Ormond Beach Florida Sunset

Golds and pinks and blues fill this Ormond Beach Florida sunset photo showing the sky as a storm front moves into the area. Thunder storms are forecast for tomorrow and clouds started building up around noon.

There’s a lot of water in this area. I’ve heard it said that Florida is a reclaimed swamp. I’m sure there’s was a lot of dry land a couple of hundred years ago, but if you fly over the state, it’s not hard to imagine it as swamp.

This photo was taken just north of Tomoka State Park. Tomoka State Park is located north of Granada Blvd. at the end of Beach Street. Just yards from this spot, Beach Street turns into Old Dixie Highway heading toward Bulow State Park and the Halifax Plantation Sub-Division. The sun is setting over the Ormond Lakes Sub-Division which is only minutes from this spot.

Ormond Beach Florida Sunset

If you like to fish, there’s a very popular spot on the bridge that bridges the water here. There’s open water on both the east and west sides of the road. There’s usually a few people out there and there was one gentlemen night fishing as we left. There’s plenty of parking if you want to come and catch either the sunrise or sunset.

Brilliant Florida January Sunset in Ormond By The Sea

Colors and light change in a brilliant dance as the sun sets on the western sky on a cool January evening. Ormond by the Sea Florida is just north of Ormond Beach up A1A. It is a quiet community with many nice homes and affordable condos. This photo was taken on the picnic mound at Bicentennial Park. Bicentennial Park is right across A1A from the ocean and is a good parking place to enjoy watching the ocean. There’s also beach access directly across from the park.

The night was sweatshirt weather as the ocean breeze cooled the air quickly with the setting sun. The late afternoon was cloudy so there was a good possibility of a nice colorful sunset. Patience was rewarded.

Ormond By The Sea Sunset January 2010

There are several picnic tables overlooking the ocean in Bicentennial Park. Think about coffee and breakfast as you watch the sun rise. The beach in the area is uncrowded and is very nice for walking or just sitting and watching the waves break.

Bicentennial Park is about 4 miles north on A1A from Granada Blvd (SR40). There’s a nice family style restaurant just a few steps up the road from the park called Betty’s A1A Cafe. We’ve been going there for years and always get a good meal with lots of food.

Check out Ormond By The Sea Real Estate for homes and condos and more about the community.

Photo Friday – Daytona Beach in the Summer

Ah, the summer and the heat and the beach and brilliant sunshine. Just memories during the past two weeks when we’ve seen cold Florida. In Daytona Beach we were seeing lows around 27° for about a week.

To help remember, I dug this beach photo out from last summer.

Bright Summer Daytona Beach Day

This photo was taken from the porch of one my listings in Daytona Beach. The house had been unoccupied for awhile so we can see the beach side vegetataion taking back the yard. This is a late afternoon photo, but in the summer it gets dark late so there are few shadows.

There are many homes directly on the beach in the area as well as many condo buildings. The direct oceanfront land is very valuable, but prices have come down a lot for these properties. Yes, even these homes purchased for well over a million dollars are experiencing short sales and foreclosures in Daytona Beach.

Further up the beach there’s a long stretch north of Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach with direct beach front homes. These vary in size from small older homes to mega mansions. There’s also a mix of homes in Daytona Beach Shores directly on the beach.

There are no private beaches in the Daytona Beach area so it’s a fun walking on the beach and seeing these homes.

Photo Friday – September Sunset at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium

Football is very popular in Daytona Beach and we have some pretty good football teams. This photo was taken in September during the Mainland vs. Osceola game. Mainland won the game after a big second half comeback.

Sunset at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium

Football is big in the Daytona Beach area and five local teams went to the state playoffs in 2009: Seabreeze, Mainland, Warner Christian, Deland and New Smyrna Beach. Both Warner Christian and Deland made it to the state championship games before falling.

There is no doubt that football is a big part of the community here. Many of our players go on to play college ball and some like Sebastian Janikowski (Seabreeze) and Buster Davis (Mainland) play professionally. Sebastian was also the most gifted high school soccer player I’ve ever seen. He scored over 70 goals in his senior year.

My family has been in the Daytona Beach area since 1995. My son and Daytona Beach real estate partner  David is a 2000 graduate of Mainland where he played varsity soccer on the only Mainland team ever to play in the state playoffs. It is a great place to live and play.

And when the National Anthem is played before a high school football game with the flag waving in the breeze and thousands of people of all ages standing in its honor, my heart swells. The picture says it all.

Sunrise over the Halifax River

River, ocean, canopy roads, bright sunshine and warm weather attracted us the Daytona Beach area in 1995. We stay for the lifestyle and the weather.

On Christmas Eve morning, another beautiful sunrise greeted us.

Halifax River Ormond Beach Florida Sunrise

Yes, we missed photo Friday this week. We made an exception for Christmas day. I’m now getting into the groove again, so we have Photo Friday on Sunday this week.

This photo was taken from the park under the Halifax River bridge on Granada Blvd. in Ormond Beach. The park is on the southwest corner, but there is a park on every corner of this bridge. This is very rare. I don’t know of anywhere else park access like this. We are looking to the east and a little south.

The bridge connects the mainland with the beach side peninsula. It’s a very short distance from the beach and you can drive on the beach to the south of Granada. It’s actually a good choice if you want to walk without vehicles. To the north there are no vehicles and the beach is very nice for walking unless it’s high tide.

I’ve set up a twitter account to comment on real estate and what I’m doing in general. My twitter account is www.twitter.com/DaytonaHomes. I’m trying to post as often as I can, but at least once a day.

Ormond Beach Florida Canopy Walk

The canopy in Ormond Beach is one of the most beautiful features in our town. Drive up Beach Street and you can experience the beauty and serenity of the canopy.

This photo was taken close to my home in Ormond Beach. We walk along this path nearly every morning with the dogs.

The photo is of the walking path on Central Avenue in Ormond Beach. As you can see there is a lot of green along the path. The Trails is close by and there are similar areas, but those are a little more populated with houses.

This is just an example of many of the wonderful walking paths in the area. We also walk on the beach in cooler weather, but it’s too hot for me during the warmer months. Even in the early morning, when the sun comes up it gets hot fast.

Walking along the river is very nice too. South of Granada Blvd. on Beach Street, there are no homes on the river. You can walk or ride a bike close to the river bank. The water from the river will keep things a little cooler during the warm months.

The are many beautiful sights in our area that can be enjoyed. Ormond Beach is a little more expensive community in general than Daytona Beach, but generally offers more open spaces. You can check out my site for more about Ormond Beach real estate.

Dramatic Sky Over Daytona Beach Photo

We were out doing a photo shoot of a new listing at the Mediterranean condo building in October when this shot was taken. This shot was taken around noon time. Normally, noon is not as good time a time as around sunrise and sunset for landscape photos, but the dramatic sky and the contrasted with the palms and seawall make for a pretty nice picture.

Now this is a digital photo and it has been enhanced a bit in Photoshop, but only a little. The sky over the ocean was very nice that day. The day was warm, in the low 90s.

The area of the beach is not as crowded as it is closer to the pier. Many people enjoy walking and running along this stretch. The Mediterranean building is located south of Bellair Plaza. Check out the map below for the exact location.

Flagler Beach Pier at Sunrise

This photo was taken about a quarter mile south of the Flagler Pier on a crystal clear morning at sunrise. It was cool that morning so the air was crisp and clear.

As you can see in the photo, Flagler Beach is made up of brown sand unlike Daytona Beach where white sand is brought in from other locations to make it more attractive. You won’t see nearly as many people on the beach here as in Daytona Beach or Ormond Beach.

If you like quiet beaches, this is the place. To get this shot, we walked down about a 20 foot stairway to the beach. As you can see from the footprints, there were a few early morning walkers out. We waited for a couple with their dog to pass and then were greeted by a woman jogging.

To get to this spot, go up A1A from Daytona Beach or Ormond Beach. It’s a nice drive, especially on a morning like this one. You can also come up I-95 and exit at SR100 and go east to Flagler Beach. The pier is right at the intersection of SR100 and A1A.

If you go later in the day, there’s a very good restaurant a short drive south from the pier call Martins. If you’re in the area when they’re open, you can get a very nice meal at reasonable prices.

I have a listing for a luxury Flagler Beach home for sale not far from this location. It’s a magnificent home and worth a peek, even if you are not in the luxury market.

Although most of my sales have been of Daytona Beach real estate in the past year, we also sell in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach. We will be developing our Palm Coast and Flagler Beach business in 2010 with more emphasis on the website. We are in the process of putting that together and will be announcing our new Palm Coast / Flagler Beach section soon.

Photo Friday – Northern Volusia County Peaceful Sunrise

Welcome to Photo Friday. This is a new feature where we highlight scenes of life in the Daytona Beach area. We have quite a few photos queued up, so this will be a regular Friday feature.

This photo was taken at 6:30 a.m. this morning off of Highbridge Road north of Ormond Beach and south of Flagler Beach. Highbridge Road can be accessed from A1A or John Anderson Drive. The bridge spans the Halifax River that is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. Highbridge Park sits at the southeast side of the bridge. There is a boat ramp and fishing walkway at the bridge. Manatees can sometimes be seen at the park.

There is a lot of water in the area. People fishing are often seen on the many access points to the water. This is a beautiful scenic drive any time of day. A really nice drive is to start at go north on Beach Street off of Granada Blvd. SR 40) in Ormond Beach and travel up the Canopy Road. Beach Street turns into Old Dixie Highway. Continue on to Walter Boardman Lane and turn right. From there turn right at the Stop Sign on to High Bridge. Take your time. The speed limit is low, but you really will want to take your time. It’s simply beautiful.

Here’s a link to the map if you’re interested in making the drive:

View Larger Map

Owning Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach Homes has a lot of benefits. Check back often for more photo adventures in Daytona Beach.