When Water Is Your Happy Place, Joy Is Always on Tap in New Smyrna Beach

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I was still in New Smyrna Beach when I started thinking about all I’d do on my next visit to New Smyrna Beach: a breeze-blessed barrier island on Florida’s Atlantic coast where everyone seems energetic and happy. Enveloped by water—sky-blue ocean to the east, the Indian River to the west—this laid-back place appears to exist along a meridian isolated from commercialism and the cares of the world. It is perfectly okay to plan your days around pure fun here. Everything else can wait.

In reality, you’re only a half hour from Daytona Beach International Airport, which is more connected to New England via direct flights than ever. In-the-know travelers check Allegiant’s schedule of nonstop flights from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Orlando Sanford International Airport, too. This landing spot is just about 45 minutes away from New Smyrna Beach’s 17 miles of packed-powder sand. And with one-way fares as low as $43, a return visit’s easy to imagine if, like me, you’ve left more than a few things undone.

High on my list is a nighttime pedal-kayak outing with Viking EcoTours. As we explored Canaveral National Seashore’s protected waters with owner Eric Hansen on a sunny February afternoon, listening to his knowledgeable voice but also, in wind-pushed quiet moments, to a distant dolphin’s splash and to turkey vultures and ospreys asserting their presence, I knew his popular after-dark adventure must be magical. From May through September, these biodiverse waters are at their bioluminescent peak, with glowy plankton and comb jellies putting on a water-fireworks show that outsparkles starry skies.

Locals call the Indian River the “Intracoastal,” and this calm waterway beckons me back, too. This time, when I board Toon Tiki Charters’ thatched-roof boat, I want to be on a three-hour yoga-and-swim excursion. I might not spy a Kennedy Space Center rocket launch—that was a cool bonus on my first sightseeing voyage—but I think stretching my limbs on the soft, warm sand of a secluded mangrove island, then taking a refreshing plunge, will feel even more exhilarating.

Next trip, I will take a resin-painting class at The Hub on Canal, an artists’ collective where I observed a demonstration of this fluid and unpredictable technique. How therapeutic it will be to play with turquoise hues, sand sprinkles, and shells, knowing that creating a stunning keepsake is all about letting go and allowing the colors to bubble and flow.

Of course, I will pop around the corner to Jane’s Art Center to pet Tom Cruise. It’s not what it sounds like! This Tom’s a little gray-and-white cat who just might be the gentlest, most trustworthy furball in the world. He’s an inspiration to the potters who work here, and he moves lithely among their gallery-displayed works, the antithesis of the proverbial china-shop bull.

More retail therapy is on the agenda, too. Thoughtfully curated shops line Canal Street in the creative district and Flagler Avenue near the beach. The sheer variety of beaded bags at Bamboo Trading Company makes gift shopping a delight. I love the lace-sleeved sweater I found at The Posh Pineapple, a clothing boutique where the prices are surprisingly reasonable and the staff is helpful and kind. There are laugh-out-loud tea towels I’ll pick up this time at Wild Oats & Billy Goats, which showcases eclectic local makers and shares a space with Little Griddle, a nostalgic diner (yes, there are red counter stools).

I want to revisit in the heat of summer, when lodging rates dip. I’ll stay in a beachfront, poolside room at SpringHill Suites New Smyrna Beach again, cracking my balcony door open at night to allow the ocean’s roll to lull me to sleep. Humidity’s not an enemy when cooling water, more refreshing than air conditioning, is always steps away. The hotel’s local owners have created a home-like place that feels in character for this Old Florida beach town, so don’t be fooled by the chain affiliation.

And when winter descends upon New England? I’ve never felt cut out to be a true snowbird, winging down south for an extended reprieve. But then again, I’ve never found a warm-all-year destination with so much pull on my soul. As we were kayaking in the national seashore’s Mosquito Lagoon, Eric pointed out a hooded merganser, a fish-loving duck common in New England but rarely seen in Florida. I’m taking that as a sign.

Start planning your escape to this happy place at visitnsbfl.com.

Kim Knox Beckius

Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee's travel & branded content editor. A longtime freelance writer/photographer and Yankee contributing editor based in Connecticut, she has explored every corner of the region while writing six books on travel in the Northeast and contributing updates to New England guidebooks published by Fodor's, Frommer's, and Michelin. For more than 20 years, Kim served as New England Travel Expert for TripSavvy (formerly About.com). She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and is frequently called on by the media to discuss New England travel and events. She is likely the only person who has hugged both Art Garfunkel and a baby moose.

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