Melbourne Beach, Florida

Melbourne Beach is a coastal town in Brevard County, Florida, on the Atlantic ocean.

The Ais Indians resided in the area in pre-Columbian times. When Ponce de Leon landed near Melbourne Beach in 1513, he became the first European to set foot in Florida.

The town was established in 1883 by a retired Union general. Pineapples were grown until 1895, when freezing weather wiped out crops and ended commercial farming.

In 1921, the Melbourne Causeway was built, connecting Melbourne Beach to the mainland via the town of Indialantic.

Melbourne Beach is located on an (apparently unnamed) barrier island that separates the Indian River Lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean. This island, approximately 35 miles (56 km) in length, stretches from Cape Canaveral to the north to the Sebastian Inlet (see The Sebastian Inlet State Park) to the south. Melbourne Beach is neighbored by the town of Indialantic to the north.

Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 South A1A is located 15 miles south of Melbourne Beach.


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References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Beach,_Florida
http://wikitravel.org/en/Melbourne_Beach