Daytona & Cape Canaveral | USA 2022

For Cole’s 10th birthday, we decided to make it extra special with a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida—and what a celebration it turned out to be! We stayed right on the beach, which is the best way to experience Daytona’s famous shoreline.

The beach itself offered the perfect mix of relaxation and fun. We soaked up the sun, splashed in the waves, and enjoyed that special texture of the sand beneath our feet. There’s something about Daytona that feels different from other Florida beaches—it’s both lively and laid-back, with a history that adds depth to its beauty.

The highlight of Cole’s birthday trip, though, was our visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Just about an hour from Daytona, this world-famous site is where American astronauts have launched into space since 1968. It’s not just a museum but an active spaceport where NASA and SpaceX missions continue to take off.

We did the full tour, which was perfect for Cole—our little science enthusiast. He was fascinated by the chance to stand beneath the massive Saturn V rocket, the very type that carried astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program. We explored interactive exhibits, touched a moon rock, and learned about the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which flew 33 missions before its retirement. For Cole, getting to see firsthand how astronauts live and work in space was an unforgettable birthday gift.

What made the day even more inspiring was realizing how much history has been made here. From President Kennedy’s bold challenge to reach the moon in the 1960s to the ongoing launches that now carry astronauts to the International Space Station, Cape Canaveral represents decades of human ingenuity and the spirit of exploration.

By the end of the trip, we all agreed—it was a birthday well spent! Between the relaxing beauty of Daytona Beach and the awe-inspiring wonders of the Kennedy Space Center, Cole’s 10th birthday was one for the memory books.