Rolex 24 at Daytona

Daytona Beach is known for its NASCAR racing events. Throughout the year, various races attract people from all over the country – and the world! If you live in the Central Florida coastal area, or are considering moving, a race is something you should definitely experience. 

 

On January 30-31 the famous Rolex 24 at Daytona will take place on the Daytona Race Track on International Speedway. This race is a grueling endurance race for which the best of the best converge to compete in a 24-hour marathon. 

From sunrise to sunset, fans observe the demands required for racing flat-out on both the high-speed banking and the twisting infield road course.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona provides one of the most unique of spectator experiences as the smallest details emerge when watching a race for this long. The race is merciless on both driver and machine as sleep-starved crews perform mechanical miracles under intense pressure, while drivers battle an army of rivals that spans the auto racing universe.

As an audience member, you can enjoy yourself in a multitude of ways:

The newly-built stadium offers excellent seating and fabulous views from any vantage point. With five massive fan injectors and 11 neighborhoods located along the frontstretch, the expansive new stadium seating is the most fan-friendly in all of racing. Custom bars, retail and dining areas, along with dozens of video screens are located throughout the facility.

Sprint FANZONE is the ultimate experience for any race fan. It gives you exclusive access to garage tours, driver appearances, autograph sessions and more! It is free with an infield admission.

Furthermore, there is an infield carnival where you can take a ride on one of the largest Ferris wheels on the East Coast before heading over to the wine and cheese party, or free concerts on the Alert Today Florida Main Stage.

Children 12 and under have free admission with an accompanying paid adult. Make America's most prestigious sports car race a family affair and spend 24 hours together!

Camping options are available in the infield and in sites outside of Turns 1 and 2, with each campsite offering its own unique community and atmosphere. Total immersion in the Rolex 24!

Visit the Rolex 24 website for more information and tickets!

 

Creative Florida Living 

Janet Sells 

Art for Children

Where to Make Art with Kids in the

 Greater Daytona Beach Area

Children’s art making has been shown time and again to result in tremendous benefits for them. Needless to say, making art fosters creativity and imagination, which in turn enhances problem solving abilities, academic performance, and focus. When a child makes visual art, they are able to express themselves freely. Often children will pour their (difficult) emotions into their pieces – one of the reasons art is used as a therapy tool for troubled kids. 

Of course your child can make art on her own, or with others, but sometimes it is fun to create with other kids in a different environment. In our Central Florida Coastal Area, there are quite a few art outlets for children.

 ArtHaus is a nonprofit organization showcases student art in their gallery on Ridgewood Avenue, Port Orange, and in outreach exhibit venues. ArtHaus offers art classes for young artists of all ages in their facility. They also teach outreach art classes to provide cultural enrichment and art education to underserved youth in the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Pace Center for teen girls.

WhimWham Art Studio  is located in Ormond Beach and offers all sorts of fun classes for children (and adults), including painting, pottery, glass fusion, and wet clay. WhimWham accommodates groups such as birthday parties, field trips, and they offer camps in the during spring and summer breaks. 

Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum  is located in the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS) on Nova Road, Daytona Beach. The museum is a hands-on science center for children. Granted – not all art – but still valuable in inspiring children to think, expand, and express! The award-winning exhibit stations allow children to make music, pizza, explore scientific principles, and more. The Children’s Museum offers summer camps, group tours, and it accommodates birthday parties.

Ormond Beach Memorial Art Museum and Gardens (OMAM)  in Ormond Beach, as the name reveals, offers a variety of art programs for kids, designed to nurture their creative potential! On the first Friday of every month is Free Family Art Night. Families are invited to drop by with their children for an hour of fun art making! A summer camp and monthly classes are also part of the program.

The Hub on Canal  - a fabulous art center in the heart of New Smyrna Beach is well known in the community. The Hub offers all manner of classes, exhibitions, music lessons, concerts and so much more! For the sake of this blog post, it is important to mention that The Hub also caters to children with their monthly art classes. Art history, painting, experimentation with different art media, and many other subjects are explored at The Hub!

 Creative Florida Living

Janet Sells 

Exceptional Properties in New Smyrna Beach, Florida

It is my business to know which properties are on the market, and with 2,645 single family homes currently listed in the Greater Daytona Beach Area, it is a challenge! I have been helping some out-of-town buyers over the holidays who are planning on moving from a “cookie cutter” golf community in southwest Florida to a “unique, forever home” in New Smyrna Beach. 

When you are seriously looking for that perfect home, it helps to put together a must-have list to save you time and energy. Everybody likes to look at pretty homes, but a good agent will help you stay focused on those that meet your criteria and the agreed-upon price range. (On a side note: this can also help save your marriage, but that’s another story.) I currently have buyers who can’t make an offer until their property is on the market in Fort Myers, so meanwhile, I’ll share these with YOU! 

1308 S. Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach, $899,500, courtesy of Marcus Korndorfer   Are you ready to adopt a coastal Florida lifestyle? This riverfront home is move-in ready, has a furnished guest suite, AND a pontoon boat waiting for you at the dock! This is a very classy address situated across the channel from the yacht club. Your friends and family will love visiting you. When they finish fishing off of the pontoon boat, you can walk to dinner up on Canal Street and take in some live music at the HUB.  If you enjoy the fine arts, you’ll be close to well regarded galleries and potter’s studios.

500 N. Riverside Drive, Edgewater, $587,000, courtesy of Marcus Korndofer

This beautifully renovated mid-century home on prestigious Riverside Drive is just over the border of New Smyrna Beach. It’s priced a lot lower than similar homes because there are no water views. If you enjoy walking or biking, you don’t have far to go in order to enjoy the waterfront on a daily basis. Situated on high ground on a corner lot, the driveway is accessible from the side street leaving your front yard uncluttered by cars. The mature oaks give shade and a graceful atmosphere to the property. This home is a must-see.  Compare it to newly built homes further inland. What a great location!

2659 Pioneer Trail, New Smyrna Beach, $639,900, courtesy of Lee Toutounchian, “Mr. T”

DREAMING OF A LIFE IN THE COUNTRY? When you pull through the gate of this remarkable estate home, the curving drive, tall pines and oaks, and manicured shrubberies give the impression of visiting a southern plantation.  Horses are permitted, and you are close to the Doris Leeper Preserve with its many trails.  There is a separate garage with covered walkway, a barn-like outbuilding (which needs work) and 2 ½ acres, bordering on pastures.  Inside, you will find luxurious details including recessed lighting, generous crown molding, built-in book shelves, and many sets of graceful French doors. Yes, it has a gourmet kitchen and a gorgeous master bath. What makes this home most unique, is the wide, generous porch, which encircles the entire dwelling.  Imagine seating several friends, or extended family, and comfortably dining al fresco on this remarkable screened in porch! I keep thinking, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, would like to visit us there.

We at Creative Florida Living artfully connect extraordinary properties with extraordinary people. Can we help you?

Creative Florida Living 

Janet Sells