Family Getaways 2008 - (Page 29) Here, the seven Mercury astronauts. Top, exhibit at Space Hall of Fame. Above, a 1950 photo of the AstroCraft Motel, courtesy City of Cocoa Beach. TOP 7 SPACE SITES Today, structures from that era remain. If you’re pining for authentic Cocoa Beach, they will be more than enough to transport you. 1 JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER Think of this place as the base camp around which the other Space Coast sites orbit. The Visitor Complex is command central for families looking to engage with the universe, which feels awfully close here. At the complex’s U.S Astronaut Hall of Fame, commissioned by the Mercury 7, you’ll find Gus Grissom’s smallerthan-you’d-expect space suit (the original flight capsules were only 6 feet by 10 inches high). The Sigma 7 Mercury craft is also on display, as well as Deke Slayton’s on-board knife, in place, if necessary, to pry open the capsule door. You’ll see Mercury 7 equipment and hardware, Gordo Cooper’s cue cards from the first TV broadcast from space, transmission recordings, space rocks and dirt. KSC has added new ways to experience space other than just buying astronaut ice cream in the gift shop; you can now go through flight training, ride on a Space Shuttle launch, smell the moon and have lunch with an (real) astronaut. BERNARD’S SURF (SURF BAR & GRILL) Now The Surf Bar & Grill, this seafood stop at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Minuteman Causeway opened in 1948 and is reportedly where the Mercury 7 ate their last dinner before stepping into the capsule. Inside, this former “cocktail lounge” has glossy, dark wood and a gleaming bar, as well as old photos showing the triumphal astronauts on parade in the streets of Cocoa. A frequent and famous destination for the space industry in the 1960s, what was Bernard’s Surf once served bear and alligator. 2 South Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. “GLASS BANK” OFFICE BUILDING (RAMON’S RAINBOW ROOM) Once a bank, this mid-century modern building at 505 N. Orlando Avenue was made almost completely of glass and is recognizable by its millipede-like legs. Damaged by Hurricane Frances, the “Glass Bank” has changed, though its distinctive ‘60s launch-pad look remains. Ramon’s Rainbow Room (there were two locations for Ramon’s) once occupied the penthouse. At Ramon’s, astronauts held wild parties and the Caesar salad was so famous it made the newspapers. The restaurant is gone and the building is for lease, so we almost don’t want to mention it. Except that it’s such a visible and unique building, you can’t miss it when you go through town. 2 3
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