Tomoka State Park

We drove from Lazy Daze park to Ormond Beach in about 3 hours -- the slowest leg was thru Orlando. The traffic jam in the middle of the day must be a common occurrence. We wouldn't want to live there! Ormond Beach is just north of Daytona Beach.

The park is a lovely, secluded area right on the Halifax River and the Atlantic Intracoastal waterway. The park gets its name from the Timucuan Indians who first inhabited this area over 14,000 years ago. This is the name that the Spaniards gave them in the 1600's. They lived in round huts made from palmetto thatch, they hunted with bows and arrows or spears and wore very little in the way of clothing. The state park contains some of the most important archaeological sites in this area. Information about the indians is gleaned from burial sites and trash mounds.

In 1764 the British Privy Council gave a Scots merchant, Richard Oswald, 20,000 acres of land in this part of East Florida. Oswald established 4 plantations along the Halifax River where he grew Indigo, potatoes, red peas, cotton, and rice with indigo being the main cash crop. They also shipped out timber, hides, molasses, rum, sugar, and oranges. Slaves were used for much of the labor and Oswald never resided here, preferring the cultured life of Charleston, SC. Oswald's knowledge of the colonies were important in reconciling British and American differences at the end of the Revolutionary War. Oswald was sent by King George III to meet with our founding fathers to draft a peace treaty.

This is our campsite for the next 3 days.