 |
| The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and Launch Control Center (LCC) at Kennedy Space Center. This year's Space Coast Road Trip took place just before Artemis II left the VAB for Launch Complex 39B; while I wasn't in the area for the rollout, the timing did give me the opportunity to listen to preparation and support of the rollout. |
Needless to say, the week provided some excellent listening. With SpaceX conducting two Falcon 9 Starlink launches during the week and NASA preparing for Artemis II's rollout on Saturday, there were plenty of space related communications to listen to. As for military communications, F-35s from Jacksonville worked offshore and at Pinecastle Range, F-35s from Eglin AFB at Avon Park Range, A-10s from Moody AFB worked at both Pinecastle and Avon Park, and HC-130s from Patrick SFB were conducting parachute drop training. The NASA communications cand be considered Federal Communications, but there was also plenty to hear from the Coast Guard and National Park Service. Since my last visit to the Space Coast, there have been public safety communications changes in the area and there will be more about that below. Traveling down the coast from Savannah to Titusville, I could hear port related communications in Savannah, Brunswick, Jacksonville, and Port Canaveral. Savannah and Jacksonville also yielded railroad communications from CSX and Norfolk Southern, while in Florida I could also hear the Florida East Coast Railroad. At Daytona International Speedway, IMSA's "Roar Before the 24" was getting underway and provided some listening as I drove past the speedway on Thursday heading to St Augustine. There was good amateur radio activity on several of the repeaters in the First Coast and Space Coast and I enjoyed doing a couple of Parks on the Air (POTA) activations at a couple of Florida Historic State Parks.
 |
| I caught SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch of a Starlink mission on Monday just after I got to the hotel in Titusville. There was also a launch on Wednesday, but I missed it because it coincided with my drive down to the Treasure Coast |
Mobile radio equipment for this trip included the usual Uniden SDS100 connected to a Laird ABSCANC antenna mag-mounted to the car's roof and the Radioddity DB-25D dual band Analog/DMR mobile connected to a Diamond MR77 on the car's roof. Since I was going to be spending hours on the road during this trip, I augmented those two with a Uniden BCD436HP connected to a mag-mount on the car's roof.
MilCom/Aerospace/Aviation
Staying in the Space Coast for a few days, I was within a triangle of Jacksonville, Orlando, and Palm Beach, so there was no shortage of aviation communications to listen to. Commercial aviation is almost non-stop except late at night and there is quite a bit of general aviation activity. Likewise, there was plenty of military aviation activity to listen to because it puts you between Pinecastle Range in Altoona, FL and Avon Park Range in Avon Park, FL and just onshore from the Navy's offshore operating areas. Patrick SFB is between Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach, so you can hear their HC-130Js and HH-60Ws. Pinecastle Range saw activity from 159th FS F-35As from Jacksonville and 23rd FG A-10Cs from Moody AFB. Avon Park Range was active with 95th FS F-35As from Eglin AFB and A-10Cs from the 23rd FG at Moody AFB. 159th FS F-35As and P-8s from NAS Jacksonville utilized the offshore training areas off Florida's east coast. Additionally, 39th RQS HC-130Js from Patrick SFB were conducting parachute drop training in the waters off Florida's east coast. On Tuesday, I caught a flight of two NASA helicopters while I was waiting for the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex to open; I later discovered that it was the new NASA Administrator taking an aerial tour of KSC. On Thursday morning, I caught something interesting while visiting the Merritt Island NWR: a Navy P-8 (probably VP-30's NEPTUNE 53) relaying communications between a Bahamian vessel in distress and Coast Guard Sector Miami on Marine VHF Ch 16.
This year's Space Coast Road Trip took place just before the rollout of Artemis II from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center to LC-39B, where it will launch on a mission around the moon next month if all goes as scheduled. A lot of traffic on the KSC P25 TRS seemed to be related to that upcoming move and work on another Artemis mobile launcher adjacent to the VAB.
 |
| The VAB on the left and an Artemis Mobile Launch Platform under construction on the right. A lot of the traffic on the KSC P25 TRS seemed to be related to the pending move of Artemis II from the VAB to LC-39B and the construction of the Mobile Launch Platform. The crawler way can be seen on the right half of the photo, which Artemis II will be traveling along on its way to LC-39B. |
Hunter AAF/Wright AAF/Fort Stewart
124.975/279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
126.250/269.275 - Wright AAF Tower
LIFESTAR 2 (B407, N697AM, Air Methods/LifeStar 2 Hinesville)
N192AE/AIREVAC 183 (B06, AirEvac 183 Waycross)
US Army ACE LMR
TG 20500 - FS/HAAF FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 20513 - FS/HAAF EMS Dispatch
TG 20562 - Fort Stewart DMPTR
TG 20705 - FS/HAAF Range Control 20705
Savannah-Hilton Head IAP & Savannah CRTC/ADC
125.975/257.800 - Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower
120.400/125.300/118.400 - Savannah TRACON
353.775/371.875/307.225 - Savannah TRACON
SEGARRN P25 TRS
TG 415 - 165th AW FD 1
Brunswick/St Simons/Jekyll Island
123.000 - Brunswick/Golden Isles Airport CTAF/Unicom
123.050 - Malcolm McKinnon and Jekyll Island Airport CTAF/Unicom
Moody AFB
140.200 - 74th FS Air-to-Air
277.800 - 23rd FG Air-to-Air
225.450 - 71st RQS "KING Ops"
BENGAL ## (A-10C, 74th FS)
COWBOY ## (A-10C, 23rd FG)
KING 73 (HC-130J, 102nd RQS)
Jacksonville IAP/NAS Jacksonville/NS Mayport/Cecil Field
119.000/124.900/127.000/127.775 - Jax TRACON
269.900/284.600/292.150/308.400 - Jax TRACON
118.300/317.700 - Jacksonville IAP Tower
125.125/340.200 - NAS Jacksonville Tower
134.775 - NAS Jacksonville Base Ops
118.750/239.300 - NS Mayport Tower
126.100 - Cecil Field Tower
251.250 - 125th FW/159th FS Maintenance/Ops
234.800 - 125th FW/159th FS Air-to-Air
253.700 - 125th FW/159th FS Air-to-Air
343.000 - 125th FW/159th FS Air-to-Air/Aerial Refueling
FANG ## (F-35A, 125th FW/159th FS)
GATOR ## (F-35A, 125th FW/159th FS)
JAGS ## (F-35A, 125th FW/159th FS)
N395AE/AIREVAC 96 (B06, AirEvac 96 Jesup)
264.200 - VP-5/VP-16 Base
271.400 - VP-8/VP-26 Base
306.000 - VP-30 Base
285.000 - TSC Jacksonville/W-497 Common
246.900 - P-8 Air-to-Air
250.900 - HSM-40 Base
MADFOX ## (P-8A, VP-5)
TALON 8## (P-8A, VP-16)
TRIDENT ## (P-8A, VP-26)
NEPTUNE ## (P-8A, VP-30)
BLACKCAT ## (MQ-4C, VUP-19)
MAKO 05 (F-5N, FRCSE)
AIRWOLF ## (MH-60R, HSM-40)
156.6000 - Marine VHF Ch 12; Mayport Port Control
US DOD TRS (NAS Jacksonville and NS Mayport sites)
Note: This system is partially encrypted
TG 28090 - USN Region Southeast Operations Center
TG 28118 - NAS Jacksonville Tower
TG 28119 - NAS Jacksonville Navaid MX?
TG 28136 - NAS Jacksonville Rescue Swimmer School
TG 28138 - HSM-48?
TG 28146 - NAS Jacksonville FD Dispatch
TG 28148 - NAS Jacksonville Crash Net
TG 28148 - NAS Jacksonville Crash Net
TG 28153 - NAS Jacksonville FD Tac 5
TG 28164 - Unknown
TG 28169 - Unknown
TG 28171 - VP-45
TG 28173 - VP-30
TG 28179 - Unknown
TG 28180 - VR-62
TG 28211 - FRCSE Part Delivery
TG 28214 - Possible Squadron TG
TG 28222 - NAS Jacksonville POL
TG 28241 - VP-62
TG 28264 - NS Mayport Tower
TG 28319 - HSM-72
TG 28320 - VP-16
TG 28346 - NS Mayport Ship POL
TG 28476 - NAS Key West PD
TG 28624 - VUP-19
TG 29652 - NAS Kingsville FD
Camp Blanding
134.100 - Camp Blanding Range Control
141.5125 ($0DA) - Camp Blanding Range Control
138.1750 ($0DA) - Camp Blanding Maintenance
GECKO ## (C-27J?, US Army UFC)
WICKED ## (Unknown)
Northeast Florida Regional Airport (St Augustine)
127.625 - Northeast Florida Regional Tower
360.300 - Grumman St Augustine Ops
GRUMMAN ## (E-2D, USN/Grumman Test)
Daytona Beach
118.850/125.350/125.800/127.075 - Daytona TRACON
269.075/351.950 - Daytona TRACON
120.700 - Daytona Beach IAP Tower
118.950 - Flagler Executive Tower
119.075 - Ormond Beach Tower
119.675 - New Smyrna Beach Tower
Space Coast Regional Airport
124.800/134.050/134.950 - Orlando TRACON
118.900/257.800 - Space Coast Regional Airport Tower
Space Coast Regional Airport
124.800/134.050/134.950 - Orlando TRACON
118.900 - Space Coast Regional Airport Tower
Kennedy Space Center
128.550 - SLF Tower
NASA 435 (EC35, N435NA, NASA)
NASA 442 (EC35, N927NA, NASA)
KSC P25 TRS
TG 221 - Fire Net 116
TG 241 - KSC FD Station 1 Paging
TG 245 - KSC FD Fire Tac 1
TG 503 - Medical Net 117
TG 185 - Canaveral NS 911 Call Boxes
TG 104 - Comm Net 107
TG 105 - Comm Net 207
TG 735 - Safety Net 105
TG 736 - Safety Net 110
TG 737 - Safety Net 205
TG 855 - Support Net 104
TG 937 - Trans Net 206
TG 961 - Utilities Net 101
TG 975 - Utilities Net 123
TG 398 - Utilities Net 124
TG 659 - Utilities Net 125
TG 963 - Utilities Net 301
TG 875 - Test Net 1
TG 876 - Test Net 2
TG 281 - Flight Ops 1
TG 282 - Flight Ops 2
TG 295 - FSA 1
TG 411 - CCSFS Photo/Timing
TG 431 - KSC 1
TG 451 - LETF 1
TG 557 - SLF Tower
TG 583 - Unknown (Crane Operations, possibly VAB or the MLP under construction)
TG 620 - Pad 39B Ops
TG 621 - Pad Operations 1
TG 664 - PS Alarm 1
TG 665 - PS Alarm 2
TG 666 - PS Talk
TG 705 - Road/Grounds
TG 948 - NASA TV
TG 995 - Weather Alert
Blue Origin DMR TRS
Note: This system is fully encrypted
TG 2 - Blue Origin Unknown
TG 7 - Blue Origin Unknown
TG 8 - Blue Origin Unknown
TG 9 - Blue Origin Unknown
TG 16 - Blue Origin Unknown
ULA DMR TRS
TG 4 - ULA Unknown
Cape Canaveral SFS/Patrick SFB
118.625 - Cape Canaveral SFS Tower
133.750 - Patrick SFB Tower
321.000 - 920th RQW "KING Ops"
251.900 - SAR Alpha
KING 39 (HC-130J, 39th RQS)
KING 41 (HC-130J, 39th RQS)
KING 44 (HC-130J, 39th RQS)
JOLLY 11 (HH-60W, 301st RQS)
USAF 157 P25 TRS (Cape Canaveral SFS and Patrick SFB sites)
Note: This system is mostly encrypted
TG 48011 - PSFB FD Dispatch
TG 48013 - PSFB FD Operations
TG 48027 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48046 - PSFB MOC
TG 48052 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48077 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48084 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48088 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48103 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48105 - PSFB Tower
TG 48107 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48111 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48126 - PSFB Unknown
TG 48301 - CCSFS Tower
TG 48304 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48311 - CCSFS FD 1
TG 48313 - CCSFS Med Net
TG 48314 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48316 - CCSFS Fire 2
TG 48317 - CCSFS Fire 3
TG 48323 - CCSFS Fire Alerts
TG 48324 - CCSFS Fire Station 2?
TG 48325 - CCSFS Fire Station #?
TG 48335 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48342 - CCCSFS Unknown
TG 48351 - CCSFS Safety 1
TG 48352 - CCSFS Safety 2
TG 48353 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48371 - CCSFS COMSEC
TG 48379 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48381 - CCSFS Range Safety
TG 48382 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48388 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48393 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48396 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48402 - CCSFS Range Ops
TG 48405 - Cape Canaveral SFS Video
TG 48406 - CCSFS Unknown
TG 48407 - CCSFS Support 1
TG 48408 - CCSFS Support 2
TG 48412 - CCSFS Photo
Melbourne
118.200 - Melbourne Tower
Fort Pierce/Vero Beach/Palm Beach
123.625/124.600/125.200/127.350/128.300 - Palm Beach TRACON
128.200 - Treasure Coast IAP Tower (Fort Pierce)
126.300/133.150 - Vero Beach Regional Tower
119.100 - Palm Beach IAP Tower
Pinecastle Range
289.200 - Pinecastle Range Ops
225.350 - Pinecastle Target
Avon Park Range
126.150/292.200 - Avon Park Range Ops
SEALORD (W-137/138)
120.950 - SEALORD North Primary
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
267.500 - SEALORD South Primary
270.600 - SEALORD South Secondary
293.600 - NORAD Discrete
Miscellaneous MilCom
324.600 - AR-207 Primary
299.275 - VMFA-312 Tac 1
264.925 - VMFA-312 Tac 3
267.300 - VMFT-402 Air-to-Air
BACKY ## (KC-46A, 916th ARW)
BONES ## (F-35A, 95th FS)
CHECK 6# (F/A-18C/D, VMFA-312)
FURY ## (F/A-18C/D, VMFA-312)
REAPER ## (F-5N, VMFT-402)
Jacksonville ARTCC
124.075 - Summerville High
124.675/282.200 - Jekyll Low
126.125/285.650 - Statesboro High
126.350/307.250 - St. Augustine High
126.750/277.400 - Brunswick Low
127.475 - Green Cove High
127.575 - Waycross Low
127.875 - Aiken High
128.625 - Micanopy Ultra High
132.425 - Hunter Ultra High
132.825 - Lawtey Ultra High
132.925/363.200 - Allendale/Savannah Low
133.300 - Moultrie Ultra High
133.625 - Georgetown High
133.700 - Baxley Low
134.000/273.550 - St Johns Low
134.850 - Torry Low/High
135.450 - Keystone Ultra High
135.975 - Alma High
Miami Center
119.825 - Hobee Low/High
123.675 - Nucar Low/High
126.525/285.500 - Avon High
126.950/293.225 - Stoop Low
127.200/317.750 - Lakeland High
128.650/343.700 - Apolo High
132.150 - Palm Beach Low
132.250/254.250 - Melbourne Low
133.475/269.300 - Bairn Low
134.350/379.250 - Adoor Low/High
134.550 - Lakeland Low
135.700/370.900 - Miami Center at Vero Beach?
Atlanta ARTCC
123.950 - Sinca Low
126.425 - Dublin High
128.100 - Augusta Low
FedCom
Federal Communications are a fairly easy catch along the route from Savannah to the Space Coast. There are plenty of opportunities to hear the US Coast Guard, both Sectors Charleston from Savannah to the Georgia/Florida state line then Sector Jacksonville from the state line south to the Space Coast. The National Park Service uses VHF repeaters for the Canaveral National Seashore and I heard the one that covers the south half by Kennedy Space Center during this trip. Additionally, the National Park Service at Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas uses talkgroups on the St Johns County P25 TRS.
156.8000 - Marine VHF Ch 16
157.1000 - Marine VHF Ch 1022/22A
157.0750 - Marine VHF Ch 1081/81A
171.2375 ($293) - CG 127, Sector Charleston
164.9000 ($293) - CG 118, Station Brunswick
413.0000 ($293) - CG 410, Sector Charleston Air Ops
162.3250 ($293) - CG 111, Sector Jacksonville
412.9750 ($293) - CG 409, Sector Jacksonville
169.7875 ($407) - Canaveral National Seashore KSC
St Johns County P25 TRS
TG 10615 - NPS Castillo de San Marcos
TG 10620 - NPS Fort Matanzas
Public Safety
Most of the public safety communications from Savannah down to the Space Coast utilize trunked repeater systems, although some of the more rural counties are still using conventional repeaters. Georgia Forestry Commission is still using some analog NFM and Florida Forestry Service is using P25 repeaters. Volusia County is still using both an EDACS system and a P25 system, but the vast majority of activity still seems to be on the EDACS system. Between my last visit to the Space Coast and this year, Brevard County has (for the most part) switched from their EDACS trunking system to a new P25 trunking system; most of the frequencies from the EDACS system have been moved over to the P25 system and the public safety communications on the P25 system are almost completely encrypted, although there are occasionally some unencrypted transmissions. The SDS100 also easily heard the Orange, Osceola, and Seminole County P25 systems while in Brevard County.
155.3250 (DCS 023) - Long County Fire Dispatch (Multicast with SEGARRN TG 12913)
154.9950 (PL 123.0) - McIntosh County Fire/EMS Dispatch
154.3550 (PL 173.8) - Brantley Co Fire Dispatch
154.8225 (DCS 364) - Camden County Fire Dispatch (Patch with Camden P25 TG 2001)
158.4000 (DCS 073) - AirEvac 96 Jesup
462.9500 (PL 173.8) - LifeFlight Jacksonville
159.3900 (PL 156.7) - GFC Mobile-to-Mobile
159.2250 ($06E) - FFS R2/D6 Withlacoochee
159.2400 ($046) - FFS R2/D7 Jacksonville
159.4050 ($050) - FFS R2/D8 Waccassa
159.2700 ($078) - FFS R3/D12 Orlando
159.4050 ($0A0) - FFS R4/D16 Okeechobee
SEGARRN P25 TRS (Southeast Georgia Regional Radio Network)
TG 5090 - Bryan County North Fire Dispatch
TG 5093 - Bryan County South Fire Dispatch
TG 5111 - Bryan County FD South Tac 1
TG 1663 - Effingham County Incident 4
TG 1665 - Effingham Co Fire/Rescue Incident 5
TG 17920 - LifeStar
TG 2305 - Chatham County Fire Dispatch
TG 539 - Chatham County FD Simulcast Page
TG 223 - Chatham County Fire Admin
TG 2303 - Savannah FD Simulcast Page (Chatham County)
TG 2307 - Savannah FD Admin (Chatham County)
TG 2311 - Chatham County Fireground 1
TG 2313 - Chatham County Fireground 2
TG 2359 - Chatham County Fireground 4
TG 2309 - Chatham County Fireground 5
TG 2365 - Chatham County Fireground 7
TG 325 - Tybee Island FD (Chatham County)
TG 12806 - Liberty County Fire Dispatch
TG 12913 - Long County Fire Dispatch (Multicast with 159.3250)
Camden County P25 TRS
TG 2001 - Camden County FD Dispatch (Patch with 154.8225)
First Coast P25 TRS (Duval County/Jacksonville)
TG 1087 - Jacksonville F/R A2 Dispatch
TG 149 - Jacksonville F/R A4 Suppression
TG 1099 - Jacksonville F/R A8 Support
TG 1113 - Jacksonville F/R Fireground B1
TG 1121 - Jacksonville F/R Fireground B5
TG 1523 - Jacksonville IAP Events/Crash Units
TG 1563 - Jacksonville IAP Operations
TG 1797 - NIMS North
Clay County P25 TRS
TG 300 - Clay County F/R Dispatch
St Johns County P25 TRS
TG 10000 - St Johns County F/R A1 Dispatch
TG 10020 - St Johns County F/R A5 Tac 2
TG 10025 - St Johns County F/R A6 Tac 3
TG 10640 - Trauma 1 South
Putnam County P25 TRS
TG 2010 - Putnam County F/R Dispatch
Flagler County P25 TRS
TG 2059 - Flagler County F/R Primary
TG 2060 - Flagler County F/R Tac 3
TG 2057 - Flagler County F/R Talk
Volusia County EDACS TRS
TG 02-041 - Volusia Co Fire Services 1 East Dispatch
TG 02-043 - Volusia Co Fire Services Tac 3
TG 02-046 - Volusia Co Fire Services Tac 6
TG 02-047 - Volusia Co Fire Services Tac 7
TG 02-052 - Volusia Co Fire Services Tac 10
TG 09-156 - Volusia County County Wide 1
TG 09-157 - Volusia County County Wide 2
TG 10-101 - Daytona Beach IAP PS 1
TG 15-004 - PSIC 1
Volusia County P25 TRS
TG 301 - Volusia Co Fire Services 1 East Dispatch
Brevard County EDACS
TG 01-044 - Brevard County EOC
Brevard County P25 TRS
Note: Public Safety on this system is almost completely encrypted
TG 395 - Brevard County F/R Dispatch 3 (sporadic unencrypted traffic)
TG 407 - Brevard County F/R Dispatch 4 (sporadic unencrypted traffic)
TG 1449 - Cocoa FD Primary (sporadic unencrypted traffic)
TG 1084 - Marine VHF Ch 12 Patch
TG 1085 - Marine VHF Ch 16 Patch
TG 65128 - Patch
TG 65187 - Patch
Orange County P25 TRS
TG 131 - Orange County F/R 1 Dispatch
TG 135 - Orange County F/R 3
TG 139 - Orange County F/R 5
TG 143 - Orange County F/R 7
TG 147 - Orange County F/R 9 Overflow
TG 20355 - Orlando FD 2 Medical
TG 7202 - Winter Park FD T2
TG 291 - PSAP Intercity
Seminole County P25 TRS
TG 8225 - Seminole F/R FR 1 Dispatch
TG 8228 - Seminole F/R FR 4 Fireground
TG 8225 - Seminole F/R FR 1 Dispatch
TG 8227 - Seminole F/R FR 3 Medical 2
TG 8228 - Seminole F/R FR 4 Fireground
Osceola County P25 TRS
TG 115 - Osceola F/R 1 Dispatch
TG 117 - Osceola F/R 2 East Fireground
TG 119 - Osceola F/R 3 West Fireground
TG 119 - Osceola F/R 3 West Fireground
TG 151 - Orange F/R 11 Rural FD Dispatch
TG 225 - Kissimmee F/R Dispatch
TG 227 - Kissimmee F/R Tactical 1 East
TG 319 - St Cloud F/R 1 Dispatch
Treasure Coast P25 TRS (Saint Lucie & Martin Counties)
Note: Public Safety on this system is almost completely encrypted
TG 11003 - Martin County F/R Station 14
TG 11004 - Martin County F/R Station 16
TG 11005 - Martin County F/R Station 18
TG 11006 - Martin County F/R Station 21
TG 11007 - Martin County F/R Station 22
TG 11008 - Martin County F/R Station 23
TG 11009 - Martin County F/R Station 24
TG 11010 - Martin County F/R Station 32
TG 11011 - Martin County F/R Station 33
TG 11013 - Martin County F/R Station 36
TG 11021 - Martin County F/R Station 30
Marine VHF and Railroad
The route of travel from Savannah down to the Space Coast is always within range of a waterway or the ocean, so there is always activity on Marine VHF channels, especially around the ports of Savannah, Brunswick, Jacksonville, and Port Canaveral. Likewise, those ports also generate a lot of railroad traffic. Although not as active between the port cities, while around the port cities you can hear plenty of traffic from CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Florida East Coast Railway.
Savannah
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Savannah River Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; Savannah Pilots
Brunswick
156.6000 - Marine VHF Ch 12; Brunswick Pilots
Jacksonville
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; St Johns River Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; St Johns Bar Pilots, Jacksonville
Port Canaveral
156.6000 - Marine VHF Ch 12; Port Canaveral Pilots
156.5500 - Marine VHF Ch 11; Port Canaveral Unknown
CSX Savannah
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
160.4850 - AAR 25, CSX Southover Yard
160.2900 - AAR 12, CSX Southover Yard
160.4400 - AAR 22, CSX Intermodal Yard
CSX Brunswick
161.5200 - AAR 94; CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
CSX Jacksonville
160.3200 - AAR 14, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX Dispatch, Jacksonville (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road, Jacksonville (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3) (Jacksonville)
160.2900 - AAR 12, CSX Moncrief C Yard, Jacksonville
160.4850 - AAR 25, CSX Moncrief B Yard (Jacksonville)
160.8600 - AAR 50, CSX Export Yard, Jacksonville (Some PL 250.3)
Norfolk Southern Savannah
160.9350 - AAR 55, Norfolk Southern Road/Dispatch, Savannah
161.4900 - AAR 92, Norfolk Southern Dillard Yard (Savannah)
Norfolk Southern Brunswick
161.5050 - AAR 93, Norfolk Southern Dispatch/Road, Brunswick
Norfolk Southern Jacksonville
160.6950 - AAR 39, Norfolk Southern Road (Jacksonville)
Florida East Coast RR
160.5300 - AAR 28/160.7700 - AAR 44, FEC/Brightline Dispatch
160.6800 (PL 103.5) - AAR 38, FEC Yard 1
161.3100 (PL 103.5) - AAR 80, FEC Yard 3
161.0100 - AAR 60, FEC Engineering
160.6500 - AAR 36, FEC Mechanical
Daytona International Speedway
On Thursday, I drove from Titusville back up to St Augustine, driving by Daytona International Speedway on the way up I-95 northbound. It just so happened that Friday was the beginning of IMSA's "Roar Before the 24" practice weekend before the 24 Hours of Daytona later this month. Thursday was "load in" day for the team transporters and I could hear track personnel coordinating the transporters moving into the track.
451.9750 (DCS 516) - NASCAR Security
464.7750 (DCS 423) - NASCAR 11
Amateur Radio/GMRS
I heard amateur radio 2 Meter/70 cm repeater activity (and on 146.520, the 2 Meter national call/simplex frequency) in the First Coast, Space Coast, and Treasure Coast areas, both analog and DMR as well as activity on GMRS repeaters. On launch days, there launch commentary/coverage on the 146.9400- (PL 107.2) repeater in Brevard County. Amateur Radio also came in handy during this road trip; I was one of the ones who lost service when the cell phone companies had problems on Wednesday. Since I was driving between Fort Pierce and Titusville when it happened, I had no idea what was going on. I was able to switch to one of the Florida SARnet repeaters and ask if there were any cellphone network issues; some of the operators on the network were able to ascertain what was going on and fill me in on the problems. Even though the SARnet system is useful, I ended up removing its repeaters from the scanlist on the radios. I was often within range of multiple SARnet repeaters which were frequently active and it tied up the radio, preventing me from hearing other repeaters. Given that the system really isn't intended for ragchew, it's something I found I can leave out of scan and just switch over to if I need to monitor or use the system.
145.2100- (PL 127.3) - St Augustine
146.5200 - 2 Meter Call/Simplex
146.6100- (PL 107.2) - Melbourne
146.6250- (CSQ) - St Augustine
146.6700- (PL 127.300) - Orange Park
146.7000- (PL 127.3) - Jacksonville
146.7750- (PL 107.2) - Fort Pierce
146.8500- (PL 107.2) - Palm Bay
146.8950- (PL 107.2) - Palm Bay
146.9100- (PL 107.2) - Titusville
146.9250- (PL 156.7) - Orange Park
146.9400- (PL 107.2) - Rockledge (Launch audio feed)
146.9700- (PL 107.2) - Titusville
147.0750+ (PL 123.0) - Palm Coast
147.1350+ (PL 107.2) - Rockledge
147.1500+ (PL 127.3) - Daytona Beach
147.2400+ (PL 107.2) - Fort Pierce
147.3750+ (PL 103.5) - Daytona Beach
147.3900+ (PL 127.3) - Jacksonville Beach
442.8000+ (PL 127.3) - St Augustine (SARNet)
443.7375+ (DMR CC9) - Titusville (FLDMR network)
444.4000+ (PL 127.3) - Jacksonville
443.8750+ (PL 127.3) - Ormond Beach
444.3750+ (PL 107.2) - Sebastian (SARNet)
444.6500+ (PL 107.2) - Cocoa (SARNet)
444.6750+ (DMR CC3) - KSC Titusville
444.8500+ (PL 131.8) - Jacksonville (USS Orleck, DD-886)
444.9250+ (PL 131.8) - Kennedy Space Center VAB
462.5750+ (PL 103.5) - Port St John GMRS
462.5750+ (PL 141.3) - Fort Pierce GMRS
462.6750+ (PL 141.3) - Cocoa GMRS
462.7250+ (PL 179.9) - Fellmere GMRS
This year, I did some portable HF operating during the road trip. The equipment I used was a Yaesu FT-891 using a Bioenno LiPo battery and a Chelegance MC-750 portable HF antenna. On Monday, one of the places I visited was the Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park (US-3609) in Flagler Beach, FL. After touring the ruins, I set up the portable HF station at one of the tables in their picnic area and did a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation on 20 Meters. and put 22 stations in the log, including some Park-to-Park contacts. On Thursday, I visited Fort Mose Historic State Park (US-3622) in St Augustine, FL. After going through their museum and the replica fort, I set up the portable HF station and did a POTA activation. Unfortunately, not long after I started calling CQ, I got hammered by a megawatt Spanish-speaking station, so I hunted a few more Park-to-Park contacts and with 15 total stations in the log, it was enough for it to be an activation. It was windy on both days, but the Chelegance MC-750 antenna stood up to it with no problems.
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| POTA activation at the Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park (US-3609) in Flagler Beach, FL |
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| POTA activation at Fort Mose Historic State Park (US-3622) in St Augustine, FL |
One thing I've discovered since I started doing portable HF operations and POTA activations is that I'm not particularly interested in numbers and awards and I'm not really interested in activating every park that I can. What I am interested in is combining my love of history and love of radio. I enjoy visiting a historic site like the two above, touring and learning about the site and its history before doing an activation.
Monday, 12 January 2026
Bulow Plantation Ruins State Historic Park - 3501 Old Kings Road, Flagler Beach FL 32136
The first stop of the road trip was Bulow Plantation Ruins State Historic Park in Flagler Beach, FL. The ruins in the park are the coquina remains of the Bulow Plantation sugar mill. The plantation was established in 1821 and the mill was built in 1831. Sugar cane, cotton, rice, and indigo were grown on the plantation, but the main crop was sugar cane; the Bulow Plantation mill was the largest on Florida's east coast. The plantation and mill wouldn't last very long, however. They were burned and destroyed during the Second Seminole War. Before it was destroyed, though, James Audubon visited it from December 1831 to January 1832 while studying American birds. While not the first sugar mill I've visited, it is the first site I've visited that saw action during the Seminole Wars. It's a small park, but well worth visiting if you're in the area because it presents a part of American History that is often overlooked and forgotten.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge/Canaveral National Seashore
The second stop on Monday was Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore in Titusville, FL. I love to visit the this NWR when I'm in the Space Coast because it's an environment, mangrove swamp, that I don't get to see at home and is home to Reddish Egrets, which don't range as north as Savannah. Monday afternoon was a bit windy, but the sun was out and it was a great day to visit the refuge.
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| Mangrove swamps are something we don't have in Coastal Georgia, so it's good to visit Merritt Island NWR and Canaveral National Seashore and something different |
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| Tri-colored Heron |
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Green Heron |
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| Anhinga |
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| Male and female Blue Winged Teal and a Roseate Spoonbill |
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| Immature Roseate Spoonbill |
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| Adult Roseate Spoonbill |
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| American Alligator |
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| One of the most fascinating things about Merritt Island NWR and Canaveral National Seashore is that you can see nature and wildlife right next to aerospace technology. This photo from Canaveral National Seashore shows a view Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B (used by NASA, the lightning towers in the foreground) and LC39A (used by SpaceX, the two black launch towers in the background). |
Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953
Tuesday was the road trip's "Space Day," and the first stop on Tuesday was the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Their exhibits showcase NASA's history from the earliest space launches up to current and future space missions, both NASA missions and those by commercial providers such as SpaceX. I also took the KSX Explore bus tour, which costs extra but goes beyond the normal bus trip to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The Explore Tour goes stops at Launch Complex 39, including the recently renovated and reopened Viewing Gantry, drives around LC-39A (used by SpaceX) and LC-39B (used by NASA) including a stop at the camera site between the two, then stops at the VAB before going to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. You never know what you're going to see on this tour, so it's well worth the extra admission to take it. On Tuesday, our tour got to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage outside of SpaceX's Horizontal Integration Facility at LC-39A and a mobile telescope set up at the camera site between LC-39A and LC-39B (I'm guessing it could be there to support the upcoming Artemis II launch), and one of NASA's Crawler-Transporters waiting outside the VAB to take Artemis II out to LC-39A on Saturday, 17 January 2026.
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| The entrance to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Rocket Garden is in the background |
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| The 1969 Countdown Clock used at LC-39 from Apollo 12 through the Space Shuttle program; it is now on exhibit at the entrance to the KSC Visitor Complex. The Rocket Garden is in the background. |
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| Saturn V rocket with Apollo Command Module above a Lunar Module at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC |
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| The Apollo 14 Command Module Kitty Hawk on display at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC |
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| Space Shuttle Atlantis on display at the KSC Visitor Complex Atlantis building. I always get a bit emotional seeing Atlantis; as a kid, the Space Shuttle program was what ignited my interest in space |
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| SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage on display at the KSC Visitor Complex's Gateway to Space building. This first stage flew two missions, the first a satellite launch from Cape Canaveral SFS in 2016 and the second as part of the Falcon Heavy launch that put the Tesla Roadster in space in 2018. |
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| The newly opened Gantry at LC-39, one of the stops on the KSC Explore Tour. It features a simulated rocket engine test and from the upper level of the gantry, you get amazing views of the VAB and Launch Control Center, LC-39A, and LC-39B along with some of the Cape Canaveral SFS launch complexes. |
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| The VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) and LCC (Launch Control Center) as seen from Gantry 39 |
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| LC-39A, used by SpaceX, as seen from Gantry 39. The smaller tower to the left is used for Falcon 9 launches while the larger tower in the middle is the Starship/Super Heavy launch tower that's still under construction. |
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| A SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage outside of the Horizontal Integration Facility at LC-39A. Perhaps it's destined for a Falcon Heavy launch since it doesn't have any landing legs on it? |
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| LC-39B, which is used by NASA for Artemis program launches |
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| A closer look at LC-39B, where the Artemis II mission around the Moon is scheduled to launch from in February 2026. The two gravel strips going up the complex are the crawler way the Crawler-Transporters travel along bringing the Mobile Launch Platform and rocket to the pad. |
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| Mobile telescope at the camera site between LC-39A and LC-39B; I'm wondering if it's there to support the Artemis II launch scheduled for February 2026 |
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| The VAB (huge building to the left) and LCC (to the right). During this road trip, Artemis II was still inside the VAB undergoing final preparations for it's move to LC-39B that weekend. |
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| Crawler-Transporter 2 waiting outside the VAP on 13 January 2026; four days later, it moved Artemis II from the VAB to LC-39B |
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| Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) for future Artemis missions next to the VAB at KSC |
Sands Space History Center - 100 Spaceport Way Building 90328, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
The Sands Space History Center is part of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum and sits just outside the gate to Cape Canaveral SFS. Whereas the main part of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum on the base isn't easily accessible to the general public, the Sands Space History Center is. Recently renovated, it focuses on Cape Canaveral's part of the Space Coast's aerospace history. As such, it is more focused on the military part of the Space Coast. It has storyboards that tell the history of each Launch Complex (LC) at Cape Canaveral SFS and nice collection of artifacts and equipment from the Space Force Station's history.
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| The Sands Space History Center at Cape Canaveral SFS |
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| Right - Model of the Bumper 8 model made for the 75th anniversary of the Bumper 8 launch at Cape Canaveral on 24 July 1950. Center - Boilerplate replica of a Project Mercury capsule. |
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| Rocketdyne LR-89 rocket engine from a SM-65 Atlas ICBM |
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| General Electric Mk 2 Re-entry Vehicle used on Atlas and Thor ballistic missiles |
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| Gemini Vehicle Test Console from the LC-19 blockhouse |
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| Nosecone from a MGM-31A Pershing II missile |
American Space Museum & Walk of Fame - 308 Pine St, Titusville, FL 32796
The final stop on Tuesday was the American Space Museum & Walk of Fame in downtown Titusville. The museum and the Walk of Fame Foundation that operates it works to preserve the history of the US Space Program. It features exhibits, artifacts, and memorabilia from beginning of the US Space Program though the current day. You can take guided tours of the museum given by docents who are often NASA or contractor retirees.
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| Mercury MA-1 hatch damaged by a structural failure during an Atlas-Mercury launch on 29 July 1960 |
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| Space Shuttle orbiter drag chute compartment (bottom) and SRB pilot parachute (top) to the right of an orbiter parachute compartment door (top) and a door from an undetermined spacecraft |
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| Homebrew remote camera used for Space Shuttle launches between 1983 and 2005; it consists of a Hasselblad Camera triggered by a Radio Shack decibel meter. |
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| Debris from the Super Heavy booster from the Starship 9 launch on 27 May 2025 |
Wednesday, 14 January 2026
National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum - 3300 N Hwy A1A, Fort Pierce, FL 34949
On Wednesday morning, I drove down to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, where World War II Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) trained. The museum features monuments and memorials to Navy UDT and SEAL personnel and exhibits presenting the history of the Navy Underwater Demolition Teams and how they eventually became the SEAL (Sea Air Land) Teams of today.
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| The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, FL |
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| "Swim Buddies" - This statue honors SEALs who have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor |
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| This Memorial honors SEAL, UDT, Naval Combat Demolition Team, Scout, and Raider members who died in the line of duty. The scuba tanks in the foreground are filled with sand from many places around the world where "Navy SEALs and their predecessors served, trained, fought, and bled." |
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| This statue is in memory of the Naval Combat Demolition Units, Scouts and Raiders, UDTs, and SEALs who who died in the service of their country |
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| Replica of an LCP(R) landing craft used by Underwater Demolition Teams during World War II among examples of the kinds of beach obstructions the UDTs were tasked with eliminating |
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| PBR (Patrol Boat River) that supported SEAL operations during the Vietnam War |
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| Mk V Special Operations Craft used to support SEALs |
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| Mk VII Mod 0 SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle) used in the Vietnam War era |
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| "The Button" - a dry submersible/submarine that allows SEALs to be transported over longer distances than SDVs. The bow (front) features a lock-out chamber with exits to the top and bottom. |
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| UDTs helped recover astronauts after splashdown during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs; these are Apollo training capsules used by UDTs to train for the recoveries. |
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| US Army 160th SOAR MH-60K (91-26388) - On 25 July 2012, this helicopter supported SEALs who rescued hostages taken by Somali pirates. |
Mel Fisher's Treasures - 1322 US-1, Sebastian, FL 32958
After stopping for lunch in Vero Beach on Wednesday, I started heading back to Titusville with a stop at Mel Fisher's Treasures in Sebastian, FL. Mel Fisher was a treasure hunter who is most famous for the discovery of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a Spanish treasure galleon that sank off the Florida keys in 1622. Before that, in the 1960s, he and those working with him recovered treasure from a fleet of Spanish treasure galleons that sank off Vero Beach in 1715, which led to the region being known as "The Treasure Coast." The museum tells the story of how the 1715 fleet and the Atocha were found, how the treasure was recovered, and how the recoveries add to knowledge of Spanish colonial history. The museum also houses artifacts from the ships, including silver and gold coins, emeralds, jewelry, and other items. As you leave them museum, you have the opportunity to pick up a secured five pound gold bar from the Atocha; it's moving to touch something that was destined to fund the Spanish empire but ended up on the bottom of the ocean for almost 400 years.
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| Mel Fisher's Treasures in Sebastian, FL |
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| Early Proton Magnetometer used by Mel Fisher's team during the search for the Atocha |
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| Spanish "Pieces of Eight," one ounce silver coins - the ones on the left have been conserved/restored, the ones on the right are still fused together because of the reaction between silver and salt water. |
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| Gold from the shipwreck of the Atocha |
Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum - 6600 Tico Rd, Titusville, FL 32780
After I got back to Titusville on Wednesday afternoon, I visited the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum at Space Coast Regional Airport. I always enjoy stopping by Valiant Air Command because not all of their aircraft are museum pieces; some still fly such as their C-47 "Tico Belle" and an XP-82 Twin Mustang. The museum also features a nice collection of warbird related artifacts (one with links to the South Carolina Lowcountry) and memorabilia, including radio equipment. While at Space Coast Regional, I drove around the airport and spotted a space/Eastern Range related installation,
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| The Valiant Air Command's C-47 (42-100591), "Tico Belle" |
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| XP-82 Twin Mustang Prototype (44-83887) |
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| This wing tip was recovered from a P-40 that crashed during Tuskegee Airmen training at Walterboro Army Airfield in Walterboro, SC during World War II. Walterboro AAF became Lowcountry Regional Airport |
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| Among the Valiant Air Command's collection of radio equipment is this SCR-578 "Gibson Girl" World War II era survival radio kit, including the kite that was to be used to keep the radio's antenna aloft. |
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| The Doppler Phased Array Wind Profiler at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville; it's one of the 915 MHz radar systems used to measure wind velocity in the Space Force's Eastern Range. |
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge/Canaveral National Seashore
On Thursday, I checked out of the hotel to head north to St Augustine before going back to Savannah on Friday. Before heading back north, though, I made another visit to the Merritt Island NWR and Canaveral National Seashore. Thursday's weather wasn't as good as Monday's; rain was moving out and remained windy and overcast until after I left. Still, I was able to see quite a few birds and get some photos.
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| It was a wet, windy, overcast morning on Thursday's visit to the Merritt Island NWR and Canaveral National Seashore |
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| Little Blue Heron |
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| White Ibis |
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| Reddish Egret |
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| Wood Storks in front of American Coots |
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| Female (top) and male (bottom) Northern Shovelers |
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| This Snowy Egret wasn't having a "bad feather" day, the wind was blowing its crest around |
Fort Mose Historic State Park - 15 Fort Mose Trail, St. Augustine, FL 32084
After an excellent BBQ lunch in Titusville (more on that later...), I hit the road north to St Augustine and visited Fort Mose Historic State Park in St Augustine. In the late 1600s, slaves from the English colonies to the north began coming south to find refuge with the Spanish in St Augustine. The Spanish freed these slaves in exchange for their pledge of allegiance to Spain and conversion to the Catholic Church. The community, Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mosé (translates as Royal Grace of Saint Teresa of Moses) was the first government established free black settlement in what would later become the United States. The freed slaves didn't just live there, they and Fort Mose were an integral part of St Augustine's defenses against the English to the north. Fort Mose was abandoned in 1763 when Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris (which ended the Seven Years War/French and Indian War) and the former slaves evacuated to Cuba. A replica of Fort Mose was recently built and opened at the park, giving visitors an even better idea of how the freed slaves lived and helped defend St Augustine.
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| The museum and visitors center at Fort Mose Historic State Park |
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| Recently rebuilt replica of Fort Mose behind the museum and visitors center |
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| Recently rebuilt replica of Fort Mose behind the museum and visitors center |
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| Looking out from the Fort Mose replica (just beyond the trees is Robinson Creek and the marsh |
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| Inside the Fort Mose replica |
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| Inside the Fort Mose replica (note the cast net on the right - living close to the creek and marsh, seafood would have been a staple of their diet) |
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| Inside the Fort Mose replica |
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| Recently rebuilt replica of Fort Mose behind the museum and visitors center |
Friday, 16 January 2026
Brumos Collection - 5159 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32224
I stayed in St Augustine overnight and on Friday morning started heading back to Savannah. On the way north, I stopped in Jacksonville at the Brumos Collection. It's a museum that features vintage automobiles (as old as 1894) and historic race cars, particularly Porsche race cars that were raced by Brumos Racing. While the racing portion of the museum details the history of Brumos Racing, it also features a number of historic sprint cars and IndyCar race cars. If you have any interest at all in cars or motor sports, the Brumos Collection is a must-visit.
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| 1894-1895 Peugeot Type 5 |
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| 1910 Lion-Peugeot V2Y2, the only one known to remain in existence |
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| 1926 Miller 91 FD (front wheel drive) |
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| 1930 Sampson-Miller U-16 |
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| 1946 Kurtis Novi |
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| 1959 Epperly Laydown IndyCar |
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| 1986 Porsche 962 raced by AJ Foyt; the 962 is of the generation of prototype sports cars that sparked my love of sports car racing |
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| 1970 Porsche 917K; this car was used in Steve McQueen's "Le Mans," portraying the #22 race winner |
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| 1972 Porsche 917-10 raced by Brumos (driven by Hurley Haywood) in the Can-Am series |
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| 1979 Porsche 935 (foreground) and 1991 Porsche 964 (rear), both raced by Brumos Racing |
Road Trip Food
Colt's Pig Stand - 1633 US-1, Ormond Beach, FL 32174
Monday's lunch was at Colt's Pig Stand just off I-95 in Ormond Beach. My favorite BBQ dinner when it's on a BBQ restaurant's menu is pulled pork and smoke sausage, so that's what I ordered from Colt's Pig Stand, with BBQ beans and coleslaw for sides. The pork was smoky and tasty and I enjoyed it with their red sauce. The sausage was slightly spicy and their mustard based sauce went well it it. It's the second time I've eaten there and both times the food has been excellent and the service quick and friendly. It's a great place to stop for lunch or dinner while traveling along I-95.
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| Pulled Pork and Smoke Sausage with BBQ Bean and Coleslaw at Colt's Pig Stand in Ormond Beach, FL |
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| Colt's Pig Stand in Ormond Beach, FL |
Native Bar and Grill - 2430 S Washington Ave #115, Titusville, FL 32780
On Monday evening, I had dinner with friends at The Native Bar and Grill in Titusville, a casual bar and grill featuring food inspired by Florida and using local ingredients. I'm glad they recommended it, because I had an excellent meal. They have a wide variety on the menu, but I decided on their Blackened Redfish, which was topped with a creamy creole sauce with andouille sausage, mushrooms, and green onions with broccoli and a salad for sides. The redfish with creole sauce was absolutely delicious, savory with being spicy and the dressing I chose for the salad - Orange Grove Vinaigrette, had a wonderful citrus flavor (for Savannah area folks, if you like The 5 Spot's Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette, you'll like The Native's Orange Grove Vinaigrette). 
C.J. Cannon's - 3414 Cherokee Dr, Vero Beach, FL 32960
While visiting the Treasure Coast on Wednesday, on a friend's recommendation I stopped for lunch at C.J. Cannon's at Vero Beach Regional Airport. It was another great recommendation. It's an aviation themed general American restaurant that normally has a view of the ramp and runway at Vero Beach Regional, but unfortunately ongoing construction at the airport meant there was only a wonderful view of a green debris barrier... The food, however, was wonderful. I had their Tortilla Salad (Mixed Greens, Taco Seasoned Ground Beef, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Avocado, Cheddar Cheese, Roasted Corn, Black Beans, and Fried Corn Tortilla Chips) and not only was it delicious, it was huge - a great value.
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| C.J. Cannon's Tortilla Salad - Almost more than you can eat in one meal |
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| The menu at C.J. Cannon's is an example of their aviation theme |
Lunch on Thursday before heading north to St Augustine was at Sugar Shack BBQ, a new BBQ restaurant (they just opened last year) in Titusville. It's small, unassuming restaurant in a strip mall next to Space View Park off US-1 that serves magnificent Texas style BBQ done in a smoke right behind the restaurant. They open at 11am and stay open until 8pm or whenever they run out. I had the pulled pork with BBQ Beans and Green Beans; the pork was smoky, tender, and moist. I used their red sauce on half and mustard sauce on the other half; both were slightly sweet without being syrupy or overly sweet. The freshly snapped green beans topped with a parsley vinaigrette were amazing (I was suspect about serving them with vinaigrette, but boy was I mistaken). The service is just as outstanding as the food is. It's definitely the best BBQ I've had on my visits to Titusville and I'll certainly be eating there on future trips to the Space Coast.
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| Pulled Pork with Green Beans and BBQ Beans at Sugar Shack BBQ in Titusville |
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| Sugar Shack BBQ in Titusville |
A final note on food. As usual on my Space Coast Road Trips, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Titusville - Kennedy Space Center; they have a restaurant in the lobby, The Local Kitchen & Tap, and it has a terrific breakfast buffet. I particularly enjoyed their scrambled eggs with a blend of cheeses and the smoked sausage. The hotel I stayed at in St Augustine on Thursday night had no diabetic friendly options in their complimentary breakfast, so I drove down the street to a Waffle House for breakfast. I discovered that they have a new item on the menu, a Fiesta Chicken Protein Bowl (scrambled eggs, cheese, and grilled tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers. Not only is it diabetic friendly, it's delicious.
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