Like a futuristic beacon, Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral is a nod to the past and a hint of the future.
"It has windows all over it," remarks John Anders, visiting Brevard County from West Virginia. "It's kind of shiny."
Tara Ruch, the sales and marketing manager for the Port Canaveral attraction, said "there are a lot of educational pieces about Brevard."
"Where we came from, where we are going and what we are doing," Ruch adds.
Inside the seven-story abstract sail awaits seven floors celebrating Brevard County's role in shaping Florida.
"You come out here and actually visualize the Port, it just makes it all real,” said Bev Eichenlaub, a recent transplant from Ohio.
From Native Americans to astronauts and ships lost during World War II to German U-boats, along with cruise lines lost to the sands of time, the museum documents what Port Canaveral means to Florida's east coast.
Eichenlaub brings out-of-town guests to Exploration Tower to learn about her backyard.
"You can just see so much here one time and then want to come back because you're going to miss something," Eichenlaub said.
Visitors: Don't miss the sculptures in the atrium made of trash found littering the area's beaches. While upstairs, you can get hands on.
"It felt like you were trying to guide a boat," John Anders said of the simulator.
Anders took the controls and tried his hand at becoming a boat captain. Make your way to the top and take in the view.
From the observation deck, you can peer into the future and even see the SpaceX rocket landing on a barge.
Along the waterfront, folks pull up a stool at Fishlips to watch the boats and dig into seafood.
The legendary yellow fin tuna sandwich is accompanied by scallop risotto.
"We have something for everyone," co-owner Rich Hensel said.
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Scott Fais joins Travel Monthly
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