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 We moved to Titusville almost 5 years ago. I'm a city
girl, born and raised in Montreal; lived in St. Petersburg,
Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale (Lighthouse Point) and West
Palm Beach (Lake Worth) areas. Point being these are
large areas, full of infrastructure, shopping, restaurants
and things to do at every turn. Titusville's a small town
by comparison - about 45,000 folks call it home. It took
some time but I finally feel at home here myself. At first
all I really liked was the lack of traffic which is a big reason
why we moved north. As the first holiday season approached
I began to have second thoughts about the decision. There
were clearly only two choices - sit around and mope or get
out there and make things happen. Being a spirited Scottish
lass I opted for door #2. We hosted a few small parties,
invited neighbors, and friends from down south, started mingling
and actively going out to discover our new back yard. Incidentally, I don't believe a problem exists that can't
be remedied with food, wine, and friends! (we're talking localism here ;-)
So - here we are five years later. Let me share some of the things which are special to Titusville.
My personal favorite - The Historic Emma Parrish Theater
The theater is adorable, small, great productions with
mostly local volunteer talent. For the price of one play in
Broward County you can buy a whole season (6 plays) at
Emma Parrish, but hurry - seats are going fast.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge occupies 140,000 acres of
estuaries and marshlands, dunes and hammocks and alligators,
lots of alligators. There is a 7 mile (one-way) self guided drive
thru the habitat - please don't forget your camera. Also has hiking
trails and the nearby Manatee Observation Deck.
Canaveral National Seashore Playalinda, 24 miles of unspoiled beach
not one single condo - daily fee $3.00 per person or $35.00 for an annual
pass (due to change in 2008). There are several parking areas with toilet
only. Be warned the last area on the route is a nude beach. Playalinda is
the beach where each year, from May through August, thousands of
Loggerhead, leatherback, and green sea turtles come ashore to lay their
eggs. Each turtle can lay approximately 600 eggs. Guided tours are
available in this environmentally sensitive habitat.
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary Part of Brevard County's Environmentally
Endangered Lands Program it features walking and learning trails thru scrub,
mesic and hydric ecosystems. This area in Brevard is very high for Florida.
You can descend 20 feet into what I call the Grand Canyon of Brevard.
No - I didn't forget NASA and the Kennedy Space Center
(this website is awesome). I was leaving the best for last.
If you're interested, here's the launch schedule - what a
sight to see and hear. I live 8 miles from the Visitor Center
Complex. When a launch goes up, I simply open the front
door and wait for it to clear the treetops - it's amazing.
Usually though, we drive down to the Indian River, scout
for a much coveted parking spot, mingle with locals and
travelers alike, and wait for the show to begin.
These are the biggies; there is so much more in the way
of parks, museums, wildlife and birding festivals. People
come from all over the world to glimpse of some of our
exotica, it's very beautiful and peaceful....And How about
those Roseate Spoonbills!
Since moving here Dec. 2002 the town has grown some.
Believe it or not, the hurricanes that ravaged us for two
seasons (2004-2005) have had a positive effect.
Renovations started popping up all over town and the
general cleanup sparked an interest in many to spruce
up their own abodes. Several new businesses opened
including a much needed shopping area which is in the
final phase of placing tenants. We're still small town,
but we are growing - slowly. TITUSVILLE - my town!
Any photographs not taken by Gail MacMillan are being used with permission.
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