Breakers

Sunset Photos at New Smyrna Beach

Flagler Ave on the east coast of Florida as the sun sets. Photo taken from the beach.

Just before Hurricane Nicole showed up to ruin the local beaches, my daughter came to visit from New Hampshire. She definitely chose the right week! While she was here we had sunshine and warmth. A few days later the beaches were pummeled by the storm.

She arrived on a Tuesday, and we had to go to the beach that evening. These are a few of the photos I took from New Smyrna Beach at the end of Flagler Ave. where Breakers restaurant is located. We walked a little just so she could enjoy having her toes in the sand!

Flagler Ave and Breakers at night from the beach.

New Smyrna Beach Florida at night — Looking south down the beach at low tide

life guard tower at night Flagler Ave. — The lifeguard tower

The lights on the second floor of Crabby’s Restaurant were shining in the darkness.

Crabby’s restaurant lit up at night — Crabby’s

A few days later we went back to this part of the beach to walk and swim. A storm moved up from the south and we all hid under the pavilion to stay somewhat dry.

At this point I didn’t even know about Nicole and the damage the storm would do to this area. My son and I visited this same area the day the storm arrived (overnight) to get some pre-storm photos. You can see here how low tide should look, and the difference when the storm was approaching.

While my daughter visited, we went to the beach three times, went boating once, and visited the boat ramp park to swim. She was able to get her fill of saltwater and sunshine!

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Views of New Smyrna Beach before Hurricane Nicole arrives and the waves and high water levels.

It is November 9th and Hurricane Nicole is headed toward Florida. We rarely get an East coast hit by a strong storm, so my son and I took a ride to see the waves at the beach.

Usually I stay home and do nothing when a storm is approaching, but this one is taking forever to arrive. We’ve had wind and occasional rain since yesterday afternoon.

I checked the tides on my phone on the way to Flagler Ave., and found that it was about 1 1/2 hours from LOW tide.

This water is very high for low tide.

I did not get photos, but as we drove along Riverside Drive, the water was higher than I’ve ever seen it – even at high tide in the river. The boat ramp and small park were both roped off along the river so we couldn’t stop and get photos. Because this was nearing low tide, I’m guessing the place will be flooded once high tide arrives.

I really don’t know how Breakers Restaurant manages to remain throughout all the storms it’s seen. (Someone on Instagram mentioned that the owners at one time invested a lot of money into a sea wall for Breakers.) We visited Breakers and had food and drinks after Hurricane Charley came through. Frances and Jeanne came right after and eventually I think Breakers had to close due to damage.

beach waves hurricane Nicole — Beach Ramp

The bottom corner of the pink building has some noticeable damage. I don’t know if it was from Hurricane Ian, but a lot of the coastal buildings have not recovered fully from Ian. That hurricane just passed through a little over a month ago.

Beach ramp at Flagler Ave closed for Hurricane Nicole — Access to the beach closed

It is almost 5PM as I type this and Nicole is hitting land around midnight as far as I know. She is bringing 70mph winds and along with high tides along the beach, there will be lots of damage. My house is as ready as it will be. I hope I can sleep through the wind, but I really hope the power stays on.

Stay safe Floridians.

Update: Power stayed on for us. Haven’t seen the beaches, but I know they took a pounding.

Bigger and Better Florida

Growth in Florida means more high rise condos and hotels and means fewer beach houses in the old Florida style like the one the hurricanes destroyed in 2004.

People love to come to Florida for the sun, beaches and paradise lifestyle. And Florida is set up to accommodate all of that. We have drive on beaches and so many restaurants and fast food joints that no one will ever go hungry. Just look at the bulging bellies as you cruise the beach! It’s the good life, don’t you know.

Ever since I moved south in 1979, I’ve seen lots of changes to the state and mostly they are to make roads bigger and wider, clear out acres of woodlands to put up condos and shopping centers, and lets not forget all that fast food! I guess many places are dealing with overcrowding, but it seems accelerated here.

This page is about one such replacement of an old beach house that became a multi-level hotel.

The House Next to Breakers

The iconic Breakers restaurant is the pink building you can’t miss at the end of Flagler Ave. I’ve eaten here a number of times, and the food is always good, but that right-on-the-beach / ocean view is superior to most water-view eateries in my area. During the day you can watch the beach people as you eat and in the evening enjoy views of the sparking ocean water.

I wonder how many people know what happened here in 2004 and how the coastline (and Florida) has changed.

Flagler Ave. beach entrance ramp from the beach — Flagler Ave. beach entrance ramp in New Smyrna Beach

Florida changes very fast. Hotels, buildings, and houses are built practically overnight. Green spaces are cleared daily to make space for the ever increasing new residents and tourist growth.

A new hotel has now taken the spot of small, residential housing along the valuable coastline in New Smyrna Beach. This is thanks to some wicked hurricanes. (Most tourists never have to deal with those either.)

Breakers and new hotel next door — Spring Hill Suites, is a brand new hotel right on the beach

Compare the photo above to the one below. I took them both, but years apart. In 2004, the year before we moved to New England, our area of Florida was hit with three hurricanes within about 6 weeks time. Charlie, Frances and Jeanne are names that are forever etched on the minds of Floridians who lived through long power outages, suffocating heat (the storms hit in August and September), and devastated homes, land, trees and beaches.

The photo below is mine and I used it to make a calendar for my Zazzle store. I bought the calendar, so I have this photo to reference because I have no idea where my old photos would be. You can see the same yellow hotel to the right, with most of the palm fronds blown off the trees.

Flagler Ave after Hurricanes of 2004 with house falling into the sea — This house was next door to Breakers Restaurant

I think there were 2 houses side-by-side but I am not sure. I took this photo out the window of the Breakers restaurant where we were eating at the time. Breakers was closed right after this for repairs. We had traveled from our home, which was 30 miles inland, to see what was happening at the beach after the hurricanes. It was sad to see the beach was gone, leaving such devastation behind.

Now, many years later, there is a new hotel in the spot where those houses used to sit. (Spring Hill Suites) It looks like a nice place for all the tourists to stay and I’m sure it’s a big money-maker. Personally I liked the look of beach houses, but that was part of “old Florida”. And it seems that the hurricanes made the place unlivable.

But New Florida is concerned with making money, and that is my gripe with this place. When ecology and the environment take a back seat to keeping people happy, we begin to lose what is truly good about this place.

It began years ago, and it’s not getting better. We do have conservation committees, and people who are trying to make changes for the better. I doubt they will get far when they are going up against big money hotel chains, car dealerships, and shopping centers.

Like I tell my son, if you see a green space, take a photo because the next time you go to that area it may be gone. That’s Florida. Tourists don’t mind because they are here to have fun. Big business doesn’t mind because they are making loads of money. On it goes, but for how long before there is no more for this state to give?