The annual Daytona races were originally held on the beach, combined with a portion of paved Atlantic Avenue, because there was no race track in the area. Then, in 1959, the race was moved to the new Daytona International Speedway. Sine the new speedway opened, the Daytona 500 has been considered to be the most prestigious race in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR races, the facility also hosts ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross races using a combination of the infield tracks. In addition, there is a 29-acre lake used for powerboat racing. Our tour included the tracks, garages, Victory Lane, and the grandstands. The facility is currently undergoing a $400 million renovation, so get ready for 2016!.
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| Photographer Unknown |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is located just east of the Speedway and has a full-size stainless steel replica of the Wright Flyer on the front lawn of the library. The University has more than 130 campuses across the globe and additionally offers a number of on-line courses. Embry-Riddle is the largest, fully accredited university in the World, specializing in aviation and aerospace degrees. Six U.S. astronauts have graduated from the Embry-Riddle.
In Daytona Beach we had a hotel room located adjacent to the ocean, which provided a nice breeze through the room when you opened the window. Of course, the first night the "breeze" was so strong that the ocean roar about kept us awake all night. In the morning, the car was completely covered with salt and I had to run the windshield washers so that I could even see out of the front window. Fortunately, the wind subsided during our stay and the ocean became much calmer.
The Casements Cultural Center and Museum is the former winter home of John D. Rockefeller. Apparently, Rockefeller was staying at the hotel across the street when he discovered that the hotel was charging him a higher room rate than the other guests. This really made him mad, so he purchased several houses across from the hotel and created his own estate - "The Casements." Guided tours are available through the house, or you can just stroll through the house and around the estate on your own; however, the entire third floor of the house is dedicated to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and is only accessible with a tour guide.
And, of course, just down the street from "The Casements" is a quilt shop!
The Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory is located in Historic Downtown Daytona Beach and has been voted the "Sweetest Spot to Visit" when you are in the area. They also give free tours that include free samples.
Blue Spring State Park is the winter home for a number of Florida Manatees that come up the St. Johns River each Fall to take advantage of the warm spring. (The water coming from the spring is a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit.) On the day we visited the Spring, Park employees counted 47 Manatees between the Spring and the River. Manatee are mammals, so they have to come to the surface at least once every 20 minutes to breath. (When the Manatees have to breath, they just float near the surface and only their nose extends above the water line.) According to the interpretive signs, the Manatee grow up to eight feet long and can weigh up to 3,000 pounds. We also saw a number of birds, turtles, and other wildlife in the park.
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| Photographer Unknown |
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| Manatee Breathing |
The town of Longwood was platted in 1872 and the surrounding land was cleared for orange trees. A large sawmill was constructed, the town was connected to a railroad, soon the tourist arrived, and the rest is history. The Christ Church was established in 1879 and is still in use today.
The quaint little town of Sanford with its brick Main Street is located just a few miles up the road and has a nice Farmers Market where you can purchase fresh produce and a lot of crafts directly from the artists.
Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station is the tallest lighthouse in Florida, so I had to stop and climb to the top. There are also several museums and historic structures on the site. The Lens Exhibit Building has an impressive large collection of Fresnel Lenses ranging from First to Sixth Order.
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| Looking Up From Bottom |
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| Looking Down From Top |
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| 16th Century Anchor |
The Cruger-dePeyster Sugar Mill is yet another site that was destroyed by the Seminole Indians. The unusual thing about this ruin is that the Cruger-dePeyster slaves helped the Indians destroy the sugar mill plant.
In 1894 the Atlantic Monthly magazine published a story about the ruins and the writer was so taken by the mill's setting that he embellished the story a little and said that the structure had been built as a chapel, perhaps "by Columbus himself!" The "so-called Spanish Mission" story was around until 1941, when enough archaeological information was gathered to indicate that the ruins had been a sugar mill factory and had no connection to a chapel or Columbus.
Located in New Smyrna is a coquina foundation that rests on a shell midden from the Timucuan Indian era. Mystery still surrounds the origin of the foundation, but it is known that over the years the site has been used for a number of different purposes. In 1859 a large hotel was built on the site and then a few years later the hotel was destroyed during the Civil War by cannon fire from a Union Ship. After the War, a pioneer general store, port collector's office, boarding house, and print shop were constructed on the site; but structural problems forced the removal of the buildings in the 1900s. Today, the foundations and surround lands are part of a City Park.
Just across the bridge on Canova Drive is an unusual site -- a grave located in the middle of the street. Apparently the grave was there first; so land developers just built the street around both sides of the grave. It is hard to read the lettering on the grave, but it appears to be from about April 23, 1866.
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