My husband and I will be in the Daytona Beach area the first week in November (hoping to catch the shuttle launch). We are in our early 60's, relatively active - walking, tent camping, square dancing, Curves, etc., etc. We have never been north of Miami and are wondering what we should be allowing time for besides the Kennedy Space Center. We are not very interested in Disney World and prefer nature walks, seeing wild life and being out-of-doors to anything indoors or commercial. Any ideas for some sights to see, or places to watch animals in their natural habitat would be appreciated.

Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge would be a nice place to go.

Check out Tamoka State Park in Ormond Beach: http://www.floridastateparks.org/tomoka/default.cfm

Then go north to St. Augustine and see Old St. Augustine Village http://tinyurl.com/24b54e6 Ft. Matanzas http://www.nps.gov/foma/index.htm and, of course, the Castillo de San Marcos http://www.nps.gov/casa/
Anastasia State Park is also in the area: http://www.floridastateparks.org/anastasia/


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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Thanks for you great ideas. I am taking notes and will get busy now that I have someplace to start my research.

Stuart FL is home to the Navy Seal Museum. It's not a big one, but it is an important one.

Also in the area is the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. Very nifty and interesting. http://www.floridaoceanographic.org/

Both look interesting. Also noted Bath tub beach for snorkeling. How is the snorkeling on the rest of the coast?

In the ocean, I suspect that the waves will kick up too much sand for good snorkeling. I know you will have a much better experience at a place like Blue Spring State Park http://www.floridastateparks.org/bluespring which is very close (maybe 30-40 minutes by car) to Daytona in Orange City. There, you can expect crystal clear water and a 72-degree water temperature.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

If you're interested in natural areas, I'll second nlg's suggestion of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge ( http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/ ) which is actually where the space center is located. Don't miss the Blackpoint wildlife drive there. Over the years we've seen manatees, wild boars, plenty of alligators, and countless species of birds there.

How I wish we had an edit function! I meant to say that most of the refuge is closed the day before a shuttle launch, but it opens back up right after a launch.

Thanks to Orlando-Vic and 321go. There is so much information on-line, it's nice to have first-hand advice on the best places to go. Both web sites were very helpful.