EPIC Southern Road Trips: Nashville to Cocoa Beach
EPIC Road Trip Series: Nashville to Cocoa Beach
Sponsored by Space Coast, Florida
Drive time: 11 hours
EPIC Road Trip Series is Weekend Trips from Nashville’s newest travel series. In addition to our much-loved 1-3 hour trips and our 4+ hour trips, we’re bringing our road warriors some EPIC road trip ideas that take you exploring 9+ hours away!
This article will answer the questions:
1) Why are travelers looking for road trips on the East Coast?
2) What does a safe road trip from Tennessee to Florida look like during COVID?
3) What is there to do in Cocoa Beach?
4) What are some restaurants in Cocoa Beach that you shouldn’t miss?
5) What should you pack when traveling during COVID?
A Southern USA Road Trip
Not all travelers are ready to hang up their suitcases because of COVID. Some southern travelers are desperately trying to rearrange travel plans to destinations that allow for social distancing and open-air activities. With the motto: safety first and travel second, many travelers are opting out of the traditionally overcrowded seasonal spots and looking to the east coast to stay in smaller beach communities far away from the crowds. We’re not talking about irresponsible travelers gathering in large crowds. We’re referring to smart travelers who are taking the utmost care:
opting for road trips instead of air travel,
avoiding crowded indoor activities,
wearing masks,
ordering take-out, and
disinfecting wherever they go.
Epic road trips are, not unexpectedly, making a comeback.
When you combine the fact that most travelers are not comfortable with flying AND remote work and studying are providing opportunities to be away for longer periods of time, it’s no surprise that epic road trips are starting to make a comeback.
What are epic road trips looking like nowadays?
Taking a little longer on the road.
Picking a destination, but adding many interesting stops in other cities along the way.
Spending a little more time at the destination, vacationing AND working remotely.
Extending a weekend trip into a weeklong getaway.
Choosing to drive to sights that are typically 9+ hours away from home.
Why a Florida Road Trip?
There are probably a 3,000,001 Florida road trip ideas. But we were looking for something specific.
Our family was looking for a beach getaway that would help us socially distance and give us a much-needed break from quarantining at home. We wanted a trip to see new outdoor sights but knew we didn’t feel safe flying, yet. Since we all work remotely and homeschool full-time, we were able to stay a bit longer out on the road and fit traveling into our workdays. We were invited by Florida’s Space Coast to explore their destination’s outdoor activities. But the looming question was: could we travel to Florida safely?
What did traveling from Tennessee to Florida look like for us during COVID?
Many may ask “why are you traveling at all during the pandemic?” Some may question why we chose Florida? Both questions are fair. Our reasoning centers around three things:
We live in the South where numbers are high all around.
We adhere to CDC guidelines and think there is a way to travel responsibly using masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing.
There was not an active lockdown or quarantine in any of the areas we visited. If there was, we would not have gone.
No matter our reasoning or yours, the fact remains that people are traveling. Our hope is to offer ideas to that segment of the population. We are not here to convince you to travel if you are not comfortable doing so. We want you to do what is right for your family. Rather, our hope is to show those who are already traveling ways to make better, safer choices while on the road, as well as, keeping the communities they visit as safe as possible.
So, here are two things that we did differently.
1. We brought essential items from home. In addition to clothes and toiletries, here was our packing list for a road trip during COVID.
2 containers of bleach wipes (one we kept in the car, the other we kept in the hotel room)
We used sanitizing wipes on the drive down to clean highly-touched things like gas station pumps, door handles/locks to restrooms, coffee machine handles in gas station convenience stores, etc.
a can of Lysol spray
We used this to sanitize fabrics that could not be wiped with bleach wipes, things like comforters and pillows in the hotel rooms.
hand sanitizer
We kept a full bottle in the car and smaller, refillable bottles with us at all times.
a bottle of Dawn dish soap
We used this a couple of times when the hotel had only a bar of soap. We were doing so much hand washing, it was easier to use liquid soap than the bar. Also, there were times when we needed to wash our traveling mugs.
a box of disposable masks
Since we could not wash items while traveling and since we’d be wearing our masks during activities in the hot summer sun, we wanted to make sure we had an ample supply in case someone lost or soiled their mask.
medicines and homeopathic remedies
We just don’t know nowadays what is stocked in local stores and what is depleted. We did not want to be stuck in a new place without access to some of our favorite fast-acting remedies.
cash for tolls
If you’ve ever road-tripped in Florida, you know all about the toll roads. Making sure we had cash during our road trip was interesting, because up until then we had avoided using cash during COVID for sanitary reasons. Paying tolls came with its own safety routine of masking up, rolling down the window to pay, receiving change in return, rolling up the window, then sanitizing our hands and window control area…each time.
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If you’re going to travel during COVID, you should do so responsibly. Pin this article for later!
2. We had a NEW list of things to do (and not do) during the trip and post-trip.
The kids usually bring a pillow and a stuffed animal on road trips. While we let them bring these items in the car, we did not allow these items to leave the car and be brought into the hotels. We did not want to have to worry about where these were being placed inside of the room.
We did not receive any housekeeping services at the hotels in which we stayed. Thankfully, most hotels are not offering these services as added safety measures.
We increased our hotel room cleaning procedures 1000%. Normally, when we travel, we sanitize remotes and phones and do a bed bug check. This time, the whole family participated in a thorough wipe down of the hotel room upon check-in. You cannot leave sanitization to someone else, even if the hotel makes promises of safety protocols.
We only chose restaurants with open patios and outdoor seating. Unfortunately, we missed a few popular restaurants. Other times, we just found it safer to order take-out and eat back at the hotel.
At the conclusion of our trip, we self-quarantined at home for 14 days.
After considering the safety measures that felt responsible and right for our family, we set our GPS on Florida’s Space Coast.
And Epic Road Trip: Florida began.
We have never been to the Space Coast of Florida, 72-miles of coastline from Titusville to Sebastian. Why is it called the Space Coast? Since the 1950’s, it’s been home to America’s Manned Space program. Think shuttle launches, Kennedy Space Center, and “I Dream of Jeannie”…that’s all based in Florida’s Space Coast region.
Florida’s Space Coast: your connection point between Earth and space!
Many venture down to Florida’s Space Coast in hopes of catching a launch! It’s hard to plan a Florida road trip around the dates of rocket launches because they change so frequently due to weather. A launch was scheduled during our trip. When we left Nashville, we had every finger crossed in the car that we’d get to see it, but unfortunately, it was rescheduled. If you’re lucky to view a rocket launch, it’s definitely a travel experience you are unlikely to forget.
Many travelers overlook the Space Coast as a destination, stopping instead on their way out of Port Canaveral for a cruise or popping over after a theme park visit in Orlando. So, we wanted to find out…is the Space Coast of Florida a destination worthy of your vacation days? And if so, why?
We headed to the heart of Florida’s Space Coast, Cocoa Beach, to find out.
A throwback to the retro family resorts in Florida, from days of old
Beachside Hotel and Suites in Cocoa Beach is right across the street from beach access.
We stayed at the newly renovated Beachside Hotel and Suites in Cocoa Beach. It’s easy to miss the hotel when pulling into Cocoa Beach. From the street, it looks more like a strip mall than a hotel. But you’ll find the colorful fun located in the inner courtyard where there is a lazy river, pool-front bar and restaurant, and a green lawn used for outdoor movies. Think 1960's retro drive-up beach motel and lazy-river days and you’ve encapsulated what Beachside Hotel and Suites is all about.
Pros:
The rooms are large, which is nice when you’re traveling with the whole family. We stayed in a Queen Suite, which included a pull-out sofa in a separate living room and two queen beds.
Most rooms have a patio with outdoor seating which was a nice spot for us to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee while the kids were still asleep.
The hotel offers breakfast each morning. Currently, because of COVID, the breakfast experience has changed. The hotel offers brown-bag breakfasts, which include two pastries and a bottle of water. Coffee is not offered.
The hotel requires face masks in the lobby area. In Florida, where face masks are still optional, this extra measure made us feel so much safer.
Beach equipment is complimentary! This was one of the best parts about our stay, and truly where families receive the most bang for their buck when staying at this hotel! Boogie boards, surfboards, beach wagons, beach chairs, and bike rentals are all FREE to guests. We’ve stayed in other places where a bike rental was $20/day per person. We could never enjoy a family bike ride at those prices. However, with these complimentary options, we were able to have a plethora of activities to choose from throughout the day. It was especially useful for us to have other options when the hotel’s lazy river felt too crowded.
The hotel room was bright and cheery with retro design elements. The lobby was a modern, updated space.
Beach access is located right across the street from the hotel.
Miniature golf is also right next door. They have a yummy ice cream store inside, which stayed open late. We stopped by there twice for a late-night treat!
The hotel rooms have exterior doors, which because of COVID, was a plus. There were no stuffy hallways to race through. We had direct access to our car and to the hotel pool, which made it easier to socially distance from other guests.
Beachside Hotel and Suites offers rental equipment for free to guests!
Beachside Hotel and Suites offers rental equipment for free to guests!
Cons:
All hotel rooms have exterior doors. What may be a benefit for some travelers could also be a con for others. If, for security reasons, you don’t love having an exterior door to the parking lot, you may want to skip this hotel.
We noticed that beach equipment and pool inner tubes were not sanitized between guest use. On a good note, staff will sanitize equipment at your request prior to rental. Sanitizing wipes are also available in the pool area for guests to clean chairs and tubes before use.
Here’s a Cocoa Beach map - the closest beach to Disney World.
Cocoa Beach is a homey, mid-century beach town on the northern part of Florida’s Space Coast. The local community is prominent in Cocoa Beach, helping to balance the touristy-vibe. You will see locals skateboarding, walking their dogs, and jogging on the beach throughout the day.
One famous local, the surf champ, Kelly Slater grew up in Cocoa Beach. Known as the East Coast Surf Capital, Cocoa Beach’s local surf culture was a surprise to us! Ron Jon’s Surf Shop has a flagship store in Cocoa Beach which is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. One of the best places to learn to surf, Cocoa Beach’s waves are fun to ride but not intimidating for beginners. If you’re looking for surf destinations, don’t discount surfing in Florida’s Space Coast.
Besides being oceanfront, Cocoa Beach is near major attractions in Florida, like Orlando’s theme parks. How far is Cocoa Beach from Orlando?
Orlando to Cocoa Beach takes one hour. In fact, we waved at Mickey from our car on the road trip down, since the journey from Nashville to Cocoa Beach takes you right through Orlando.
Stay in Cocoa Beach or…
You can stay in Cocoa Beach or explore other areas of Space Coast. I would recommend looking into Melbourne Beach, which had bright blue ocean water and white sandy beaches. Or if you don’t mind river views, try finding an Airbnb in the walkable, artsy Eau Gallie Arts District.
Eau Gallie Arts District is a riverfront community with restaurants, galleries, and art murals.
What is there to do in Cocoa Beach and nearby?
Ahh, now we’re down to the nitty gritty. What can you do when you visit Florida’s Space Coast? Here is a list of popular activities:
• Discover the wonder of bioluminescent kayaking.
Guided night-time tour with Adventure Kayak Cocoa Beach.
Mid- to late summer each year, travelers flock to experience the bioluminescence in Florida. What is bioluminescence? Basically, it is a glowing light emitted from organisms in the water when the water is disturbed. The ripples of our kayaks, our paddles in the water, our hands touching the water, all these things would make the water around glow a bright blue-green. Imagine the liquid in a glow-stick. Now imagine it all around your kayak.
We were led by knowledgeable guides from Adventure Kayak Cocoa Beach. If you book a tour, wear long sleeves and pants, and be sure to spray mosquito repellent on exposed skin AND under clothes! We set out on the dark water with the kids in tandem kayaks, and even with bug spray, we woke up the next morning with bug bites. During our tour, we also got to scoop up comb jellyfish with nets provided by our guides. Comb jellyfish do not sting, but they do light up in your hand like blinking LED lights when you handle them. All in all, it was an evening of discovery and nature that made for a unique family experience.
• Visit Kennedy Space Center.
Go early; be in line when the Kennedy Space Center's doors open. This not only ensures you go during the coolest part of the day, but it also helps you to avoid the busy crowds. Be aware that some high-touch exhibits are closed due to COVID.
There are outdoor exhibits like the Rocket Garden. There are a few indoor theatres showing films that recount space history and shuttle launches. Be sure to see the Atlantis Shuttle exhibit and participate in the shuttle launch simulation. Masks are required in all areas of the Space Center and social distancing is stressed.
• Wow the entire family with amazing fossils at the Dinosaur Store & Antiquities Museum.
I'm always up for sprinkling learning experiences into travel! This museum was the prime place to do that. You can pay an added fee to tour the musuem's exhibits or play some games in the arcade. However, we just browsed the store area, which is free, and looked at the various ancient fossils and replicas of skulls and dinosaurs. It was a fascinating experience for kids AND parents!
• Feed the giraffes at the Brevard Zoo.
You’ve been to one zoo, you’ve been to them all, right?? Wellll…not really. At this zoo, you can book a kayak tour through animal sanctuaries, the only tour of its kind in North America. While we were there, masks were required AND zoo employees were periodically sanitizing high-touch areas, like feeding machines and benches, throughout the park. If you visit, be sure to sign up for the first kayak tour of the day at 10:30 am. Then, feed the giraffes! There is also a wading pool for smaller children, so for those with toddlers, pack your bathing suits!
• Find hidden alligators in the marsh while on an airboat.
Another exhilarating Florida outdoor activity is an airboat tour! If you go in the cool of the morning, you are more likely to spot alligators than in the hot midday. Be sure to ask about social distancing protocol before booking a tour. We would not advise booking with a company that packs the airboats to capacity.
• Other activities to consider:
Watch departing cruise ships from Port Canaveral; climb the observation tower at the port.
Take a surfing class.
Wear your swim suit and pack a beach towel, then drive up the coast and beach hop. Stop at beaches and inlets all along the Space Coast. Choose a restaurant in between for each meal. It’s a wonderful way to allow serendipity to steer your day.
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Cocoa Beach, Florida, family road trips, outdoor activities
What are some of the best restaurants in Cocoa Beach?
We were able to find some really great dishes while traveling on Florida’s Space Coast. We were especially fond of the restaurants below because:
they offered an open-air patio WITH socially-distanced seating, OR
their take-out options were delicious and quick!
*1. LongDoggers
Tips: Try the chilled peel and eat shrimp and the fish & chips basket. Skip the poké bowl.
*2. Poké Fin
Tips: Park in the back of the building. The patio is breezy and shaded. The poké bowls are fresh. You can choose a style or create your own bowl! You can't go wrong with any topping.
*3. PizzaVola
Tips: La Caprese was delicious! If you like New York-style pizza, you have to try take-out from here. Our second recommendation for pizza would be the Veggie Pizza.
*4. El Ambia Cubano Restaurant (located near Melbourne Beach)
Tips: You have to order the whole red snapper and finish with a Cuban coffee.
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#RoadTripUSA, #BestWeekendRoadTrips: A mid-century beach town with retro vibes and outdoor activities
Need a suggestion for a day trip?
When was the last time you went to a drive-in? Here are two drive-ins close to Nashville, TN.
Here’s another trip idea for those who love unique locations.
Read more: Want other trips from Nashville?
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