Ormond "Loop" gets Scenic Highway designation

I just read this article in the Daytona beach News-Journal about a stretch of roads in the Ormond Beach area that was always known as "The Loop"... it's getting a "Scenic Highway" designation from the state of Florida. This probably isn't very interesting to most of you, but when I lived in the Daytona Beach area back in the early 1980s, I used to cruise that road to take in the sheer, unspoiled "Old Florida" beauty. The road meanders through the Tomoka State Park, beneath huge, old-growth oak trees that are hung with orchids and Spanish Moss. It follows the edge of the Intercoastal Waterway along miles of tidal marsh and brackish-water lagoons. In the summer it's cool, with light breezes from the nearby beach, and is filled with all kinds of tropical wildlife, from herons to alligators. I used to take my motorcycle out at night and just soak in the cool night air, my ears filled with the unearthly croaking of a million frogs.
In the last decade or so, development has encroached on this fairly pristine wilderness, threatening to consume one of the most beautiful stretches of Volusia County, Florida. It was nice to see that this first step has been taken to preserve this area for ALL OF US. Way to go!


Can you tell I'm ready for vacation?