New Smyrna Beach

Weather: Bright sunshine; East @ 12 knots; temp mid 60’s to max of 73 degrees

Comment:
The Daytona Beach anchorage was exposed to the wind and chop on the ICW. Fortunately, the fifteen know winds, only caused a gentle rocking motion. We slept well.


The day dawned bright with the promise of an easy trip to New Smyrna Beach Municipal Marina. We motor sailed in 15 knot northerlies and enjoyed the scenery. As we passed under the Denaughton Bridge, we observed mangroves for the first time along the waterway. Shortly thereafter, we passed the Ponce De Leon Lighthouse.


We pulled into the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Marina. The $1.25/foot charge is reasonable by Florida standards. The marina itself provided an excellent floating dock and it is the first time of the trip that we are assigned an actual slip. The facilities were neat and clean. The marina is on the small side, but it is nice and provided easy access to the quaint little town.


Speaking of the town, we took a quick walk and stopped into the drug store complete with a lunch counter and soda fountain. We sipped sarsaparillas and returned to the boat to await the Fritz’s. We’ll be visiting with Joe and Dee for a couple of days.

We were whisked away by our hosts at the appointed hour we toured the area and had a great lunch at Norwood’s Restaurant. The ambiance is a bit of lodge meets shore, with plenty of rough wood and huge window walls. The service and food are excellent.

The New Smyrna Beach area is fantastic! Not only is there a mainland village, there is a beachside village as well. Both provide nice areas for strolling along the main drag and window shopping. The ocean beach is suitable for walking, biking and driving a car. Cape Canaveral National Seashore is a short drive away and provides boating access and wildlife outlooks and trails. We were fortunate to see several varietes of Herons, a couple of aligators, and a pair of Roseate Spoonbills.

We enjoyed a great visit with Joe, Dee and daughter Erica, a terrific young lady. We had a great time sharing stories and experiences. In fact, we so enjoyed our discussions, we forgot to go to bed! It was a fantastic visit. Thanks, Joe, Dee and Erica! We hope they will be able to join us for a few days on the boat!