Lilian Place

Things to Do in the Summer
 In the spirit of finding fun, (mostly free) indoor events to escape the Florida heat!

It is getting hot and hotter. If you are spending the summer in the Greater Daytona Beach Area, you might find inside activities alluring. The next few blog posts will explore some options for you!

Most people don’t associate Daytona Beach with the Victorian era, but Lilian Place might change their minds! The beautiful Italianate Victorian house was built in 1884 by one of the city’s first settlers, Laurence Thompson. It is the oldest house on Daytona’s beachside. 

Until 2009, Lilian Place was neglected and abandoned, but the Heritage Preservation Trust was awarded a grant to acquire this amazing house. Extensive renovations have resulted in a fully furnished museum that is open daily for guided tours. Some renovations are still underway, contributing to this outstanding landmark.

On the 3rd Tuesday of the month, Lilian House hosts a tour and Victorian Afternoon Tea from 2pm – 4pm. The tea is served at 2pm and includes a brewed flavored tea and a regular tea, scones, savory finger sandwiches, and pastries. The complementary tour features reenactors and starts after the tea is served. 

Teas are $20 per person and require a reservation. You can also go with a group of friends and family for a private tea (minimum 12 people).

Historic 1884 Museum open daily 9-5 for tours (Sat/Sun 1-5). Cost is $5 per person. Grounds are open daily for free self-guided tours and the nature trail. 111 Silver Beach Avenue, Daytona Beach Visit the website!

Ghosts of Lilian Place

Is Lilian Place haunted by its inhabitants of yore? Dr. Nancy Zrinyi Long, a former Bethune Cookman College English professor and vice-mayor of Daytona Beach, seems to think so in her booklet, Ghosts of Lilian Place. Check it out here.

 

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Sunglow Pier

Alicia Keenon Photography

The Sunglow Pier is a large wooden structure that spans 915 out into the ocean. It used to be longer, but a 1984 storm destroyed the seaward end of the pier, and it was not rebuilt in its entirety. The Sunglow Pier is quite the landmark and offers a lot to local and out-of-town visitors.

Fishing

You can enjoy ocean fishing from the pier, daily from 6am-11pm. Rod and reel rentals, as well as bait, are available. It costs $1 to go out onto the seaward end of the pier and $7 if you want to fish. There are cleaning areas, and seats. Fish typically caught off the pier include whiting, pompano, flounder, and various sharks. 

Alicia Keenon Photography

Fishing aside, from the ocean end of the pier, the view is spectacular – all the way from the Daytona Beach Pier to New Smyrna Beach on a clear day. 

Gift Shop

The gift shop is where you can rent fishing equipment, pay the pier fee, and delight in Florida souvenirs. If you catch the gift shop attendant on a good day, he will tell you all about the history of the pier, and of Daytona Beach! The shop is so rustic and charming, you might find yourself buying a Florida shot glass, or something else you don’t need, even though you live here.

Crabby Joe’s Deck and Grill

Alicia Keenon Photography

Smack-dab in the middle of the pier is Crabby Joe’s restaurant. It is open from 7am-10pm daily. It has a simple, rustic decor with an emphasis on the nautical. The pier and the ocean are the focus of the casual eatery with a view of the water from every seat. During cold weather, plastic window sheeting is pulled down. During warm weather, you can enjoy the ocean breezes wafting through the restaurant. Outside seating is also available.

The Calypso Bar churns out specialty drinks, fabulous Bloody Marys, plus anything you want. The menu focuses on Florida fare – fish, fish sandwich, shrimp, crab legs, etc. etc. The food is fresh, good, and affordable.

On Sundays, Crabby Joe’s offers an omelet bar. For a flat fee, a chef will make you a fresh omelet to order with any of the available fillings. The blue crab eggs Benedict are to die for – so definitely check it out for breakfast or brunch. Starting at 11am sharp, lunch is served.

Stairs lead from the start of the pier directly onto the beach. Make a day of it: frolic on the beach, come upstairs to eat and drink, and go back into the waves! 

Alicia Keenon Photography

3701 S Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118 (386) 756-4219

Sunglow Pier Web

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Sugar Mill Gardens

A Hidden Treasure!

In the Daytona Beach Area, there are a few true hidden treasures that are not easy to find - lucky for those of us who live here! Tucked away on an obscure little road behind Herbert Street are the beautiful Sugar Mill Gardens. 

Sugar Mill Gardens is a botanical garden featuring a 19th-century sugar mill, which is part of the former Dunlawton Plantation. The property was donated in 1963 to the County of Volusia by J. Saxton Lloyd and operated since April 1988 by the non-profit Botanical Gardens of Volusia Inc.

The gardens provide year-round beauty of 12 acres of flowering trees, holly magnolia, and other native flora, accompanied by informational signs, extensive walkways, the aforementioned sugar mill ruins, a human sundial, the enormous Confederate Oak, gazebos, brooks, ponds with fish, little bridges, hidden benches, and much more.

 Weird Americana

When you are walking through the lush gardens, you wouldn’t necessarily know that from 1948 to 1952 the area was known as Bongoland, until you come upon a stegosaurus and a triceratops! There used to be a theme park with a miniature train, a replica Seminole village, and these strange dinosaur replicas made by M.D. "Manny" Lawrence out of concrete and chicken wire. Bongoland was owned by Perry Sperber, the first dermatologist in Daytona Beach. It was named for "Bongo," a large baboon that lived there.

This is a fun surprise for children and adults - try and find all five of the dinosaur replicas! They are huge, but blend into their surroundings well.

There is no admission fee to the gardens (donations are appreciated) and the gardens are open from dawn to dusk daily. 950 Old Sugar Mill Rd, Port Orange, FL   

Visit the website!

 

Creative Florida Living 

Janet's Real Estate Site