If you are planning a Florida travel beach vacation and are worried about oil spills at the beaches, Cocoa beach is a good alternative. Known as the perfect beach town, Cocoa beach is an hour drive east of Orlando on Florida’s amazing Space Coast. The drive here is almost as beautiful as the beach -offering you endless ways to enjoy your leisure and recreation. (photo courtesy: Bing)

Whether you are going on a family beach vacation, leisure travel, business trip, or just a day at the beach, you’ll find exactly what you’ve been looking for in Cocoa beach and the Space Coast area to make your stay one you’ll never forget. Cocoa beach offers enjoyment for the whole family.

Cocoa beach is one of the most affordable beach vacations in Florida. There is never a lack of things to do or see in and around Cocoa beach.  Besides the fun in the sun, Space Coast offers you the chance to go deep sea fishing or parasailing, try your luck aboard a casino cruise ship, or just take a river tour and get up close and personal with the awesome wildlife of Florida.

While at Cocoa beach, you can also visit the Kennedy Space Center, the Brevard Zoo, or spend some time shopping. You’ll be within short driving distance to all of the Orlando attractions, and you can even drive back to Cocoa beach at night to enjoy dinner in one of the many dining spots on the beach.

When night sets in, you can kick back and enjoy the nightlife on the beach that ranges from cool jazz clubs to beach side cafes. Then, you can stay the night with perfect accommodations and wake up to a breathtaking sunrise on the beach. Grab a quick breakfast and head over to the beach with its gorgeous white sand and enjoy every minute of it.

With plenty to offer you and your entire family, Cocoa beach provides an excellent beach vacation or getaway. There is plenty to do on the beach, with enough nearby to keep you coming back for more. So while we are all very concerned about the oil spills nearing Florida’s shoreline, Cocoa beach is on the east coast and away from it all. Go ahead and plan that Florida travel beach vacation that you’ve been dreaming of and enjoy all the beauty that Cocoa beach offers.

Weddings on Water? Yes, now you can have the most unique wedding experience of your life. It is America’s first floating wedding chapel where the ceremony takes place on the calm waters of Florida’s west coast. The Weddings on Water home port is located at the St. Petersburg Florida pier on the west coast of Florida. (photo courtesy: weddingsonwater.com)

We know that you can have a wedding on a cruise ship but this one is truly unique in that the ceremony takes place on a floating chapel in the waters of Florida’s Tampa Bay. The chapel is set up to have the traditional appeal of a church setting and can be arranged and decorated the same way as a regular inland church.

Imagine getting married in Florida with its beautiful weather, gorgeous white sand beaches, breathtaking sunsets, sparkling waters and having all your wedding services take place on a floating chapel. Weddings on Water will make all the wedding arrangements including lodging for guests, activities for everyone and any special services requested by the bride and groom. It’s a dream come true! (photo courtesy: weddingsonwater.com)

The floating chapel is set up to handle multiple services including:

•    Weddings
•    Renewal of vows
•    Church group gatherings
•    Anniversaries
•    Commitment ceremonies
•    Baby christenings
•    Baby baptisms
•    Memorial services

Weddings on Water is affiliated with the Dolphin Encounter on Clearwater Beach and the Caladesi Island Ferry which connects Honeymoon Island State Park and the Caladesi Island State Park. It has been said that Caladesi Island is home to a gorgeous beach that is ranked one of the best in the United States and ideal for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and lots more. The state park also features a three mile nature trail winding through the island’s interior. On your next Florida travel vacation, do keep Caladesi Island as a must see place. (photo courtesy: floridastateparks.com)

It is summer time and that means beach time. If you and your family enjoy a vacation in a place with beautiful beaches, consider the east coast of Florida where you will find some of the finest white sand beaches and some that are left the way nature made them. All the gorgeous beaches that I will describe here are on waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of Florida. The Florida beaches below are listed in alphabetical order and I included the county for each one to give you an idea as to where they are located. (Photo credit: visitusa.com.)

Atlantic Beach
Considered the most popular beach out of three Jacksonville area beaches, Atlantic beach dates back to 1900 when Henry Flagler first built a depot for his east coast Railway. It is not only a beautiful beach but also very popular and the town people just make everyone feel welcome. Atlantic beach is located in Duval County and is part of the Jacksonville beaches community. (Photo credit: flickr.)

Bethune Beach
Also called New Smyrna beach, is a stretch of sand along the south end of New Smyrna and about ten miles south of Ponce Inlet. It is located in Volusia County and with its 13.2 miles of gorgeous white sand it has become a popular vacation place for many families as well as tourists. Seven miles of this beach are marked ‘transitional zone’ where you can drive and park your vehicle well off to the dunes or even the seawalls.

Cocoa Beach
Cocoa beach is one of my favorite beaches, and it is jut 15 minutes from my home. It is part of Brevard County and located on a barrier island nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River. Cocoa beach is a popular vacation destination and thousands of people flock to it every year. The reason for this is that it is just an hour east of Orlando which makes it a convenient get away from the theme park attractions; it is 20 minutes away from Kennedy Space Center with its breathtaking shuttle launches, and a 10 minute drive to Port Canaveral where all the cruise ships leave from to their destinations. At Port Canaveral, you can also enjoy Vegas style casino cruises twice a day for a short sail into the Atlantic and the enjoyment of your favorite games and live entertainment. While at Cocoa beach, a visit to the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop is a must! (Photo credit: ed-and-rita.com.)

Daytona Beach
The famous Daytona Beach located in Volusia County is not just for spring breakers, but it is also a great vacation destination for families with lots of activities to enjoy. Here you and your family can enjoy days of surfing, jogging, walking, bicycling and plenty of volleyball. It is one of the few beaches where you can drive your car right on the beach. Daytona Beach is where car racing took place in the early 1900s and it is still going strong today. Another attraction that is quite big at Daytona Beach is Bike Week where thousands of bikers from all walks of life gather for a week of sun and fun.

Fernandina Beach
Fernandina Beach is located in Nassau County, Florida (not to be confused with Nassau County in New York City.) at the northern end of Amelia Island and it marks the beginning of Florida’s first coast. This part of Florida is designated as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places. This is another beach that has become popular for families to enjoy some sun, fun and relaxation.

Flagler Beach
Flagler Beach is located in Volusia County and if you are looking to have a relaxed and peaceful beach vacation, then this beach is for you. Often called the land that time forgot, Flagler Beach dates back to the 1920′s and not too many restorations have been made since then. Yet, lots of people love this beach and consider it “the best kept secret” because of the lack of interest from the outside world.

Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is located in Broward County and often called the “Venice of America” because it has it all. Here you will find approximately 300 miles of waterways that stretch south to Miami winding through gorgeous estates, citrus groves and the exotic everglades. Fort Lauderdale attracts sun seekers from all over the world and while some people think that this area is only for the rich and famous, there are places that offer a wide variety of accommodations for every budget. Here you can find a variety of small inexpensive family run inns and also the expensive deluxe resorts. (Photo credit: florida.com.)

Miami South Beach
Miami South Beach, also know as Miami Beach is in Dade County and it is called “America’s Riviera because of its magnificent art deco structures. Many years ago, more than 800 art deco structures were built on the southern tip of Miami Beach. Today, the area reflects bright neon lights, confetti like colors, and sleek aerodynamic lines making the Art Deco the center piece of the beach. Don’t worry about keeping the family busy as the beach is big enough for everyone and there are lots of activities such as volleyball, kite flying and plenty of sunshine for the family to enjoy.

Playalinda Beach
Playalinda Beach is in Brevard County and located within the Cape Canaveral National Seashore and one of the few beaches in Florida where nude sunbathing is still a practice. Some people visit Playalinda out of curiosity to see if what they’ve heard is correct. What I will tell is that Florida law does not allow nudity in public places. There is an ordinance for Brevard County against nudity on the books but I guess it is not enforced and nude sunbathing is still going on. My advice is that if nude sunbathing offends you, just don’t go there. (Photo credit: cfnews13.com.)