The popular retirement town of Ormond Beach, located on the east coast of Florida, has a population of about 38,000, and an average age of 50. The town is known as “The Birthplace of Speed” as car racing became very popular on its beaches in the early 1900's. Railroad magnate Henry Flagler helped to build The Hotel Ormond which was one of his fashionable resorts. John D. Rockefeller, a business partner of Flagler, stayed at the hotel several times and eventually bought a house nearby called the Casements, which today is the town's community center. The site of the Ormond Hotel is now a condominium development.
Today Ormond Beach offers all types of water recreation, golf, many parks and shopping malls. Racing and NASCAR are still big events here as Daytona Beach is right next door. Picture of Granada Bridge in 2006 courtesy of Wikipedia and Michael Hoffman; picture of Natural Beach at North Peninsula State Park courtsey of Wikipedia and Gamweb; picture of Ormond Hotel 1905 courtesy of Wikipedia. |