Brendan Engel
In Motion Special
Michelle Spanos is a local travel agent and blogger who has vast experience in frugal but fun things to do in Florida. Often, students forget how much there is to do right around them.
In Volusia County there’s no need to go far to find many exciting things to do for free (or almost free) during Spring Break.
Not every student can afford to go to exotic destinations for Spring Break. In fact, it’s pretty normal to need to stay local due to budget or time restrictions. But there’s plenty of options to the traditional tropical island vacation that would end with eating up all a student’s savings.
Spanos has just the right staycation ideas for those who are watching their wallet.
“Really, we take for granted the ocean, the springs, the rivers and the lakes we have around us,” Spanos said.
She hikes all sorts of nature trails, such as the one at Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve, off Martin Dairy Road in New Smyrna Beach, which is her favorite. There are also countless fresh water springs in Central Florida to be explored and all that’s needed to pay for is the gas. Among the closest and most popular are Blue Spring in Orange City, Silver Springs near Ocala and DeLeon Springs.
Holly Plested, a nursing student, has visited many of these springs. Her favorite is Blue Spring State Park, which is open to swimming, snorkeling and kayaking almost all year around. There are hundreds of manatees during the cold winter months and sometimes, even in spring and summer.
“This spring is especially fun to snorkel in because it’s a very big spring with a very deep spring vent. It’s fun to put on dive fins and compete with your friends, seeing how far down you can safely get,” she said.
Admission to the park is an affordable $6 per vehicle and there are plenty of places to picnic.
Another inexpensive place to visit is the American Space Museum and Walk of Fame in Titusville. The address is 308 Pine St. in Titusville. Based off an old school launch room for NASA in the 1960s, the park’s admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 13-18.
“They show the progression of the Titan shuttles to the Apollo shuttles. It makes for a historically enriching and fun experience,” Spanos noted.
“Before Disney, there were four main things people would come to Florida for: The Citrus Tower in Clermont, Weeki Wachee, Silver Springs and Sugar Mill Ruins in Port Orange,” Spanos said.
According to her, the Sugar Mill Ruins Gardens used to be a theme park for Bongo the Ape before Disney stole its thunder. The owners shut down the park due to the lost revenue, but it survives in part as a beautiful garden that surrounds the old sugar mill. It’s completely free to park and walk around the garden. The address is 950 Old Sugar Mill Road, Port Orange.
Those willing to travel a little out of Volusia should drive to Jacksonville where they can see what people claim to be the oldest living thing in Florida. In Treaty Oak Park, off Prudential Drive, is a 70-foot tall tree that is said to be 200 years old. While in Jacksonville, there’s a free sky-tram that rides around the city as well.
“It’s easy to plan an entire day trip and have it only cost you gas money,” Spanos said.
Cara LaRoche, is a frequent client and friend of Spano’s. LaRoche lives up North, but travels to Florida quite often for vacation. She planned a frugal vacation with Spanos and enjoyed it. “It really surprised me how many things there were available right under my nose.”
So, instead of just sticking around at home waiting for school to start again, remember all the inexpensive and enjoyable things waiting just outside the door. For information on these and many other activities for the financially challenged, Google the West Volusia Tourism Visitor Center in DeLand, the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau or the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitor’s Bureau.