The seashore dunes are sandy oases for tenacious plants like bayonet-leafed yuccas, prickly pear cactus, and saw palmetto -- while the salt marshes shelter shoulder-high grasses teeming with herons and egrets, not to mention nesting bald eagles, brown pelicans, mottled ducks, and wood storks.

Central Florida's Atlantic coast is also called the"Space Coast": the seashore shares its southern border with the Kennedy Space Center. One of the space-shuttle launchpads sits in plain view and can be seen from within the seashore's southernmost boundary. As you ponder the launchpad amidst alligators and lily pads, consider the irony in the proximity of Florida's last wild frontier to this portal into deep space.

How do you get there from here? The nearest major airport is in Orlando, which is about 45 miles southwest of the seashore. The seashore is also accessible via Interstate 95 (exits 80 and 84), US 1, State Road 404/406, and State Road 44. The south beaches are closed three days prior to a scheduled shuttle launch, so keep track of the space program.