About The Book
I almost lost my dad to COVID. A life almost cut too short…That could have easily been me.
After 30 years as an Executive in Corporate America and 15 years owning my own small business, this was my wake-up call. Having spent my adult life in middle America, I always dreamed of living by the ocean. I’d say, “One day I’ll live by the ocean.” I’d promise myself, “When I retire, I’ll live by the ocean.” But what if I that day in the future never comes because it’s interrupted by something out of your control? Like a pandemic?
I flew into Jacksonville, which is the farthest north town on Florida’s Atlantic Ocean coast and rented a car. I drove from Jacksonville all the way down to Key West. When an area intrigued me, I stopped and spent a day there. Halfway through the state I fell in love with a quaint little town called Indialantic-by-the-Sea. It is vastly different from the glitz and glamour of Miami and it certainly isn’t Orlando. Not an amusement park for miles.
It is a mecca of outdoor activities, nature at its best. No high rises atop the beaches. The restaurants are locally owned, and the owner is often the chef. A former professional relocated from Hawaii teaches surf lessons. The kayak tour to see manatees in the wild is owned and guided by a local. And you can rent a beachside cottage for less than $300 a night! But I had to do my due diligence, so I continued driving. There were other contenders along the way, but in the end, none of them measured up to the Space Coast.
As I told my Midwest friends I was moving to the Space Coast, they asked, “Where’s that?” I wasn’t surprised because I’d never heard of it either. Naturally, most people have heard of Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, but they equate it with NASA and rocket launches, not with beaches and vacations.
Then, as I started to research my soon-to-be-home I couldn’t find all I was looking for. There was a little bit here and a little bit there, but there wasn’t that one, complete website that had everything I was looking for.
Once I was living here, I stumbled upon gem after gem after gem. Why didn’t any of these show up in my online searches? Why? Because they are all locally owned, small businesses who have neither the time nor the money of big brands with big marketing budgets to spend on Search Engine Optimizing their websites, paying for online ads, creating content… all the things a business must do to be seen online. They were busy leading Turtle Walks to see a sea turtle lay her eggs, sweeping the deck for the next boat tour to see the dolphin, or prepping the bait for a group of people ready to try their hand at shark-fishing.
This place is too great of a vacation destination for people not to know about. And, because it is so under-the-radar, it’s also the most affordable beach destination in Florida. Less crowded beaches. Less expensive. Tons to do. Isn’t that the ideal vacation? That’s how the website, FloridaBeachBreak.com was born.
People still love travel guides though so I wanted to expose vacation-seekers to the Space Coast through their favorite bookstore as well. I began reading reviews of other travel guides to understand better what people wanted to see in a travel guide. One particular review stood out to me. The reviewer said they were disappointed in the travel book they purchased because it was mostly a listing of restaurants and hotels and many of those were no longer open. They went on to say they didn’t need these listed in a book; that’s what the internet is for. What they really wanted to read about was what there is to see and do in the destination, some history, and fun facts.
I took that comment to heart and, with the help of some amazing people, used it to create the 2022 Insider’s Guide to Florida’s Space Coast. A heartfelt thank-you to Stacey Marmolejo, the editor of FloridaBeachBreak.com for his editorial and photographic contributions to this book. To Chasy at Pure Aloha Surf School and Genevieve at Cocoa Kayaking. They were the first two locals who invited me to experience what they share with tourists every day so that I could tell you all about it.
I would love to know what you like and don’t like about this travel guide so that I can update/add/delete in the next edition. Email me directly at Stacey@FloridaBeachBreak.com
If you come to the Space Coast on vacation, I know you’ll take photos for your social. Please tag us at #floridabeachbreak.
Travel safely.
Stacey Marmolejo
