Things to Do in Merritt Island

Sister ships Orlando Princess and Canaveral Star II disembark from Cape Canaveral for daily fishing trips. The 80- and 85-foot vessels set sail with an experienced crewmember and soon-to-be seafarers equipped with fishing licenses, rods, reels, tackle, and bait. Full- and half-day excursions let fisherpeople hunt for mangrove snapper, grouper, and sea bass, and nighttime shark-fishing trips give them the opportunity to seek out bigger game. After catching a respectable haul, patrons can relax on the sun deck or in air-conditioned cabins and indulge in included hot meals. They’ll also get unlimited beer or soda that tastes better than seawater, which is mostly made up of mermaid spit.

The Loughman Lake Beer and Food Fest, formerly known as the Titusville Craft Beer Festival, sets a spread of up to 70 domestic and craft beers for festival-goers to sample amidst the scenic vista at Loughman Lake. Since 2012, the festival has been a destination for fun lovers of all stripes: guests can chew the fat about their favorite baseball teams or play full-contact chess in the sports lounge, toast digital gladiators in the video-game area, or rock out to live music played throughout the day. Thanks to the new venue, the festival also offers a chance to jet across the wetlands on an airboat with reservations through the lakeside lodge.

Owner Mary Myers believes in sharing the gift of movement with everyone. She offers dance and music instruction to students of all abilities and helms sessions specifically catered to autistic and hearing-impaired students. At her family-run studio, students sample different flavors of the diverse class offerings, from the peppy steps of merengue to the honky-tonk struts of line dancing. She also leads a variety of dance-fitness classes to help students carve off calories with sessions such as belly dance and Flamenco Fit. Further fostering patrons' passion for beats, the instructors teach introductory violin lessons and music theory to help students unravel the complexities of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

Beach breezes ruffle explorers’ hair as they wend their way through Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, and Port Canaveral atop two-wheeled steeds from Beach Classic Scooter. Patrons can rent from the center and choose their own route or follow veteran guides to hidden local gems, such as the mayor’s underground office. Each tour comes with a free pickup service from local hotels, which ferries clients to the scooter center.