Kissimmee & Cocoa Beach 2009

Freedom Sailing Adventures

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Freedom sailboat with Greg Photo - Florida, United States

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Our resort had a small flyer advertising Freedom Sailing Adventures. When I called, there seemed to be a fair bit of flexibility and so we arranged to meet our host at a park on the Indian River the following day. We were advised to bring a sweater, hat and sunscreen and informed snacks and drinks would be provided. Duly prepared we arrived at the appointed hour to meet our host Greg who was sailing a 24-foot sailboat with a 12-foot beam. The boat was immaculate and every care was taken to keep it clean and tidy. My husband and I were the only two passengers. Greg was a charming well-spoken man with a wealth of sailing experience. We sailed up and down the Indian River and were delighted to see dolph...Read More

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De Leon Springs State Park with Sea Dogs Dive Center

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Rinsing the Mask Photo - Florida, United States

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Sea Dogs Dive Centre is located just under the drawbridge in New Smyrna Beach. I had contacted Keith long before actually coming down south to complete my PADI certificate and he did everything he could to help me achieve my goal. Two experienced divers were going to join us on the dive and met us at the shop. Keith set me up with a wetsuit and BCD and offered to drive us to the De Leon Springs State Park. We elected to take our own car, following Ted who was reluctant to use his turn signal. It took a good 40 minutes to drive and another 10 to register, which involved paying $10.65 per diver instead of the customary park entrance fee of $5 per car.Keith took a fair bit of time orienting u...Read More

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Pompano Grill

Restaurant | "We Enjoyed a Delicious Meal at Pompanos"

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A small establishment, Pompanos is a wonderful place to have a delicious meal. Located in a small strip mall on Brevard Avenue in South Cocoa Beach, the establishment was tastefully decorated with faux finished brightly coloured chairs. The red napkins fan folded in the wine glasses on the table gave the whole place a festive air. Service was prompt and we enjoyed our food immensely. I had shrimp and scallop skewers . . moist and succulent, with a few bits of grilled pineapple. The excellent rice pilaf had a bit of a curry flavour and the grilled veggies were delicious. A side sauce was scrumptious. My husband had chicken with apples which was also delectable. Our starter was an average Caesar salad...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 10, 2010

Pompano Grill
110 N Brevard Ave
Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931
(321) 784-9005

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Adventure Kayak

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Attraction | "A Peaceful Way to See Some Wildlife"

Adventure Kayak orientation talk Photo - Adventure Kayak, Cocoa Beach, Florida

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We made arrangements via phone call to go on a kayak tour through the mangroves of the Cocoa Beach Thousand Islands.Access was at a park on Ramp Road. Our guide met us there and gave us our lifejackets, kayaks and paddles. Ed gave us all a quick lesson on how to paddle, but in truth, kayaking is not at all difficult. There was a choice of single or tandem kayaks. Tandem kayaks are great for people with kids, but after having done both, I find it much easier to use a single. It is almost effortless to glide through the water. Of course, the water was smooth and there were no strong currents. Our first sighting was of a great blue heron, a majestic bird perched on a fence at the park who fle...Read More

We made arrangements via phone call to go on a kayak tour through the mangroves of the Cocoa Beach Thousand Islands.

Access was at a park on Ramp Road. Our guide met us there and gave us our lifejackets, kayaks and paddles. Ed gave us all a quick lesson on how to paddle, but in truth, kayaking is not at all difficult. There was a choice of single or tandem kayaks. Tandem kayaks are great for people with kids, but after having done both, I find it much easier to use a single. It is almost effortless to glide through the water. Of course, the water was smooth and there were no strong currents. Our first sighting was of a great blue heron, a majestic bird perched on a fence at the park who flew away just as I was digging my camera out of the dry bag we had been given to protect our belongings. No one fell into the water or seemed to get at all wet except for those who splashed a bit too much with their paddles.

Ed had a wealth of knowledge about the local wildlife and although he did tell us that it was not a Disney adventure where the animals would come out at predetermined locations, he was pretty adept at spotting them. The manatees were just starting to return to these waters in early March and we were very fortunate to spot a 6 foot one swimming just below the surface. We saw him come up a few times and then lost him. Stingrays were also swimming and we spotted a number of those as well as horseshoe crabs. These large creatures we tended to find in pairs as it seemed this was mating season. The water was very shallow for the most part--around 8 to 10 inches--and it was brackish, so there were no alligators, although one would not be wise to go swimming. For two hours we glided though the mangroves, some of the channels so narrow, one had to turn the paddle lengthwise over the kayak. Ed did say this was where people could possibly fall in as they leaned way over to avoid hitting the mangroves. The trick is to go slowly and steer appropriately. Pelicans, ibis, herons were all feasting along our route. It was the most peaceful way to enjoy seeing this wildlife.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 10, 2010

Adventure Kayak
P.o. Box 320398
Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931

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Resort On Cocoa Beach

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Hotel | "Right on the Ocean"

The Resort at Cocoa Beach heated pool Photo - Resort On Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach, Florida

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Situated right on the ocean south of Ron Jon Surf Shop, the resort is in an excellent location. Across the street is a small strip mall with a Publix grocery store and a few small businesses. There are a number of eating establishments within a short walk and others not too far if you cared to walk or bike a little farther. Our two-bedroom unit was spacious, clean and well appointed. The blue and green colours of the furniture with the yellow walls gave it a restful peaceful feeling. The sofa was comfortable for sitting on to watch the large screen hi def television. The king size bed in the master bedroom had a firm mattress that was comfortable to sleep on and the twins beds in the secon...Read More

Situated right on the ocean south of Ron Jon Surf Shop, the resort is in an excellent location. Across the street is a small strip mall with a Publix grocery store and a few small businesses. There are a number of eating establishments within a short walk and others not too far if you cared to walk or bike a little farther.

Our two-bedroom unit was spacious, clean and well appointed. The blue and green colours of the furniture with the yellow walls gave it a restful peaceful feeling. The sofa was comfortable for sitting on to watch the large screen hi def television. The king size bed in the master bedroom had a firm mattress that was comfortable to sleep on and the twins beds in the second bedroom were turned into a king bed promptly at our request.

Our ocean view was only from our spacious balcony because we were situated on the side of the building. There are rooms with an oceanfront, however these were not available to us . . . perhaps they are reserved for owners and not traders. The only thing we did not care for was the fact that the windows in the bedrooms looked onto the hallway, which was open to the pool below. Because people were walking by, we did not feel we could open the curtains fully and it made it a bit dark in the bedrooms. We were also worried about the noise as we were on the second floor, but by the time we were sleeping, the pool was closed, although possibly children who went to bed earlier might be kept up with louder crowds enjoying themselves until 11 pm.

The main floor of the resort was devoted to the lobby, business rooms, the fitness centre, activities centre, kids play area, laundry facilities, a movie theatre and restaurants. The pool was a free form and heated enough to be enjoyed all year round. Padded chairs were available but could not be reserved and it seemed that rule was enforced. There were six pool towels in our room and you could exchange them, but tabs were kept and you could not do it more than once per day.

On the beach access pathway through the dunes, Smitty had a stash of chairs, umbrellas and pads for rent. Chairs were $5 each and an umbrella was $10 for the day. The beach was wide and clean and sloped gently, so you could wade out quite far. With the temperature around 68 F (early March), it as decidedly brisk to get in, but once wet, it was heaven to play in the surf.

Movies played all day in the theatre, which could probably seat around 50 people . . . most movies were suitable for children. There were programmed activities for kids, but one could not leave them there all day. Other activities were organized around the pool . . bingo trivia and pool volleyball, etc. As Cape Canaveral was close by, launch information was plentiful.

A very nice feature was the free use of wireless Internet, so I could keep ahead of all the personal and work emails that can take hours to pour through at the end of a vacation.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 10, 2010

Resort On Cocoa Beach
1600 N ATLANTIC BLVD
Cocoa Beach, Florida 23931
321-783-4000

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Cypress Pointe Resort

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Hotel | "Nice Resort, but no Elevator!"

Cypress Pointe Resort Pool Photo - Cypress Pointe Resort, Orlando, Florida

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Close to Disney, the I-4 and I-192, Cypress Pointe Resort’s birth pastel buildings are clustered around a couple of swimming pools and has the ubiquitous lagoon with small alligator. We had reserved a three-bedroom unit and were not surprised to find that this was a lock-off unit with two bedrooms on one side and a studio on the other. The second bedroom of the two-bedroom unit had no window and only room for one twin bed, so the whole two-bedroom unit was somewhat of a misnomer. The living area was quite lovely with a French balcony at one window and a screened balcony, which could also be accessed from the master bedroom. Teal and pale lemon colours predominate and the unit is adequately...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 10, 2010

Cypress Pointe Resort
8651 Treasure Cay Lane
Orlando, Florida 32830-2069
407-597-1929

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