Canaveral National Seashore

We have arrived safely in Daytona.  Well, I guess it’s more accurate to say Port Orange.     It was an easy 60 mile drive and we didn’t get in too much of a hurry to leave this morning.  I think we finally pulled out of our campsite about 10:30 after goodbyes to Darrell, Judy, Mike and Peggy.

We were set up in our new campground, Daytona Beach Carefree RV Resort, about noon.  After a quick lunch, we drove the 25 miles or so to Canaveral National Seashore.    What we found surprised us.  We expected what we had seen at Padre Island National Seashore--a road to the Visitor Center located near the entrance station and little else unless you wanted to walk down the beach.  At Canaveral we went through the entrance station and then stopped at the Visitor Center.  Then the paved road continued for another 6 miles with several parking lots with access to the beach on the east and Mosquito Lagoon on the west.  The park consists of a narrow strip of land which extends from the south side of New Smyrna Beach to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuse.  Just south of Merritt Island Refuge is the Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center complex.

Eldora House

We drove the 6 miles to the end of the paved road.  Along the way we stopped at the site of the Eldora settlement.  Originally, this small settlement had been the location of the groves of citrus growers.  After a hard freeze which destroyed the groves, the area changed becoming more of a winter get-away for the rich.  The only thing that remains is the Eldora house which has been restored and contains displays recounting the history of the settlement.

Mosquito Lagoon

Shells on Turtle Mound

Also, along the 6-mile drive was the Turtle Mound.  Turtle Mound is an Indian midden or trash pile of 600 years worth of discarded seashells.  The mound rises some 40 feet above the surrounding area and thus provides a great view of Mosquito Lagoon and the fishing docks of the park.  In the distance is New Smyrna Beach.

That’s it for today.  Tomorrow will find us at Kennedy Space Center.