Saturday, July 11, 2009

Port Canaveral Field Trip, Part Two

Since I moved here in the 60's, Port Canaveral has grown from a couple of oil storage tanks to a bustling hub of commercial and industrial activity. I didn't keep up with its growth, so my previous post about Canaveral Lock and Avocet Lagoon was a little light on things to do and places to eat. Friends Kirby and Bev Collins live in Cape Canaveral and produce a very successful destination web site, Places Around Florida (see Reference Links below). They readily agreed to play "tour guides" on another field trip to Port Canaveral, so one hot day a couple of weeks ago, off we went. (This overall aerial view of Port Canaveral looking east is used with permission of the Canaveral Port Authority.)

A little background. Port Canaveral is the major deepwater point of entry for Central Florida. It was originally constructed in the early 1950's for military and commercial purposes. (The photo below, again from the Canaveral Port Authority, shows the Port in 1953. )


By the 1960's, cargo tonnage moving through the Port had reached one million tons a year, and the Port became an important player in the space program. In the 1980's, the Port opened its first cruise terminal , and today it is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world.

Port Canaveral is an interesting mix of military (a submarine wharf and a Trident turning basin), industrial (cargo terminals and storage, fuel storage tanks), commercial (The Cove with its restaurants and retail shops, a commercial park, marinas), and recreation (parks, campgrounds, cruise ships), as well as the infrastructure needed to support all of this (Canaveral Port Authority offices, fire station, Customs and Border Patrol). I look at that sentence and think it should be shortened, but then again, it describes the Port - busy busy busy, with lots of parenthetical stuff going on! (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Our first stop was Jetty Park. You'll pay $7 a car to get in, or you can purchase a yearly pass. There is a 1,200 foot fishing pier, a beach, and campgrounds, with camping fees ranging from $25 to $47 per night. There's a very nice Visitor Center by the beach/fishing pier, and my understanding is that the hamburgers at the snack bar are excellent! The fishing pier is a masterpiece, set amongst huge rocks and jutting out into the ocean. The beach is visible from the pier, and there are lifeguards 365 days a year. As you're walking along the pier, you're likely to see juvenile green sea turtles swimming in the water below, and it's a great place to see shore birds and manatees.

The Visitor's Center includes a lovely shaded deck, a rooftop deck, a bait and tackle shop, and the aforementioned snack bar with friendly, informative employees that are rightfully proud of their Center. We did a drive-by of the campground - a good layout, with trees and lush landscaping.

If you plan to visit Jetty Park, be sure to visit the Jetty Park link shown below in Reference Links - it's an "unofficial" site for the Park, written by somebody that knows and loves it. It's an excellent source of information.

Kirby and Bev had not been to Canaveral Lock, so we ventured there before heading for lunch. As luck would have it, the Lock opened to let a pleasure craft through soon after we arrived, so we got to see it in action. We talked with James, the Lock operator (I'm guessing at his title, but he makes the thing work!) and Tim from the Army Corps of Engineers and learned more about Lock activity and operations. Kirby wanted to talk mostly about the big fish swimming around the Lock mechanism - fishing is not allowed, except by the birds, but Kirby got several good photos so he can dream! (Photo by Kirby Collins)

Most of the Port's restaurants are located in an area referred to as The Cove. Kirby and Bev suggested Grills Seafood Deck and Tiki Bar for lunch. A brief rain had cooled things off a little, so we sat outside and were promptly served by a charming young man named Chad. Kirby and Bev eat at Grills often, so they knew what they wanted to order. Chad urged me to try the fresh tuna sandwich, medium rare. Understand that I don't do sushi, and my idea of fish is pan-fried South Dakota rainbow trout in July. However, in the true field trip spirit of adventure, I had the medium rare tuna, and it was quite tasty, so Chad was off the hook for his "old dog/new tricks" comment. Good company, good food, good service, sitting on a deck overlooking boats and birds and water - what else could one ask for!

Kirby was kind enough to share his photos, so I have combined them with mine for a slideshow in the right-hand column of this blog. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Port Canaveral - there is much to do and see, and you can be as busy or as relaxed as you choose. Good fun.
Just the Facts
Port Canaveral
"BIG PICTURE" LOCATION: Beachside, Central Brevard, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach

WHEN TO GO: There's something going on at the Port all the time, so when you go will depend on what you want to do there.

HOW TO GET THERE: The Port Canaveral web site provides a variety of directions. We took A1A north through Cape Canaveral and turned onto North Atlantic Avenue at the big curve. Follow North Atlantic Avenue to the Port. At George King Boulevard, turn right to get to Jetty Park.

WHERE TO PARK: There is a big parking lot by the Visitor Center. If you're going to one of the restaurants, there are a variety of parking lots available and well-marked.

WHAT TO WEAR: Again, that depends on what you're going to be doing, but don't forget sunscreen, a hat if you're going to be on the pier long, and water. And a reader noted that I should have included insect repellent in this list - he is absolutely right. If there's a good breeze and you're right on the beach, you won't see many mosquitoes, but this is Florida - bring some along! And now that I think about it, we have never even mentioned the "no-seeum's" - a topic for another day.

PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS: The beach and pier are handicap-accessible, as is the Visitor Center. There are bathrooms at the Visitor Center (outside on the back deck).






HOW LONG TO STAY: Stay as long as you're having fun - there's lots to do.

WHAT TO DO: All sorts of beach activities, fish, go boating, camp, visit the shops and restaurants, watch the cruise ships, picnic, go out on a fishing boat or a gambling boat, look for manatees and dolphins, visit the Lock - I know I've forgotten something!




BRING MONEY? Yes - it will cost $7 per car to get into Jetty Park. As you can see from this photo of the menu board, the prices at the Visitor Center Snack Bar are very reasonable, and it seemed to me that the prices at Grills were certainly in line for that type of restaurant.


WHERE TO EAT: Visitor Center Snack Bar, or one of the many restaurants in The Cove. There's also a little deli on the way to the Lock.

HOW TO HELP: Follow the rules.









REFERENCE LINKS:
My previous post about Canaveral Lock and Avocet Lagoon
Kirby Collins
Places Around Florida
Port Canaveral (official site with an enormous amount of information - lots of maps)
Jetty Park (an unofficial site with great information about recreation)

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