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The space shuttle Endeavour returned from the International Space Station, touching down at the Kennedy Space Center at 8:39 p.m. March 26. The 122nd space shuttle flight's landing planned before sunset had been delayed by 90 minutes (and one extra orbit around the earth) due to cloudiness in the Cape Canaveral area. It was a rare nighttime touchdown for the shuttle program.

The dozens of space enthusiasts who waited along the Max Brewer bridge and the Indian River into the evening couldn't see the shuttle very well, but the deafening sonic boom when it re-entered the earth's atmosphere could not be ignored. The seven-member crew, which delivered the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Dextre robotics system, had returned safely after a 15-day, 18-hour mission. The space station is now 70 percent complete, with 10 more shuttle flights planned over the next two years.

Welcome to Titusville, Fla. On Florida's Space Coast you can plan your visit around these exciting space launches and landings. The next space shuttle launch is planned for 5:02 p.m. May 31, when an eight-member Discovery crew will transport a Japanese pressurized module and a remote manipulator system to the space station. Other airborne adventures include Kennedy Space Center tours, the Astronaut Hall of Fame and the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum. (321) 449-4444, (321) 269-6100, www.KennedySpace

Center.com; (321) 268-1941, www.vacwarbirds.org.

But there is another species that waits by Titusville waterways for something to happen, but it's not a shuttle they're thinking about. They are mostly concerned about where their next meal is coming from and wait on unsuspecting wildlife to wander into their midst. I'm referring to the area's 6,000 alligators. Take the self-guided Six-mile Black Point wildlife drive on Merritt Island, and you're bound to see at least half a dozen along the protected marshes and estuaries.

The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is also home to 330 species of birds, including the bald eagle. There are several hiking trails on the island's 140,000 acres. Haulover Canal is a spot to go kayaking and view dolphins and manatees. (321) 861-0667, www.fws.gov/merrittisland.

The Canaveral National Seashore is 24 miles long, and the longest stretch of undeveloped beach on the Atlantic coast of Florida. The barrier island site includes dunes, salt marshes, lagoons and pine flatbed habitats. The protected area is home to giant sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, sea oats and sea grapes. Historic sites include the Eldora Statehouse and Seminole Rest, an early American Indian settlement. (321) 267-1110, www.nps.gov/cana.

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