Halifax River and Holly Hill

We were very ready for an extended bike ride this morning after days of not quite nice weather.  Today's forecast - sunny, high 70s and no wind.  So we headed to Port Orange for breakfast.  Across Main Street Bridge and along South Peninsula Drive for a beautiful ride with little traffic and lots to see.

Pat's Riverfront Cafe is the best hole in the wall restaurant with no signs and little fanfare behind a marina.

                                                                Bird on a wire

                                                     The water on the ICW was super calm.


                                         We watched a jellyfish meander around the dock.

The 12+ mile round trip was so delightful we are going to do it again tomorrow for lunch!

Today after a quick lunch we headed back out on bikes.  The weather too gorgeous to be indoors.  So we chose to visit the Holly Hill Museum located just a little over a mile down the street.  A spacious building filled with so many artifacts and information related to the area.

Of course Uncle Larry had his own display.


                                        (The bat is actually a softball bat)

In 1989, while digging a new water treatment plant, the bones of a mastodon and other prehistoric animals estimated to be 80,000 years old were found.  Crazy!  And then the bones went missing.  Actually no surprise since there were being stored in a city public works shed.  A few were recovered but most, estimated in the hundreds of thousands, were never located.  One leg bone was recovered after a city worker returned it stating his daughter had taken it to school for show and tell.  What!?!

                                        They call him Manny the Mastodon.
                                        Some of the bones recovered.


The museum building was originally the Police Department with a jail next door.  And check it out!  School children used to gape at the prisoners through the windows!  What!?!

And there was a hospital right on Daytona Ave!  Operating rooms and everything.  


                                            The building today is a private residence.

The founders of the hospital also came up with the idea to purchase property just 1 1/2 miles down the street for a cemetery.  I'm not sure that sends a positive feeling of allowing them to treat/operate on me.  And they named it Shady Rest Cemetery!   Definitely shady!


The farmer's market was also located on 2nd Ave just a block from the house.


Today The Market has a restaurant and a few businesses.  At one time it was a courthouse annex and jailhouse.  It has just been sold and plans are for a wedding/event venue and businesses in addition to the restaurant.  Good Luck!

Across from the market on the corner of 2nd Ave and Riverside there was a gas station.


Today it is a lounge with a drive through option and tables for imbibing out front.

A very pleasant day with lots of surprises.  We should sleep well tonight!


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