Florida Travel Series~Titusville, Florida

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

I am a native of Florida. I love this state and have explored most of it. Florida is so diverse in landscapes and things to do and see. Many have not been discovered.

My next series will reveal some of the unknown beauty of my favorite places in Florida seen through  my camera lens.

I will start in my own back yard in Titusville Florida. There is so much to do here especially for nature lovers.

Follow this link to all the things this area has to offer http://nbbd.com/godo/

Titusville is a sleepy, quaint town, but is in the process of growth from the commercial space programs in development now at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Titusville community was originally called Sand Point.

Henry T. Titus arrived in 1867 with the intention to build a town on land owned by his wife, Mary Hopkins Titus, daughter of a prominent planter from Darien, Georgia.

A promenient feature of the area is the A. Max Brewer Bridge, a 65 feet fixed high-level span on SR-406 connecting Titusville to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore, opened on February 5, 2011 to replace the former swing bridge built in 1949.

Underneath the north side of the bridge is a catwalk, the Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier, for fishing and enjoyment of the Indian River Lagoon. It is known locally as the “World’s Longest Free Fishing Pier. Many a fish or shrimp dinner was caught here.

It is the gateway to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The land was acquired by NASA in the early 1960s for the development of the Space Center and its non-operational purposes.

The refuge is a natural buffer for NASA and provides a range of habitats, from saltwater estuaries and freshwater impoundments and marshes, to dunes, hardwood hammocks, and scrub. It contains over 1000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 amphibians and reptiles, 330 birds, and 31 mammal species. It is a haven for birders, photographers, fishermen and nature lovers.

The refuge provides hiking and driving trails for visitors, with opportunities for observing wildlife without causing disturbance. Some popular driving trails are Black Point Dr, Bio Lab Rd and Gator Rd.

Also within the Refuge is Playalinda Beach. A quiet beach loved by fisherman.

Stop by the visitors information center for maps, regulations and info. Located east on SR406 (Garden Street) just over Max Brewer Causeway Bridge on the right.

Next week we will explore Ponce Inlet.

This will be one of several stops along A1A north to St Augustine and beyond.

Tags: A. Max Brewer Bridge, Canaveral National Seashore, Col. Henry Titus, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville Florida, Travel, Travel Series