George Kennedy Memorial Park: Expansive Views Above Other Parks

On Riverside Drive, in New Smyrna Beach Florida, there is a big park, called the George Kennedy Memorial Park. The park has wide, expansive views that border small estuary aquatic islands along the Indian River. This park is more like a big parking lot, yet has a small fishing dock at the far right, park- type benches along the river embankment, and a big launch area for boats into the Indian River.

What is most impressive about this park are the views. One can distinctly see other parks in the distance that have patchy islands of sand, the wide, unoccupied waterways to the right, where fish jump out of the water, dolphins feeding in the shallow end, and pelicans float leisurely on the water's surface, diving under every so often for bait fish.

This park is known for its accessibility, for one can easily park their vehicle in the expansive lot, and boat trailers and big trucks have room to park as well. The boat launch area is also ideal for water sports, such as jet skiing, though one might want to check the rules of the park before jet skiing to the extreme. Many of these waterways along the Indian River have speed safety zones, for the slow areas are designated manatee zones, and boaters and jet skiers have to be careful of these gentle giants.

To the left is another estuary embankment, where there are pelicans and various species of birds nesting. To the right is a nice spot to have a picnic lunch and watch the passing sailboats and fish. This is away from the parking lot side, along the river embankment near the park benches. There is also a tennis court, that used to have a beautiful mural depicting local Florida history, until a hurricane demolished it. There are hardly any murals in New Smyrna Beach, and this lost art was a definitive example of Florida's mighty storms and the havoc they can inflict on local man-made structures.

The park is also host to a variety of events throughout the year, namely the annual Fourth of July fireworks, and starting point of a 4k Fourth of July family walk and run. The event starts at 8a.m. at the park. The first year of the event was held in 2007, and should continue in 2008.

The park is located directly across from the New Smyrna Beach Police Department on Riverside Drive, and is easily accessible from various side streets off U.S.-1, closer to the Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach border.