree views around Kennedy Space Center, with several free standing binoculars to see two of the launch pads. If my memory is correct they are launch pads 39 A and 39 B. Through the binocular on the right side of The Gantry you could see a rocket leaning against the side of the launch pad. On the left side you could see the Space X building(I think it was a building)The Gantry is 4 stories high, and is handicap accessible, there is an elevator and a ramp. As we were walking up to The Gantry, you can see a full sized rocket engine under The Gantry, and hear the count down to blast off. When the engine reaches zero the rocket engine starts up loud sound with steam and a mist coming from it. A very impressive photo or video opportunity. Inside The Gantry there are a lot of things to do and see, you can sit on one of the many NASA crawler transporter pistons to make a simulated rocket on the computers that surround the center of The Gantry. What is the crawler transporter?? The crawler-transporter is a huge machine that transports the rockets/shuttles to the different launch pads. It is bigger than a baseball infield, and when it was loaded with a space shuttle it weighs more than 18 million pounds and travels at a speed of one mile per hour. The crawler transporter travels on a specially made crawler way made to support the weight of the crawler transporter. The (according to KSC) river rock surface covers a layer of asphalt and a seven foot-deep bed of crushed stone, and it extends 3.4 miles from the VAB to Launch Pad 39 A and about 4.2 miles to Launch Pad B. There are clean restrooms here, (all of their restroom facilities were super clean and well stocked with supplies)the ladies counting for the buses to load were friendly, and the man running the souvenir shop at LC- 39 was friendly and welcoming. On the side of The Gantry there are stadium type seats to view a rocket launch. The Gantry was very informative and educational and well worth the visit.

Seeing a rocket launch at the Kennedy Space Center, is one of the most memorable things you will…read moredo, especially if it's on your birthday. Now the gamble with these launches is you have to prepare well in advance for weather disasters/ or shuttle cancellations, so you can make many trips out here for the same launch. Get to these launches EARLY, and when I mean EARLY, I mean at 4 AM. I thought 4AM would give me enough time, but cars were still lined up past the gate. They do give you many Rocket Launch viewing options, due to the CoronaVirus, I opted for the VIP Viewing deck on Launch Pad 39A area. This was located towards the far back of the Kennedy Space Center past Atlantis. Upon entering the area, we received these limited edition NASA hats to wear for the launch. This was a nice area to view the launch for one-time, and it was also the only BEST option they had available at the time due to Corona. On a normal season, I would view this particular location to be too far from the launch. It included a continental breakfast which was nice, however, too many people in a tight space made you make a mad dash for the breakfast croissant then leave. Thanks to the ample guides around, I was directed to the best spot on the bleachers for the show. Seeing the rocket launch was incredible, and I forgot how close the vibrations are when your right there. Everybody was snobby like me on the bleachers, so we made sure people were following the 6-feet social distancing w/ mask rule if they wanted to get near us. Overall- Great Viewing Area away from the Main Crowd, SPLURGE for Better Viewing Options if Available, Excellent Continental Breakfast, and Informative Commentative Launch!!

NASA's historic Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was first built to send…read moreastronauts to the moon and evolved into the departure point for space shuttles lifting off to Earth orbit. Now, the launch pad is entering its third iteration, supporting SpaceX launches of uncrewed -- and eventually crewed -- missions. I love living so close to this historic location and I have been so fortunate to have witnessed so many launches including the space shuttles, with the SpaceX program fully operational I'm amazed at the number of launches taking place so close together I was a little skeptical when the space program went private because it appeared to be the end to America's space program. Once again the private sector has proven that by limiting the government's participation it has allowed the entrepreneurs to take the space program to the next level in record time and has raised the bar way beyond anyone's expectations -they are doing it better and cheaper e.g. recovering and reusing the first stage rockets by controlling and landing them safety back on earth for a quick turn around this not only saves times it saves millions of dollars. During the Saturn V program, Pad 39A launched 12 Saturn V rockets, including Apollo 11 and Skylab 1. Pad 39A hosted the last launch of the Shuttle program on July 8, 2011, and hosted no launches from then until 2017. 39A was leased by SpaceX in 2014 for Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Crew Dragon launches, and it returned to service with launches of the Falcon 9 rocket starting in early 2017. This is only the beginning of what's to come, I was so fortunate to get a private tour along side astronaut Jon A. McBride - STS-41G who piloted Challenger on October 5, 1984 definitely a bucket list item...

I had to come down here for some government business recently. The employees could not have been…read morenicer or more helpful. There are some big advantages to small towns in this day and age.