New Smyrna Beach Getaway

I grew up in Orlando and can remember going to New Smyrna Beach almost my entire life.  I have been there hundreds of times, but each time I go I seem to see something different.  The weekend before Labor Day, we decided to take a quick vacation at New Smyrna Beach.  It’s only about a hour from Orlando, but you might as well be hundreds of miles away from the city.  We arrived around 6p and checked into Ocean Trillium hotel.  Ocean Trillium condos are all independently owned so each unit is decorated a bit differently, but each unit has a family room, a small kitchen, a dining area, a separate bedroom and a bathroom.  Our room was on the 8th floor so our view was spectacular. Once we checked in, we decided to go to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in New Smyrna Beach, JBs Fish Camp.  If you want some real ‘Florida’ style seafood, you’ll want to try JBs Fish Camp.

JB’s Fish Camp Photos

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JB's Fish Camp

The next morning we were up early to catch the sunrise at the beach. Sunrise is my favorite time of the day on the beach because everything is so quiet and peaceful.

Sunrise on the Beach

 

 

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On our second day at the beach, we went to Chases on the Beach for lunch.  I’ve eaten at this place at least 100 times of the years and still love it.  Lobster bites are especially good as is the fish sandwich.  Nothing like fresh fish caught that day and a rum runner to top it off.

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When we finished our lunch, we decided to do a bit of shopping.  At first stop was at one of the t-shirt shops along the way that is so ‘Florida’. They sold a ton of t-shirts as well as alligator heads, sand in a bottle, sand dollars and a variety of other items that tourist live to purchase.

Photos from Tourist Shop

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Our second stop was on Canal Street Historic District.  Canal Street has surf shops, home decor stores, specialty clothing stores and a whole lot more.  Great place to kill an afternoon.

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For dinner that evening, we went to Outrigger Tiki Bar and Grill.  I had heard a lot of other locals talking about this place, since it is fairly new, so I wanted to check it out.  Outrigger is at the New Smyrna Beach marina so the view is amazing and the food is good as well.  We started out with Fried Green Tomatoes, had their special mac & cheese with shrimp for dinner and finished off the meal with fresh key lime pie.  Everything was delicious.

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The next day we also got up early for another amazing sunrise.

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For lunch that day we decided to stay at the condo and eat snacks so that we’d be really hungry for Norwood’s Restaurant and Wine Shop.  I remember going to Norwood’s when I went to New Smyrna Beach as a child.  It was always the ‘nice’ restaurant that we made sure to visit once while staying at the beach.  For dinner, I tried the shrimp & grits which was very tasty.

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The bench below was in Norwood’s and was so cool.  It was made out of Cypress Gardens skis  IMG_0767

The following day, it was time to head back to Orlando so we packed up the car and headed to Gnarly Surf Bar and Grill.  Their special ‘burger of the day’ was a burger with back and a fried green tomato on top.  It was delicious!  This was such a cute place that offered indoor & outdoor seating, had a bar and great food.

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No trip to New Smyrna Beach would be complete without a stop at Frozen Gold!

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After the Frozen Gold stop, we headed back to Orlando feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.  It is amazing what just a few days at the beach can do for your mind and body.