Sun Splash Park, Daytona Beach

Another weekend in Daytona Beach!  This time we headed up to Sun Splash Park, located 611 S. Atlantic Ave. Admission to the park is free (it’s a Volusia County Park).  Parking is limited but free as well.

The park itself is nice, but the website is a bit deceiving http://volusia.org/parks/sunspla.htm.  The pictures are relatively old, so the playground equipment is a bit beat up and bleached, but it is still in good condition.  There are several vending machines located in at the entrance to the park selling sodas and sports drink, the prices are higher than normal, so I suggest bringing your own. 

It is a county park, so there is no alcohol beverages allowed.  There are picnic tables, but no grills, so I would suggest sandwiches.  Bring plenty of bottles water, the vendors sell it, but you will pay a high price, and I did not see a water fountain in sight.

The park was pretty standard with a basic slide and climbing equipment.  It’s built for 5 to 12 year olds, so the younger set might have troubles.  There is shooting fountains in a separate area.  The park requires swim diapers on children who are not toilet trained.  They did not sell them, there so you will need to provide your own.  Bring your first aid kit!!  There were several children there that slipped and fell on the wet concrete while running through the fountains.

The park has a walkway that leads directly down the beach.  A lifeguard tower is located extremely close to the park.  Cars do drive on this patch of beach, so be careful walking down to the water.  Don’t forget to bring a small bottle of vinegar with you, Jellyfish have a tendency to sneak up on swimmers and the stings hurt.  The lifeguards normally have a bottle at each station, but I like to carry my own for quick applications.

The park was pretty clean, although the women’s bathroom left much to be desired.  There are NO CHANGING TABLES.  There are only 4 toilets (2 men, 2 women) for the entire park, so there is a long line.  The woman’s bathroom was disgusting, but my husband assured me that the men’s bathroom was clean.

I do not think that we will be returning to this park anytime soon.  I’m hoping one of the other beachside parks fair better than Sun Splash.

MOAS

This trip was to the Daytona Beach MOAS (Museum of Art and Science) http://www.moas.org/.  It was Museum Day by the Smithsonian, and admission was free for the day.  Normal admission is $12.95 for adults, $6.95 for 17-6, and 5 and under is free.  They offer several different special events through out the year, for various age groups, along with several decent deals throughout the year. 

I enjoyed the several exhibits on art and crafts through out history.  The Chinese art was extraordinary.  My four year old enjoyed the Coca-Cola Exhibit and the two restored passenger train cars.  The west wing is still closed due the flooding this past summer, so the Science Exhibits were all closed.

Both boys enjoyed the Children’s Museum.  Daddy helped them build a roller coaster, and a race car.  The area for the babies is small but my youngest enjoyed it.  There is a nature trail running along side the museum that the whole family enjoyed.  The path was a well cared for shaded wooden boardwalk with plenty of interesting trees and flora to look at.

The bathrooms were well marked and cleaned, with changing tables.  There were museum staff constantly walking around, and all were very friendly and helpful, to point out interesting articles in each of the various exhibits.

There is no place to eat inside the museum, so I would suggest a local fast food restaurant, which there is plenty in Daytona Beach.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at this fantastic museum, and we hope to stop by again and check out the west wing when it reopens.