Wine Walk on Flagler Avenue

Now that it is about to get cooler (any minute!), let’s take a look at a popular outdoor activity: Wine Walk!

Every fourth Saturday, in the seaside town of New Smyrna Beach, there is a progressive wine tasting on the famous Flagler Avenue.The next one is this coming Saturday on August 27. 

For $25 you get 20 tickets, which are good for 2 oz. wine samples at all participating venues. There are several outdoor kiosks that sell the tickets: Exit Realty (Flagler & Peninsula), at the tent at Flagler Avenue and Cooper Street, or at the corner of Peninsula Drive and Flagler Avenue.

The wines range from 1-4 tickets, depending on quality, price, etc. But theoretically, you can get 20 samples for your 20 tickets. In addition, you receive a keepsake glass without which you cannot get your wine!

Keep that glass and bring it next time – you will save $5.

The progressive wine tasting starts at 1pm and runs till 7pm. Participating venues include Clancy’s Cantina, Om Bar and Chill Lounge with live music, Peanuts Bar, Flagler Tavern, and many more. A Wine Walk flag indicates the venues, and you also received a so-called passport, listing all the stops along with their offerings and how many tickets they cost. 

Not surprisingly, you must consume your wine at the location where you got it – so no strolling up and down Flagler Avenue with a full wine glass.

Needless to say, you can eat at many of the establishments. A personal recommendation is That’s Amore – around the corner from Flagler on Pine Street. They also offer Wine Walk wines (all one ticket and all very good). Plus, you can enjoy delectable Italian dishes while sitting in a lively environment. Flagler Tavern serves up bar fare, but also has a fine dining restaurant on the premises. Some wine stops will have cheese and crackers for their patrons. 

When you go – be sure to hydrate between wine stops. Wear comfortable shoes and sun protection. And prepare to have a fantastic time in a great party atmosphere on Flagler Avenue!

Lastly, Wine Walk is always paired with Art Walk (1-5PM), which is also on Flagler Avenue and takes you through some of the beautiful galleries along the way. Wine and Art – you can’t go wrong!

Creative Florida Living

Janet Sells 

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 

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