Florida Beach Blog

Originally set aside as a buffer zone for NASA’s operations at Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island has, quite frankly, gone to the birds - 310 species of them, as a matter of fact. More endangered and threatened species of all kinds visit or make their home on Merritt Island than any other continental wildlife refuge. They include bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, peregrine falcons, and brown pelicans, as well as manatees and sea turtles on the non-avian side. Then there’s the inundation of non-endangered species. In winter, as many as 70,000 migratory waterfowl are on the refuge. There’s a lot of room for them, as Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (140,000 acres) and Canaveral National Seashore (which adjoins it to the east) collectively preserve 239,000 acres of prime central Florida coast real estate.

The centerpiece of the refuge for visitors is Black Point Wildlife Drive. This unpaved, one-way road makes a seven-mile circuit through piney Flatwoods and along edges of diked impoundments that serve as habitat for waterfowl. You’ll want to move slowly, stopping to sight bald-eagle nest or skinny ospreys spearing a meal from the water. Better yet, bring bikes and meander along the drive at ground level. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times for wildlife viewing, and the winter months are optimum in terms of bird numbers. Linger a while and soak up some of nature’s slower rhythms; you won’t be sorry.

To get to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge from I-95, take Exit (S.R. 406) then follow S.R. 402 east (to the visitors center) or continue on S.R. 406 to Black Point Wildlife Drive.

For more information, contact Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 6504, Titusville, FL 32782, 321/861-0667, www.fws.gov/merrittisland.

New Symrna Beach is Daytona Beach’s hipper southern neighbor. It shares Daytona’s obsession for driving cars on the sand, but that’s about where it ends. Separated from its better-known neighbor by an inlet, New Smyrna Beach has a different atmosphere and mindset.

“I’ve lived my entire life on New Smyrna Beach, but I have never been on Daytona Beach,” a native told us. “My feet have never actually touched the sand. I pefer the quiet stability here. I tried to move away once, but came home after six days. “ She, like all locals, pronounces Smyrna nat as it looks but with an extra syllable: “Sa-myrna.”

There is more to this town than initially meets the eye. In years past, what the eye met as it approached New Smyrna Beach on U.S. 1 was a string of rickety motels and biker bars. But that’s only the outer layer. Downtown New Smyrna and its beach are a 10-minute drive east from U.S. 1 via the A1A causeway. It is fair to warn you that New Smyrna Beach, whill still a far cry from Daytona Beach, is no longer the quaint, quiet beach town it used to be. Not only has the second causeway bridge been built to the barrier island – the North Causeway, an extension of Flagler Avenue – but the bulk of New Smyrna’s eight-mile beach has become a wall of high-rise condos and second homes for the part-time use of folks from Orlando. As a member of the Volusia County Beach Patrol told me, “on weekends and during special events, New Smyrna is just as packed as Daytona Beach.” I was impressed with the town’s retail makeover – particularly Flagler Avenue, which is lined with boutiques, bakeries, and surf shops. Just how good the surfing is here can be gleaned from the abundance of surf shops and surf bars. Even a local bakeshop is called Beach Bums Bakery and Café.

The town’s name originated with its founder, Dr. Andrew Turnbull. He christened it New Smyrna Beach in honor of his wife, who came from Smyrna, in Asia Minor. Prior to European colonization, the area had been home to Timucuan Indians. Juan Ponce de Leon landed somewhere in the vicinity in 1513 (thus the name Ponce Inlet). New Smyrna Beach was briefly the most lucrative of the British colonies in the New World.
Little of this local history has been preserved. For instance, the only Timucuan shell mound that wasn’t used to pave local roads can be found inside Canaveral National Seashore. The roads have lately reached the saturation point, in terms of development. If they would only leave well enough alone, I’d certainly look forward to future visits to New Smyrna Beach.

For more information, contact the Southeast Volusia County Chamber of Commerce, 115 Canal Street, P.O. Box 129, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32069, 386/428-2449, www.sevchamber.com.

Are you thinking about enjoying a relaxing three-day weekend at a trendy spa, or spending a week or two with the family in one of the nations many vacation resorts? If you said yes, then watch your back. You may be targeted negatively in the nations popular anti wealth hysteria.

Starting last year with the slow down of the economy and now with the new government sponsored war on the wealthy, a resentment toward wealth and luxury has gripped the nation. This is bad news for Florida Tourism.

“Not only have we seen a slow down due to the economy, but we also have to deal with class warfare,” said a Miami Resort Manager who wished to remain anonymous. “Every week we get cancellations on company bookings because we have the word “Resort” and “Spa” in our name. Both are words that are now likened with “extravagance” and that is something companies in today’s America literally fear being labeled or associated with.

Even Walt Disney World, the recession proof mouse king is affected by the anti wealth hysteria. To combat a visitor decline the Mouse has had to resort to cost cutting packages and creative word play to improve attendance. Which is something unheard of in previous years.

This new anti wealth movement is costing thousands of jobs and millions in revenue, not to mention all the store closings just in Florida alone. Recently executives at Amelia Island resort reported a loss of $750,000 since January, as businesses and trade groups avoid the negative publicity associated with anything that seems like luxury.

“We’re hoping that eventually this hysteria goes away,” said Visit Florida’s Mr. Goldman. “However, it’s hard to be hopeful when our industry is being attacked by our own government.”