Pictures
from
Ormond
Beach.
Ormond
Beach is just about 6 miles north of Daytona Beach, situated on the Atlantic
Ocean on the north central Florida coast. Bordered on the east by the
Atlantic and the west by the Halifax River, which today is part of the
Intracoastal Waterway, Ormond's life began as a river settlement. Ormond Beach's
population was just over 36,000 full time residents for the year 2000 census and
due to the number of hotels and motels, the population figures swell
considerably during holidays, weekends and the tourist season.
For those
wishing for a more sedate beach, the 6 miles difference between Daytona Beach
and Ormond Beach make a vast difference. Gone is the restive "kiddie"
beach crowd, motorcycle crowd and commercial tourist attractions which seem to
favor Daytona and a more tranquil town is in its stead. While some surfers can
often be found lurking at the water's edge, this beach town seems to favor
families and an older crowd. While there are multi-story structures and an
appreciable skyline on the beach, the beaches never do seem to get too crowded.
They don't race on those hard-packed, red sands out at the water's edge anymore
but some beachgoers still get a kick out of driving and parking on them. It's
all legal and works well for a day's outing with a large family.
The
history of Ormond Beach seems to be similar to it's larger southern neighbor -
Daytona Beach. Here some of the famed names in the automotive industry raced
their 4-wheeled, gasoline-powered prototypes on the hard-packed beach sands and
Captains of Industry flocked to its shores. Henry Flagler's railroad brought
passengers directly to the beach town, pushing growth throughout. Today, Ormond
Beach marches to the beat of its own drummer. Except for an occasional spillover
from excessive guests at Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach visitors and residents
alike mark time in a sedentary style.
Visitors
to Ormond Beach, FL can tour many local cities by car. The closest,
larger beach town with shopping and attractions is Daytona Beach, 6 miles south.
The Kennedy Space Center, Orlando and the major theme parks and St. Augustine
can all be reached in about 1 hour's drive. From here, Tampa and the west coast
of Florida can be reached in as little as 2 hours. This area can be accessed
best by aircraft from the Daytona Beach International Airport (20 minutes).
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Ormond Beach
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