Located about half way between Daytona Beach and Orlando, DeLand may be one of Florida's best kept secrets. Its historic, restored downtown is centered around picturesque Stetson University, where giant, moss-draped oaks shade walkers and swaying palms line "The Boulevard." The St. Johns River borders DeLand to the west and only 25 minutes from its quaint boutiques, early 20th century Spanish colonial homes, and excellent restaurants, the silvery surf of the Atlantic Ocean pounds the nearby shore. Since my family is from DeLand, I have been coming here for decades.
Though many folks do not automatically think of Florida when they hear the phrase "small Southern town," DeLand epitomizes the traditional hospitality and relaxed way of life fast becoming only a memory in the South.
DeLand has also long been known as "The Athens of Florida." When Henry DeLand laid the town's foundation in 1876, he envisioned a center of culture, education and beauty, like the Athens of ancient Greece. Today, DeLand is the cultural, spiritual and educational hub of what has become known as the St. Johns River Country. And Stetson enhances the community's rich culture with theater, recitals, museums and thought-provoking speakers.
Only 40 minutes from Disney World, DeLand remains dotted with groves full of ripe lemons, grapefruits, and satsumas (a local orange variety) that perfume the air, along with parks where one can camp, picnic, swim, scuba dive and canoe. Visit Blue Springs for a peek at manatees (winter only), or cruise over to Hontoon Island State Park to see a cypress swamp on the St. Johns. Explore early settlements at DeLeon Springs State Park, where you can grill your own pancakes at The Old Spanish Sugar Mill and then paddle a canoe through the wilderness. If heights don't intimidate you, hop over to the DeLand Airport for some of the nation's most thrilling sky diving.
Recently, DeLand has become nationally acclaimed for the meticulous restoration of its downtown. Here, one can marvel at the old Athens Theatre, an art deco masterpiece and back in the 1920s, a vaudeville house. The Greek Revival-style Henry A. DeLand Museum should also not be missed as its extensive collection of period photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia trace the history of DeLand and western Volusia County.
So if you want a break from the hubbub, crowds, and frequent over commercialization of central Florida, mosey on over to DeLand. Some say it's Florida's sophisticated answer to Savanah!
Quick Tips:
MUSEUMS
African-American Museum of Art - 325 South Clara Ave. - (386) 736-4004
DeLand Memorial Hospital Museum - 230 North Stone Street - (386) 734-5333
DeLand Museum of Art - 600 North Woodland Blvd - (386) 734-4371
DeLand Naval Air Station Museum - 910 Biscayne Boulevard - (386) 738-4149
Duncan Gallery of Art - Sampson Hall - 421 N. Woodland Blvd. (386) 822-7266
Gillespie Museum of Minerals - 421 North Woodland Blvd. (386) 722-7330
Henry DeLand House - 137 West Michigan Ave. - (386) 734-7029
Historic DeLand - 535 North Clara Ave. - (386) 738-6029
Best Way To Get Around:
Primarily by car though the restored downtown area and Stetson University's campus features sidewalks flanked by camellias in the colder months and splashy azaleas and hibiscus when temperatures begin to warm up.