1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,400 Known as a surf, sand and space destination, Cocoa Beach in the surrounding area have a rich history 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:11,280 related to famous surfers and launching pads both for rockets and cruise ships. 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:18,320 We're hitting the beach along Florida's Space Coast and getting the lay of the land from locals in this Travels with Darley Podcast. 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:27,200 We'll show you where to shop, eat, grab a happy hour cocktail, listen to live music and make the most out of a family-friendly Cocoa Beach vacation 5 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:35,920 whether you're traveling for a rocket launch, pre- or post cruise stay, or just want to enjoy access to over 70 miles of beautiful sandy Florida beaches. 6 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:41,200 I'm a big fan of beach vacations, having grown up myself at the beach. 7 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:48,800 So in traveling to dive into Cocoa Beach, I wanted to find the best locals to share the places they'd recommend to their family and friends. 8 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:56,080 In this podcast, we'll meet Jack Kirshenbaum and the leading ladies of the Coco Beach Surf Company to explore downtown Coco Beach. 9 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:02,560 [Music] 10 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:09,760 Jack Kirshenbaum's family has been in Brevard County since 1958 and he's been in the Cocoa Beach area since he was a child. 11 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:15,520 So to get a true local's take on Cocoa Beach's history and what I really need to do on my stay here, 12 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,800 I'm enlisting Jack to show me downtown Cocoa Beach. 13 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:25,600 We're meeting on North Orlando Avenue, smack in the middle of art galleries, restaurants, wine bars, jazz venues, 14 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,280 and other downtown attractions, just steps away from the beach. 15 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:34,560 Evelyn and I walk past the palm trees along North Orlando Avenue over to City Hall, 16 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,240 past planters artfully painted with colorful beach and island themes. 17 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:39,120 We went to you down here. 18 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:44,400 And see some really cute places to pop into later, like Rebellion Beachside Bar & Bistro and 19 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,000 and LUNA Food and Wine. 20 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:51,760 We're meeting Jack at Café Surfnista, which serves up healthy smoothies, homemade pastries, 21 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:56,480 organic acai bowls, and cool coffees with an artsy surf vibe. 22 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,920 Jack is seated over past the line of surfboards on a comfy, 23 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:05,440 shartruce-colored couch under a painting entitled "Once Upon a Time in Coco Beach", 24 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:06,880 showing the history of the area. 25 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:12,240 I tell Jack who already has a latte that I'm going to grab a smoothie for our chat 26 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:17,520 and order up the Waikiki with pineapple coconut, banana, apple, and pineapple juice. 27 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,680 We decide to sit somewhere outside, so Jack can share lay of the land here 28 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,680 in Cocoa Beach. 29 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,320 Cocoa Beach is a unique bubble. 30 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:32,160 On the south is Patrick Air Force Base, now called Patrick Space Force Base. 31 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:38,000 On the north is Port Canaveral and Cape Canaveral in the Kennedy Space Center. 32 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,080 On the east is the Atlantic Ocean, 33 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,280 and on the west is the Banana River Lagoon, 34 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:51,600 so we're a barrier island, stuck out 20 miles from the mainland, separated from most of the reality. 35 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:59,360 It is truly a bubble. It's often called "Mayberry by the Sea" or "Mayberry on LSD" 36 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:00,720 depending upon the time. 37 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:01,920 Oh, I like it! 38 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:07,600 In this Mayberry Bubble Land, many people adventure just to enjoy the beautiful beaches. 39 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:13,840 The big wide beaches here in Cocoa Beach are called some of the sandiest beaches in Florida. 40 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:20,080 The beach here is terrific. The Indian River Lagoon has kayaking, boating, 41 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:26,240 there's yoga studios, there's wind surfing, any outdoor sport. 42 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,000 We have a championship golf course, tennis course, 43 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:36,640 Olympic swimming pool, you name it, anything that's recreation we've got. 44 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,480 And you see these two guys over here? 45 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:45,120 They own a boat company that takes boat tours through the canals and thousand islands, 46 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:51,280 called Dolphin Tours, and they're guaranteed to show you dolphins if you take their tour. 47 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,040 We want to see Dolphins! 48 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,200 Rusty Buchanan and then Mark Granger. 49 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,680 Jack does know everyone, having grown up here at the beach. 50 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:06,240 There are these magic of bioluminescence kayaking tours in the Coco Beach area. 51 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,280 Millions of tiny plankton illuminate the water. 52 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:15,120 In fact, many tourists come to the area in the summer months, they want to see this natural phenomenon. 53 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:20,240 In Cocoa Beach's Banana River, bioluminescence is available year round, 54 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,200 but it's most vibrant during the late spring and early fall. 55 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:29,120 Jack continues with his list of things to experience in this adventurous beach destination, 56 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:30,400 and it goes on and on. 57 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,800 There's the the port and the helicopter rides and the biplane rides. 58 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,360 Downtown, there's tons of restaurants. 59 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:38,720 You name the kind of restaurants. 60 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:43,520 There's Cuban restaurants, there's Thai restaurants, there's Japanese restaurants, 61 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,360 there's this is a charcuterie wine bar here. 62 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,440 But how did Cocoa Beach become such a surf, space, and cruise mecca? 63 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,920 Coined by some, the Spaceiest Coast. 64 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,200 I think it's so interesting that there are rockets taking off from here all the time. 65 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:03,120 Back in the 50s, they decided that Cape Canaveral would be the launching place 66 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:08,160 to test all the missiles and later astronauts would blast off from here. 67 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,720 And now of course the commercial industry is taken over here. 68 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:17,120 But in the 50s, in the mid 50s, there were like 500 people in Coco Beach. 69 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:24,400 And it was a small fishing village, and it's claimed to fame was there were a couple of boats sunk off shore in World War II. 70 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:25,680 You know, I mean, it was nothing here. 71 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:32,720 It was developed originally in the 20s and 30s by a lawyer from Georgia name, 72 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,040 Gus Edwards and the development failed. 73 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:36,160 So there was nothing here. 74 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:41,040 And then all of a sudden by 1960, there were like 20,000 people here. 75 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:46,000 All young, all educated, getting ready to send people to the moon. 76 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,400 But as that was happening, the surf craze and Gidgett, 77 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,320 hit Coco Beach in the 60s. 78 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:56,480 And everybody, everybody surfed. 79 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,920 And all the surf shops opened, Ron Jons included. 80 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:03,760 And all the surfboards on the East Coast were manufactured here. 81 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,360 It became a surfing space place. 82 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,960 And then tourism and the cruise ships hit. 83 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:16,960 And Port Canaveral became like the biggest cruise port for passengers in the world. 84 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,560 But because we're out here in the middle of the ocean away from the mainland, 85 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:26,160 it's just a unique, special, unique, different than any other place place. 86 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,640 Cocoa Beach is a gateway to Port Canaveral. 87 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,520 With close proximity to Kennedy Space Center. 88 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,120 Meaning you can watch launches from the beach and beyond. 89 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,760 Being the closest beach town to Orlando, 90 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:42,720 visitors can enjoy rocket launches plus attractions plus a beach vacation. 91 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:48,560 Seeing a rocket launch and especially a crude launch with astronauts on, 92 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,400 you can't imagine the tension in the air. 93 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,240 I mean, you can feel it. 94 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,000 And now they land the boosters back here, 95 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,840 which is like, pirates and Star Wars stuff. 96 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:06,480 So coming to see a launch, that's the special special event. 97 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,680 If you want to know the must-do's, ask a local. 98 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,520 Jack is the ultimate local. 99 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:16,880 If I have, you know, 24 hours here, what are you going to tell me to do? 100 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:17,520 Oh geez. 101 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,520 Go to the Cocoa Beach Pier. 102 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,440 Spend some time on the beach. 103 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,720 Get a surf lesson from the Ron Jon's Surf Shop. 104 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,440 And the beaches here are super accessible. 105 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,960 Every block is a beach access. 106 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:38,240 From Patrick Air Force Base, all the way to Port Canaveral, 107 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:43,360 which is, I don't know, 12, 15 miles, there's an access every block. 108 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,800 It's the most public of all public beaches. 109 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,800 Cocoa Beach faces the Atlantic Ocean on Florida's Space Coast, 110 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,440 providing access to consistent surf breaks, 111 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:55,600 like first peak, the monster hole, 112 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:59,520 and others that are ideal for long boarding and short boarding. 113 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,120 If you visit, you may also want to catch a major surf event, 114 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:07,280 like the Easter Surfing Festival, East Coast Surfing Championships, 115 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,760 and contests like Legends of Surfing, 116 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,000 which routinely take place in Cocoa Beach. 117 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,880 For surfers traveling to Cocoa Beach, 118 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,280 hotels like the Beach Place Guest Houses, 119 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,400 cater to surfers with board storage, gear rentals, 120 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:21,600 and easy beach access. 121 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,320 And if you want surfing tips, 122 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,960 strike up a conversation with local surfers 123 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,240 in the water or around town to get insider tips. 124 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,440 You can also drive Iconic Route A1A, 125 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,760 a surf themed route along the waves 126 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,600 to see more epic surf spots. 127 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,880 I'm here in Cocoa Beach during a special event. 128 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,440 It's Thunder on Cocoa Beach. 129 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,600 This is when you can see mega boats race 130 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,160 during a multi-day series of events, 131 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:52,400 including seeing these boats up close in downtown Cocoa Beach. 132 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,640 Evelyn and I are checking out the boats, 133 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,480 which will look a little bit like spaceships to me at sunset, 134 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,880 making a trip to Coconuts on the Beach, 135 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,120 where you can listen to live music beachside. 136 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,600 It's the perfect place to end our day. 137 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,480 We walk out onto the big wide beaches 138 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,720 and the colors at sunset are stunning. 139 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:14,240 If you're in the Cocoa Beach area 140 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,080 and you need something on your travels, 141 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:17,360 or let's face it, 142 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,400 you just want to get into the laid-back beach style here. 143 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:24,400 Head to Ron Jon Surf Shop, the world's largest surf shop. 144 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,960 But not to be overshadowed by its neighbor, 145 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:28,400 Cocoa Beach Surf Company, 146 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,240 a women-run surf complex, 147 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,240 complete with a restaurant, hotel, 148 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,840 almost 30,000 feet of retail outlet space, 149 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:37,360 and a rental place for bikes, 150 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,200 ebikes, kayaks, surf boards, 151 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,520 and even a Starbucks inside. 152 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,920 I head upstairs at Cocoa Beach Surf Company 153 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:45,760 passing surf boards, bathing suits, 154 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:47,280 t-shirt, sunscreen, 155 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,520 and all things floor to beach vacation 156 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,720 to meet the ladies who run this surf complex. 157 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,560 I filmed in the UK years ago 158 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:56,160 and is able to film an interview 159 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,000 with the real-life Calendar Girls. 160 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,120 The women who were portrayed 161 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,160 in the early 2000s hit British comedy movie. 162 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,960 I normally interview people one-on-one 163 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:06,960 and travel with two wireless mics. 164 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,760 This makes it difficult to properly capture the audio 165 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,760 if you're interviewing lots of people at once. 166 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,680 These ladies today were giving me Calendar Girl vibes 167 00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:18,720 as I saw them seated across at a large table 168 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,400 in the upstairs locker room. 169 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,880 Sandy McBride, General Manager, 170 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,280 Janet Antoon, a retail buyer, 171 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,200 and Megan Campbell and Amy Jones, 172 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,280 both assistant general managers, 173 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,520 were all there to share their insights 174 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,280 and I didn't want to leave anyone out. 175 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,440 And last name is Campbell, like the soup. 176 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,680 Okay, I love it. 177 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:39,840 At Janet's, a local, 178 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:41,680 Megan's a local, Amy's a local. 179 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:45,120 We all live beach, I'm gonna have her both live beach side. 180 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,080 So she's right down the road, I'm right down the road. 181 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,120 They're sharing some lesser-known insights into the area 182 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,680 from Surf Style to famous names. 183 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:58,480 Because we are some to be the small wave capital of the world. 184 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,080 Kelly Slater is from here. 185 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:00,880 Oh really? 186 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:01,680 And this is us. 187 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:04,080 It's a big town just down the road for him. 188 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,880 And this is his hometown where his family resides. 189 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,720 Yeah, I don't know if we see him often. 190 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:10,240 Yeah, whoo. 191 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,640 I'd like a Kelly Slater sighting, 192 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,520 but first I may need to get dressed for the part. 193 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,920 Is there a Surf Style here in Cocoa Beach? 194 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:21,040 You know, a Christmas wearing flip-flops and shorts and a tank jaw. 195 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:21,840 Mine's awesome. 196 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,240 Because it's 70 degrees and we're happy. 197 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:25,520 It's beautiful. 198 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:27,520 It gets below 70, we get out of code. 199 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:31,520 So the weather here, it's nice year round. 200 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:31,840 Great. 201 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,800 And Megan Campbell tells me she decided to live here 202 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,160 for the beach activities. 203 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,880 We've worn this huge around here to surfing 204 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,200 anytime between March and October, 205 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:42,720 or the best times to surf here, 206 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,160 long tide is where it's a little bit stronger. 207 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,320 Early morning is when it's a little cleaner, 208 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,160 and it's glassy and calm, 209 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,080 or that's one of my favorite things. 210 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,680 It's very calm around here. 211 00:11:53,680 --> 00:11:55,840 Like everything's really laid back. 212 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:56,880 That's great. 213 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,760 Layed back and great for cycling around. 214 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,160 You can rent regular bikes or e-bikes 215 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:03,600 and tool around town. 216 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:05,920 We have bike lines all over Cocoa Beach. 217 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:06,880 Yeah. 218 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:08,880 Janet Antoon seeks out the products 219 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:10,720 you find at Coppobiche Surf Company. 220 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:12,240 And I ask her, what's unique 221 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,000 that I may find while shopping here? 222 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,840 Year round, we carry bathing suits. 223 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:17,920 And sandals which most stores, 224 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,400 once obvious tits, they're putting in coats 225 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:20,960 and things like that. 226 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,480 You can't find bathing suits in one store. 227 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:24,640 So we year round because of our weather. 228 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:25,440 It's great. 229 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:26,480 As a female shopper, 230 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,640 I can tell you that's a pain point. 231 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,920 I do like to try on a bathing suit before I buy it. 232 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,640 And it's so hard to find them in stores now. 233 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:36,800 Being that this is the space coast, 234 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:38,720 I noticed that Cocoa Beach Surf Company 235 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:40,960 has space-inspired t-shirts, 236 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,040 and you can even watch a rocket launch 237 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,040 from outside of their complex. 238 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,840 Our hotel guests will come out into our garage 239 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,840 on the fifth floor because it's open 240 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,840 and at night when they watch a rocket launch, 241 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:52,960 the sky lights up. 242 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,560 And we counted, were used to it now. 243 00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:55,760 I'm supposed to see us. 244 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,600 Bugs that are visiting us for the first time, 245 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:58,880 get to see something like that, 246 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,720 and they feel the brown shape because it does. 247 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,720 I always tell people to talk to the locals on your travels, 248 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,040 to get the best tips and insights. 249 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,200 And I usually say, take a local tour 250 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:10,640 or ask at a coffee shop. 251 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,600 But I found this to be another great place 252 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,680 to garner local insights. 253 00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:19,040 So you can come here to shop or grab a drink or something, 254 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:20,320 and then it's a two-fer, 255 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,560 because you can be shopping and then you can get advice 256 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:23,840 on what to do on your trip. 257 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:24,880 It's very true. 258 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:25,680 Exactly. 259 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:28,080 For, I'm getting distracted 260 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:29,760 because I'm seeing all the peril back there 261 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,520 and I'm kind of shopping in my head. 262 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,320 So Janet takes me out to shop and tour the store. 263 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:35,680 And there's a lot to take in here. 264 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:38,160 And we have bodyboards everywhere, 265 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,400 because everybody picks up a bodyboard 266 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:41,360 and goes to the beach. 267 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,360 Evelyn, my consulting producer, 268 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:45,520 has her eye on a bathing suit, 269 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,840 but I steer us first to the restaurant, 270 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,720 where a pizza oven is cooking up a fresh dish. 271 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,000 Evelyn and I chow down on a BLT pizza 272 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,280 and peach margaritas. 273 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:56,640 Delicious. 274 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,560 Well, I had to bring my shopping bags with me 275 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,240 back to the beach after my time 276 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:03,680 with Coco Beach Surf Company, 277 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:06,560 where I got space-inspired t-shirts, 278 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:08,480 a funky island-themed blouse, 279 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,480 and Evelyn got new bathing suits. 280 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,160 We were ready to hit the beach, 281 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,880 which brought us back to Cocoa Beach at sunset, 282 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,680 a great place to reflect on Cocoa Beach, 283 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:20,080 with its authentic locals who truly love 284 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:21,920 and take pride in the area. 285 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:24,560 And where exploration takes center stage, 286 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,560 whether you're walking the downtown, 287 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:27,840 or dreaming of outer space. 288 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,160 Thanks for listening to these Travels 289 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,080 with Darley Podcasts on Cocoa Beach. 290 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,560 Tune into my next podcast, 291 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,440 with all the tips you need on getting to Cocoa Beach, 292 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,680 and pre- and post-cruise options, 293 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:41,760 including more great food finds, 294 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,600 and check out the previous podcast, 295 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,200 focused on more family-friendly Cocoa Beach travel tips. 296 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:53,680 [Music]