Menard-May Park in Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach in Florida

In Edgewater, Florida, there is a residential street called Riverside Drive. Back in the 1800s, Riverside Drive was called "The Strand," for it consisted of a sandy strip of road, frequented by the likes of the Seminole and Timucuan Indians, who fished the nearby salty waters in search of oysters and clams, among hundreds of species of fish.

Now there is a lovely pedestrian-lined cobblestone road, in front of one of the most beautiful local parks that exists in Edgewater, a small coastal community on the border of New Smyrna Beach.

The Menard-May Park is only four and a half acres, but it consists of the Intra-coastal Waterway, and begins at the end of Ocean Avenue and Riverside Drive, located directly off of U.S.-1, to an expansive view of what is considered by locals as their own "backyard paradise".

The park has the usual amenities; bathrooms, a picnic and cooking grill area, an undercover pavilion setting, yet it also has a distinctly unique layout, one that incorporates relaxation, play, water sports, fishing, swimming and more.

To the left of the entrance is the pavilion area, cooking grills, benches and bathrooms. To the right is a volleyball area, complete with white sand. The sandy dirt road further down leads to the playground on the left, a small parking lot in the center, and a boat launch to the right. There is a strip of sand directly from the boat launch, that goes in a half circle shape to the left, where a fishing dock rises above, with impressive views of the park at all angles. To the direct left of the dock, is a gorgeous spot of beach, only a mile or so long, where the sand is creamy beige, and the water is clear at the shoreline with small, gently lapping waves. This area of the park is the ideal place to lay out and swim, unless there are children playing in the playground, which is behind the beach section.

What is nice about this small beach area is that there is plenty of room for everyone, and if noisy kids are not your cup of tea, you can simply move down further along the shoreline to relax. A good time to go is during the week as well.

There is much to do in this park. One can spend the entire day, and not get bored. People go to the boat launch side and kayak across to one of the barrier islands, that are consistent throughout the Indian River, and there are even sand dunes across the water that people walk on, once they kayak across the river.

This area is reminiscent to an old Florida fishing community, and one could easily see how the native Timucuan Indians survived so plentifully before the onslaught of the Europeans and their diseases.

The shoreline bordering the dock and boat/kayak launch is loaded with oyster and clam shells, oysters being the predominant shell, plentiful in these waters. The local oysters are even served in some nearby restaurants. From the dock and shoreline, fishermen and children fish for oysters, and there are also the usual dolphin and manatee sightings, especially when out kayaking on the gorgeous water. It can be quite an emotional experience when interacting with these beautiful creatures up close.

There are boat speed regulation zones, and boating safety zones, so if one has a boat, they need to idle their speed, for the manatees are endangered, regardless of current statistics on the endangered species list. This area is so tranquil, many water enthusiasts like to canoe or kayak through the gentle waters instead of boating or using noisy jet skis. When out on the water, the breezes are sublime.

This park is a great example of Florida's and Edgewater's naturally diverse ecosystem as well. The park has a natural landscape, with salt water plants and flora and fauna that grow well near the beach, saw palmetto, sabal palm and cabbage sabal palms, among other species of plant life. This is a wonderful park to experience the real Florida nature, and is a highly recommended stop when visiting Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach.

Sources:

Downs, Dorothy. Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians. Gainsville, Florida: University Press of Florida, 1995.
Hann, John.A History of the Timucua Indians and Missions. University Press of Florida, 1996.
Meisel, Tony and Frank Appel. Edited Tales of Old Florida.Secaucus, New Jersey: Castle, 1987.
Tebeau, Charlton W. A History of Florida. Miami, Florida: University of Miami Press, 1971.