Welcome to the Space Coast

There are many hotels and motels in the area, take in mind they may not all be pet friendly. Here are just a few nearby that we recommend if you plan to stay overnight:

Courtyard by Marriott Titusville (pictured)

6245 Riverfront Center Boulevard

Titusville, FL 32780

This hotel is located near the Kennedy Space Center and is the home of the Space Bar, a space themed rooftop deck bar!

Extended Stay America Premier Suites

4835 Helen Hauser Blvd

Titusville, FL 32780

This hotel is conveniently located right next to our public meetup location and is pet friendly.

Holiday Inn

4715 Helen Hauser Blvd

Titusville, FL 32780

This hotel is also located right next to our public meetup location, and is pet friendly.

Hyatt Place

6299 Riverfront Center Blvd

Titusville, FL 32780

This hotel is also pet friendly.

Here in Brevard County there are many activities available to those who are new to the area. Only about an hour from Walt Disney World and 40 minutes from Orlando, there is plenty to do in Central Florida.

If you are adopting a chinchilla from us and are wanting to know some more information about the area we will be meeting, please continue below!

Our Public Meetup Location

Here at Sunshine Chinchillas, our priority is the safety of our adopters, our chinchillas, and ourselves. Thus, we perform all adoptions in our public meetup place of choice.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

4745 Helen Hauser Blvd

Titusville, FL 32780

This location is a Cracker Barrel restaurant location off of highway I-95 and SR 50. This location is convenient to enter and exit with low traffic compared to other public locations.

We chose to use this as our meetup spot as there is plenty of shade and parking spaces to allow for an easy adoption.

Parking Instructions

Seen here is the I-95 N entrance headed west on SR 50, passing beneath this overpass will lead directly to Cracker Barrel on the right hand side. However, if you are coming from the:

West

On SR 50, you will need to pass under the overpass (I-95), make a U-turn, pass under the overpass again headed west, then turn into the restaurant on the right hand side entrance.

South

On I-95, you will exit on the right; at the light, turn left onto SR 50 headed west. Pass underneath the overpass (I-95) and turn right into turn lane and right into the entrance.

North

On I-95, you will exit on the right, then turn right at the light. This will take you directly to the turn lane leading into the entrance of Cracker Barrel.

East

If you are coming from the East on SR 50, you will be able to drive straight, pass under the overpass (I-95) and make a right into the turn lane and then right at the entrance.

Entrance

This is the only entrance to Cracker Barrel. It is located here on the right hand side of SR 50 headed west. Turning right, this will lead to two entrances for the restaurant.

Turning Into Parking Lot

Here on this road, the two Cracker Barrel entrances are on the right side. Please turn right into the second entrance.

This will lead to the left, back side of the restaurant near the RV parking and trash area.

Please park somewhere near the RV parking and trash area (pictured here). If you can see the hotel when you are parked, you are likely in the correct area.

If you cannot find the designated parking area, please contact us via text, email, or direct message and we can assist you.

Activities in Brevard County

There are many things to do in Brevard County; with our natural beaches, rocket launches, and nature trails, Brevard is a beautiful place to visit. Please remember, if you plan to do activities while you are here, try to plan around having your chinchilla with you or plan to do things prior to your adoption appointment. Chinchillas need to be in air conditioning at all times. They cannot be in outdoor temperatures over 70° F or in direct sunlight. Being outside in the Florida heat during the peak of the day can quickly cause a chinchilla to overheat. So please take this into consideration if you are planning to do some activities in the area.

Hotels

Rocket Launches

Most notably, Brevard frequently brings in tourists ready to experience the awe of rocket launches! With SpaceX and NASA working together out of Merritt Island, this is as close as you can get to see these rockets go up.

If you are planning to see a rocket launch, please remember traffic can quickly pick up leading to backed up roads and no parking spaces. So take this into consideration if you plan to be in the area during this time.

If you'd like to plan around a launch, SpaceX has a schedule of upcoming launches here: https://spacecoastlaunches.com/launch-list/

The Kennedy Space Center

Only about 20 minutes away from our public meetup location, the Kennedy Space Center can make a great short day trip. However, please do not leave your chinchilla in the car unattended without air conditioning!

To purchase tickets, visit their website here: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

Downtown Titusville

Located about 20 minutes away from our public meetup location, Downtown Titusville is a great place for a quick bite or coffee.

Here are just a few of our favorite locations nearby:

Space View Park (pictured)

8 Broad St

Titusville, FL 32796

This small park honors astronauts and space exploration, here you can learn about the history of it.

Sand Point Park

101 N Washington Ave

Titusville, FL 32796

This park can be a great stop if you'd like to see the Indian River Lagoon and then head home.

Sunrise Bread Co.

315 S Hopkins Ave

Titusville, FL 32796

Here at Titusville's favorite bakery, you can grab a quick bite and some delicious coffee.

Downtown Diner

605 S Hopkins Ave

Titusville, FL 32796

If you're looking for satisfying food with a good price, the Downtown Diner is a great choice.

The Downtown Art Gallery

335 S Washington Ave

Titusville, FL 32796

If you'd like a quick walk through an art gallery, this one has five showrooms filled with beautiful works of art.

The Infinite Mushroom Comic & Game Shop

342 S Washington Ave

Titusville, FL 32796

This comic store is great to visit if you're exploring downtown.

Nature in Brevard

If you go over the Max Brewer bridge, there are several amazing natural places you can visit to see the beauty of the Space Coast.

Here are just a few of our favorites:

Playalinda Beach

Merritt Island's beautiful natural beaches, here you can relax while also getting a great view of the nearby rocket launch pads and the iconic NASA building.

We are also about 30-40 minutes from Cocoa beach, another option for visiting the ocean!

Black Point Wildlife Drive

One of the most beautiful nature trails on the Space Coast, the Black Point Wildlife Drive is our favorite spot.

Here you can see many native birds, alligators, and the occasional bobcat if you're lucky!

Manatee Observation Deck

The Manatee Observation Deck is located in a favorite spot for local manatees to hang out.

If you're lucky, you may even see some babies!

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

A quick driving trail right off of the Max Brewer bridge that many use as a fishing spot. Here you can see the occasional alligator, dolphin, manatee, horseshoe crab, and many native birds.

There are also a few walking trails nearby as well, the Hammock Trail is located near Merritt Island National Wildlife Visitor Center.

Enchanted Forest Sancutary

The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary offers a diverse number of natural habitats that can be observed.

It is unique in that it has both temperate and subtropical foliage species growing together to create a beautiful trail.

Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum

The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary offers a diverse number of natural habitats that can be observed.

If you're looking for something a bit more serene and don't mind driving further out, head over to the White Sands Buddhist Center.

Here you can take a quick relaxing walk and observe some beautiful statues.