When you live in Florida, the beach and swimming pools are a huge part of life. You learn early how to swim and float. You have a shell collection at some point in your childhood. You’ve gotten caught in a riptide or stung by a jellyfish at least once. And the beach never gets old. It is always a welcome oasis.
The smell of the salt air. The peaceful lapping of the waves. The seagulls checking in to see if you have something for them to eat. There is a sense of peace at the beach–even if you are surrounded by people yelling and laughing. The beach is refreshing.
Florida has the best beaches of all! And the prettiest blue skies. I’ve visited beaches in Cancun, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Delaware, New Jersey, Long Island, Cape Cod, and San Diego. None compare to Florida’s beaches or her beautiful blue skies. Maybe because her beaches are etched in my heart.
New Smyrna Beach
When I was a toddler, Mom and Aunt Mimi would take me to the beach. New Smyrna was my first beach. In those days it was pretty quiet and we’d drive onto the beach and park. Sitting at the water’s edge, I’d play with the sand and look for shells. Eventually we’d build a sand castle. On the way home, we always stopped for ice cream.
The sand at New Smyrna was white and powdery.
One thing I love about New Smyrna is that right across AIA is Mosquito Lagoon, a 156-mile-long estuary where salt water from the Atlantic Ocean mixes with freshwater from the land and tributaries. There are all kinds of walkways through the area so see Natural Florida. You can see bottlenose dolphins and manatees in the lagoon. I’m sure there are alligators, too.
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island is off the west coast of Florida. I’ve only been there a couple of times, but I loved it. When the tide goes out, the beach is COVERED with beautiful shells. It is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.
I can still remember visiting the island with my parents and sister. We were in awe at the beauty of the island.
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Johnson Street Beach, Hollywood
When I was school age, we moved to South Florida. I cannot count how many times I visited Johnson Street Beach. I remember the little shops, the lifeguards with zinc oxide on their noses, and the French-speaking Canadians who visited in the winter. It was always packed with people of all ages from the very young to the very old!
I would bring a lounge chair, towel, and baby oil. Those were the days before sunscreen was so popular.
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach was the location of our very special family reunions that took place many summers during my preteen and teen years. We rented motel rooms with mini kitchenettes at the Casbah right along the beach. We went on long walks to the pier and back. We took turns cooking breakfast for each other. We played shuffleboard, swam, laughed, listened to old family stories, and made memories that last til this day!
One of my favorite things was when the entire family would walk across the bridge to the restaurant on the other side and we would eat delicious fresh seafood. Yummy!
Daytona Beach was quieter than but still beautiful with the powdery white sand.
The Keys
I have visited the Keys a few times – sometimes just past Key Largo and others all the way to Key West which has an unique culture all its own. The first thing you notice in the Keys is how lovely the water is. You can see clear down to the sandy bottom. The water is a lovely turquoise color that always delights.
Cinnamon Beach (Palm Coast)
Cinnamon Beach is home to some of our favorite vacation rentals. We’ve stayed there on several occasions. The beach is a bit rocky for my taste, but I love the natural look of the coast. The tall sea oats and grasses that wave in the breeze, rocks to climb on, and gopher turtle nests.
Back to the Shark Capital of the World
We spend a lot of our beach time now at New Smyrna Beach, the shark capital of the world. I’ve only seen a shark once or twice and never seen anyone injured. We love boogie boards to ride the waves. The city offers a typical resort beach with shops and restaurants, a surfer beach, a national park with beautiful dunes, and Smyrna Dunes Park with a lovely supply of seabird nests. Best of all, this beach has been the site of so many memorable occasions including my annual birthday trip to the beach.
If you come to Florida, you may also want to visit Destin, Cedar Key, Marco Island, Clearwater, and Destin, too.
Florida is only one of the beautiful states in the USA. Join me to visit all of them in God Bless the USA States & Territories at Powerline or in print at Amazon.
Until next time, Happy Homeschooling!
Warmly,
Meredith Curtis
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