MERRITT ISLAND

An island of two halves, Merritt Island is home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, which is still a major tourist attraction, despite space shuttles no longer being launched, and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Consisting of 140,000-acres, the nature sanctuary encompasses a wide variety of habitats, from costal dunes and saltwater marches to pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks, and protects more than 1,500 species of plants and animals.