2024 Melbourne, Florida - What To Do? - Recommendations Please

slo

My tag used to say - I'm a Tonga Toast Junkie 😁
Joined
Feb 28, 2004
Below is my original post from last year. I decided to use the same thread so others, that may be visiting the same area, can look at the recommendations.

Many of you were very kind to give us recommendations that we used and enjoyed (below is a list of the places we went to). We are returning to the exact same area on March 9th for a week, and I’m hoping that you good people can give us some more recommendations. The only place we won’t revisit is Mulligan’s because it was to far of a drive. We enjoyed it there, but not enough to drive all that way.

So, for 2024, do you have any recommendations for breakfast, lunch or dinner that we should try? Also, any fun places that we should visit? (last year we went to Kennedy Space Center).

As always…..thank you for taking the time to help us have a great trip :goodvibes

Places we went to in 2023 ⬇️

IMG_3107.jpeg

Original 2023 post ⬇️
We will be in Melbourne, Florida for 1 week in March watching our DD19 play in a college softball tournament there.

We will go to Kennedy Space Center one day, but outside of that, I’m clueless on what to do. If you’re familiar with the area and can recommend things to do, places to go, a good restaurant and even places to stay away from, please leave a post.

Thanks in advance for your help :wave:
 
Last edited:
We have family over there so we end up in the general area often. I'm not going to lie, it isn't the most exciting place to be. Besides KSC, which is really great and worth the visit, the only other thing we have done attraction-wise is the zoo. It is ok but not huge and is really only a half day.

Historic Cocoa Village has some nice shops and restaurants but besides that we didn't really find much to do so we hang at the pool with the family a lot.
 


We will be in Melbourne, Florida for 1 week in March watching our DD19 play in a college softball tournament there.

We will go to Kennedy Space Center one day, but outside of that, I’m clueless on what to do. If you’re familiar with the area and can recommend things to do, places to go, a good restaurant and even places to stay away from, please leave a post.

Thanks in advance for your help :wave:

https://downtownmelbourne.com/home/

https://brevardzoo.org/

https://www.visitspacecoast.com/things-to-do/attractions

https://www.visitspacecoast.com/things-to-do/art-culture

https://www.visitflorida.com/places...rne/?view=list&sort=qualityScore&bounds=false



 
Last edited:


It would be a little bit of a ride (about an hour), but MLB Spring Training games would be starting up in March and the Mets are in Port St. Lucie. Would have to check if games are scheduled in Port St. Lucie when you are there; and, Mets are fairly popular, so not sure if ticket availability would be tough either.
 
  • Love
Reactions: slo
Downtown Melbourne has a lot of small shops and restaurants. Cocoa, Florida has a similar downtown area to explore And would be a nice end to a KSC day, since KSC often closes early. Another dinner option on KSC day is to go to one of the restaurants at Port Canaveral when several ships are going out. We went down to visit Disney’s Vero Beach resort for lunch one day from Cocoa Beach, and it would be closer from Melbourne. The beaches in the area are nice also.
 
great burgers http://cabanashorestikibar.com/ ... looks like a biker bar but family friendly and great food

https://www.grillsseafood.com/ great riverside location not far from Cabana but this one is waterside . . . I like Cabanna better but we go here regularly too .....

indoor carting https://www.route7entertainment.com/

there are a number of folks who offer kayak trips thru the mangrove areas ..... and several 'pontoon boat' type tours to see manatee etc etc. example: https://www.spacecoastrivertours.com/

Airboat ride: http://www.twisterairboatrides.com/ ... this is just one of several companies in the area.

if you want beach with other people and life guards then Jetty Park or the Cocoa Pier areas .... want to be alone then look at the beach access around Patrick AFB/SFB especially at the south end where SR-404 ends . . <this is quiet unless the surf is up THEN popular surfer spots - fun to watch>

there are two venues for this type of sports event in the area ... one is very near 'the avenue' shopping/entertainment "open air mall" https://www.avenueviera.com/ ..... we like Pizza Gallery here! https://pizzagalleryandgrill.com/ AND http://tuscanygrill.net/
1675538882743.png
the other ....... well I hope not . . fields may be OK but the entire venue has a BAD history over the last few years. Are you on Stadium Parkway or SR - 520?????
1675538743514.png

A port canaveral channel side restaurant when the ships are departing is very fun if you've never seen before. I like GRILLS at the port but there are several other restaurants in a line on the same road ...... ships tend to leave between 4 and 6 ..... schedule can be found at https://www.portcanaveral.com/getat...ite-Schedule-Jan-May-2023.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

view from Grills at the port
grills-seafood-30.jpg


BIG P.S. ... check your dates against the launch schedule ...... while the launches are not nearly the big deal they were years back they are still exciting if you've never seen one ....

https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
just an example site ... search space launch schedule and see other/better/more readable
 
Last edited:
It’s about a 2hr ride up north to Daytona if you wanted to go up that way, or a little closer is the town of New Smyrna Beach which is a gem of a beach community …either of those you can drive onto the beach -pack a little lunch and a couple chairs and relax watching the surf roll in. Then of course there’s Disney 80 minutes west 🤷🏻
 
Grills is a fantastic restaurant. I'd also recommend Indiatlantic for a quieter beach compared to Cocoa or Canaveral. I spend two weeks a year staying in Palm Bay and umpiring softball in Viera. I try to get to Indiatlantic to watch at least one sunrise. Became a big fan of Walk-Ons on my last trip, much better food from a sports bar than what I've had anywhere else.
 
BIG P.S. ... check your dates against the launch schedule ...... while the launches are not nearly the big deal they were years back they are still exciting if you've never seen one ....
Will agree with this. I've seen launches the past two times I've been down there. Once from the fields in Viera and once from the beach in Indiatlantic, both were amazing to see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: slo

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!










Top