The beauty of a week vacation in Florida in Indian Harbour is having all that time to play, relax, and of course, enjoy the comforts and luxuries found in your Happy Palm Stays Indian Harbour sanctuary. And the worrisome part is having all that time on your hands, but no idea on how to fill in the minutes! Fortunately, you have friends in all the right places and today, we would like to help you plan a seven-day itinerary, offering ideas that you can mix and mingle, or nix all together, because at the end of the day, this week in paradise is all about you, your wants, and your vacation needs!
Day 1: Getting Comfortable
Your first day of any vacation is one filled with excitement and anticipation, but rarely offers enough remaining hours to explore any one adventure in depth, but that’s ok. The Florida lifestyle is a carefree vibe, one meant to be enjoyed at a slower pace, knowing there is always time tomorrow to do the things you missed out on today. So today, on this first partial day in Indian Harbour, we aren’t going to suggest an itinerary planned out to the minute, but we are going to give some delicious options, listed in not particular order, starting with an exploration of your home away from home. Choose your bedroom, check out the views from the patio, pinching yourself when you realize that the roaring of the sea will be your musical accompaniment for the next week, and maybe even sink into the depths of our super comfortable sofas, picking up the remote to the state-of-the-art television and clicking through the channels in idle curiosity.
First Steps on Day 1
First and foremost, this is a beach vacation, and when it is time to stroll out that door, your first steps should take you straight to the white sands and turquoise waters of the closest beach. (Bicentennial Park Beach, perhaps?) And if these steps happen to take place at sunset, all the better! Holding your flip flops in hand (a Florida vacationer will rarely find a need for any more substantial shoes, and flip flops are practically the state shoe!) feeling the soft sands tickle your toes as the warm waters of the Atlantic ocean ebb and flow around your ankles, and watching the sky revolve through the phases of a fiery and colorful sunset is destined to be one of the top pleasures in your life.
And when the sun sets and that vast sky turns a velvety black dotted with the twinkling of a billion stars you may find yourself believing in bigger things. If you haven’t dined as of yet, a giant pizza enjoyed at Mimmos Pizza & Ristorante, 1600 S Wickham Road in Melbourne, will make a beautiful welcoming meal.
Day 2: The Adventures Begin
Today may be day two, but it is your first full day in town, and many wonderful adventures are awaiting you—but first, breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, giving you strength to play hard, and there are many exciting restaurants in Indian Harbour Beach serving your favorite morning meals, but today we recommend a visit to the Scrambled Egg Café, located at 727 Pine Tree Drive. Their specialty is, of course, their Scramblers, but they also serve the best eggs benedicts in town, so if hollandaise makes you happy, you will be more than satisfied. After the last crumb has been devoured it is time to make your way into our Florida streets for a day of fun, perhaps starting with a day at the beach?
Beach Day
You’ve come all this way to see the sea, so why not spend today exploring all the ways the sea can make you smile? Swimming, surfing, body boarding, even building sandcastles at water’s edge with your tiniest travelers will be exciting and fun and many, if not most of our Happy Palm Stays escapes, offer a selection of beach gear for your use during your stay. And when the sun begins to set and the family is ready to head out for a hearty meal, sampling the seafood at Hula Moon Tiki Grill, 1900 Florida A1A, will provide the perfect way to end a beautiful day in Indian Harbour Beach.
Day 3: Who Knew How Much Fun Could Be Had on Vacation?
Day three is the perfect day to visit a few of the local sites, and since you may be a little tired after your beach day yesterday, you will want to whip together a little breakfast in our fully equipped kitchen. Cereal, donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispie Kreme, it doesn’t have to be fancy, just good, or if food is important to you, a foodie’s tour of the region could be just what this day needs!
Village Food Tours offers a variety of food tours in Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Melbourne, all towns located within minutes of your Indian Harbour Beach vacation sanctuary. Each tour lasts about two hours and samples the best of four local restaurants, with prices ranging between $78 and $88 dollars per person, and when you are through, we don’t think anyone will judge you for heading back to your vacation home for a nap and a quick change into your stretchy pants! Who knows? Maybe you will spend the rest of day three exploring the community amenities of your home sweet vacation home?
Day 4: A Day for the Sights
After your delicious and relaxing day three, today, halfway through your trip, is the perfect time to visit some of the local sightseeing attractions, taking the time to really get to know Indian Harbour Beach and the towns that surround it. Enjoy an international lunch at Niki’s Rainbow Restaurant, 570 Florida A1A in Satellite Beach, serving up a complex blend of Greek and American favorites, sandwiching the visit between local adventures.
See where the space race began with a visit to Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island. There is a lot to see and do at this fantastic spot, so you might want to set the entire day aside.
Visit the Banana River Aquatic Preserve, 401 Ramp Road in Cocoa Beach. Rent a kayak and spend the day exploring the beauty of the Banana River and gliding through mangrove forests, perhaps even catching sight of a few of the manatees that make their home here.
Explore the Cocoa Beach Pier, shopping, dining, and maybe even dropping a line into the waters under the pier. You could spend a couple of days here and not see it all!
Day 5: Back to the Sea
In addition to getting in a little more beach time, it may be fun to take this 5th day to explore the waters that surround us in depth, starting with a dolphin tour. Cocoa Beach Dolphin Tours has been in business for over 20 years, and they offer a variety of tours, charters, and even Rocket Launch Tours on the Banana River giving visitors a greater appreciation of the natural and supernatural land and sea scape of this most beautiful part of Florida.
If your visit happens to take place over Christmas, we suggest exploring the Cocoa Beach Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, but don’t feel left out if you are a summer visitor. Every tour offered, including the dolphin and wildlife tours, never fail to impress!
Finish off your day on the sea with a nice dinner in a circa 1905 Victorian house, the Mansion, located at 1218 E New Haven Avenue in Melbourne, featuring an expansive wine and cocktail menu and a delicious food menu filled with fun surprises.
Day 6: Your Last Day in Town
It is hard to believe that the week has flown by so fast, but day six has arrived, and it is your last full day in town. Many guests prefer to leave this day open for adventure, but if you are looking for something special to do in between breakfast at That Little Restaurant (1749 N Wickham Road in Melbourne) and your final wonderful night spent at the Beach Shack (1 Minutemen Causeway #2906 in Cocoa Beach) enjoying cold beers and hot music, we have a few ideas.
Souvenir shopping is a time-honored vacation tradition, and there are three historic areas on the Space Coast that are worthy of checking out, located in Titusville, Cocoa Village, and Melbourne. Shop, dine, and if you are in the right spot at the right time, enjoy the excitement of the free events that often take place in the historic districts.
The Brevard County Zoo (8225 N Wickham Road in Melbourne) is a non-profit zoo providing homes for over 900 animals of 195 different species, promising a family friendly adventure everyone will enjoy.
Your time on white sand beaches is winding down, and taking an afternoon to enjoy one last day of fun in the sun will never be regretted! This actually may be a great time to take some family pictures on the beach as well, posing against a backdrop of sea oats, with the sun setting over the sea. You will have lots of pictures of your unforgettable trip to Indian Harbour Beach, but none will have the meaning of this carefree pic, taken while smiling faces are tanned and relaxed. This family picture will definitely be frame-worthy!
Day 7: Must You Leave So Soon?
Your bags are packed, the last of the wine you purchased from Cocoa Beach Winery has been sipped, but there are still a few hours left to kill before you board your airplane back to reality, and although you are sad to go, chances are you will be so happy you chose Indian Harbour Beach and Happy Palm Stays for your vacation adventures.
You’ve played hard and slept late every day, but if you leave Florida without witnessing at least one sunrise you will regret it forever. Get up early on day seven and head to the beach to find serenity, peace, and the most stunningly beautiful sunrise you have ever seen in your life. You can always sleep on the plane. If you are staying in one of our pet friendly escapes, Canova Beach is the only dog friendly beach in Melbourne, and provides the opportunity to help your pup get out all his excited wiggles before being confined to his kennel for the long flight home.
We know that airplane food is non-existent, so a visit to the Sunrise Diner for breakfast will make a perfect farewell. Located at 365 W Cocoa Beach Causeway and offering a menu filled with Southern comfort foods, your breakfast will hold you over in ways the bags of peanuts never can!
The last week has been the most exciting adventure of your life, and we know you have taken at least a million pics, so take these last quiet moments in paradise to peruse all the pics you have taken and take advantage of our high-speed internet to save data.
The Memories Will Last Forever
Obviously, this sample itinerary is not set in stone, it is simply filled with ideas that will keep everyone active and engaged, so feel free to pick and choose the activities you love most. Add in a hiking day at any of the parks in town, perhaps at Gleason Park, located at 1233 Yacht Club Boulevard, enjoying lush tropical foliage and waterfront views. Maybe you will choose an entire day to stay home and swim, soak in the hot tubs, explore the community our sanctuaries are located in, or maybe you will want to go out every night, visiting a different night spot and closing down the bars.
However you choose to spend your time in paradise, coming home every evening to the comfort, style, and luxury found in our Indian Harbour Beach vacation escapes will always be the highlight of your day. Reserve your favorite today!
