Menard-May Park in Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach in Florida

In Edgewater, Florida, there is a residential street called Riverside Drive. Back in the 1800s, Riverside Drive was called "The Strand," for it consisted of a sandy strip of road, frequented by the likes of the Seminole and Timucuan Indians, who fished the nearby salty waters in search of oysters and clams, among hundreds of species of fish.

Now there is a lovely pedestrian-lined cobblestone road, in front of one of the most beautiful local parks that exists in Edgewater, a small coastal community on the border of New Smyrna Beach.

The Menard-May Park is only four and a half acres, but it consists of the Intra-coastal Waterway, and begins at the end of Ocean Avenue and Riverside Drive, located directly off of U.S.-1, to an expansive view of what is considered by locals as their own "backyard paradise".

The park has the usual amenities; bathrooms, a picnic and cooking grill area, an undercover pavilion setting, yet it also has a distinctly unique layout, one that incorporates relaxation, play, water sports, fishing, swimming and more.

To the left of the entrance is the pavilion area, cooking grills, benches and bathrooms. To the right is a volleyball area, complete with white sand. The sandy dirt road further down leads to the playground on the left, a small parking lot in the center, and a boat launch to the right. There is a strip of sand directly from the boat launch, that goes in a half circle shape to the left, where a fishing dock rises above, with impressive views of the park at all angles. To the direct left of the dock, is a gorgeous spot of beach, only a mile or so long, where the sand is creamy beige, and the water is clear at the shoreline with small, gently lapping waves. This area of the park is the ideal place to lay out and swim, unless there are children playing in the playground, which is behind the beach section.

What is nice about this small beach area is that there is plenty of room for everyone, and if noisy kids are not your cup of tea, you can simply move down further along the shoreline to relax. A good time to go is during the week as well.