Chadham by the Sea

My family and I will be visiting New Smyrna this summer. We are staying at Chadham by the Sea. We have never been to this part of

Florida before. Does anyone know anything about Chadham by the Sea..is it nice, close to things? Also, this is on the no drive part of the beach...is that a good thing or not? We will have family members of all ages with us.

Chadham by the Sea

We are returning to Chadham for our 2nd stay in a couple of weeks.

I don%26#39;t think you will be disappointed.

The complex is fine- quiet and well tended. Not too big. Pool is adequate, but the ocean will be so warm and the surf so inviting, that%26#39;s where you will probably be spending your time. Like all rental Condos, some units in the complex will be nicer than others.

Actually, I don%26#39;t think it is officially in NSB; it%26#39;s a bit south in unincorporated Volusia county but having done about 15 spring breaks trips to this beach as our kids were growing up; it is a perfect location. You are only an 8 -10 minute drive from the old downtown area. NSB is small and very family oriented, and doesn%26#39;t have any of the college kid/biker bars you find in Daytona.

If you have real young children, I think being on the no drive part of the beach is the only way to go. While it may seem novel to have your car on the beach, there is a ton of traffic, and you%26#39;ll have to keep a close eye on the kids as some people do drive a bit faster than they should. Besides, who wants a steady stream of traffic (with loud music blaring) when you are trying to relax?

This is not a place to go for a lot of nightlife, but there is certainly an ample selection of restaurants. We%26#39;ve had many great meals at Norwoods, but it can be a bit pricy for dinner.

One of our favorite things to do is drive another mile south of Chadham to Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Parking is fairly restricted there, so if you want to get away from it all, pack a lunch and go for a few hours. There is also a pontoon boat tour of Mosquito lagoon run by the park service that is a nice way to be on the water but out of the sun as the boat is covered. Very scenic. Also, there is a fairly short, easy hike that takes you past shell mounds left by the Indians who lived here a few hundred years ago. Kids love it.

Just across the street from the condo is JBs Fish Camp restaurant. Not our favorite, but it is mobbed every night so you may want to give it a try. During the day they rent kayaks there at fairly reasonable rates so if you have some older kids (or energetic adults) I%26#39;d definitely recommend going for a paddle in th lagoon. We had a couple of fairly close dolphin sitings, and saw lots of unusual birds.

Another thing to do if you have not been to this part of florida before is to drive to the space center (about 50 - 60 minutes away). Fun for all ages? You can spend a better part of a day there.

Have a great time!