Florida Surprise: Space Coast

I meant to write this post about nine months ago but with spring break on the horizon, I figured now is as good a time as any.

For spring break last year, we didn't have any big plans so when my mom came up with the idea that we visit her sister (my Aunt Linda) in Florida, I jumped at it. I decided to bring just Elia with me and thought it would be fun to make it a surprise for her. We didn't leave until mid-spring break week so on Wednesday morning, Elia woke up and I asked her what she wanted to do that day and then suggested we go to Florida. Needless to say, she was very surprised and very excited. I was, too. Our bags were packed and ready to go and we went off to the airport to meet up with my mom and begin our adventure.

My aunt lives on the east coast of Florida in the region known as the Space Coast. She lives near beautiful beaches and waterways, and isn't far from Kennedy Space Center. During our visit, we spent our time enjoying the warmth, exploring the city and neighboring towns, and enjoyed a dolphin cruise and visited Kennedy Space Center. We packed so much into our time on the Space Coast!

We spent one morning enjoying a two-hour dolphin tour and it was so much fun. We set out on the Indian River and it wasn't long before we started to see loads of dolphins following the boat and jumping alongside it. We also saw pelicans, which I find so beautiful, and we spotted a few manatees as well. Our tour guides were really friendly and I'm so glad we did the tour. My aunt had taken the same tour before and I'm we got to learn more about the ecosystem and wildlife of the area.

Elia was just shy of her fifth birthday on the trip and was looking forward to her space-themed birthday party in a few weeks. When I realized how close we were to Kennedy Space Center, I knew we had to go. I had been there as a kid and all I remembered was walking around outside and that they had carts selling Dippin' Dots everywhere.

The Space Center was way cooler than I remembered it being. I was so impressed by the size, the way they presented information, and the fact that it felt like such an authentic space travel experience. Elia loved seeing the space shuttle and rockets and while we learned a lot it never felt boring.

We really had a blast there and I'd definitely recommend spending a day at the Space Center if you find yourself in the area with kids.

Believe it or not, we packed all of this into just over two days of our trip. We had so much fun exploring eastern Florida and visiting Linda, she's such a gracious host! 

As the first photo of Elia and my mom suggests, our fun didn't end there. After a few days on the coast, we packed up and headed towards Orlando for Elia's first Disney adventure. I cannot wait to share all about that trip so stay tuned for more posts very soon. Spoiler alert: it was completely magical.

Do you have spring break plans this year? What's the best spring break trip you've ever been on?