Cold Weather in Daytona Beach

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Olivia

Hey y’all!
Cold weather in Daytona Beach is always a little surprising. One day it feels like summer, and the next everyone is reaching for hoodies and long pants. While I’m definitely more of a warm weather person, I have to admit that the colder days here have their own kind of charm.

What “Cold” Really Means Here
In Daytona, cold doesn’t usually last long, which honestly makes it more tolerable. Anything under 65 degrees feels like a big deal, but it’s usually gone before you know it. The sun is still out, the sky is still blue, but if you’re anything like me you will still be bundled up. In my opinion anything below 65 degrees calls for thick hoodies and a good pair of comfy sweatpants.

The Fun Side of Cold Days
Even though I prefer the heat, cold days give a good excuse to slow down. Cozy outfits finally make sense, hot coffee feels extra comforting, and evenings are perfect for movie nights or baking something warm. I recently made a batch of strawberry white chocolate cookies, and they were absolutely amazing. I’ll include the recipe at the bottom.

Campus During Cold Weather
Campus feels different when it’s cold. People move a little slower, everything feels a bit more relaxed, and staying awake in class feels a little bit harder. I highly recommend the yellow Red Bull. It is a lifesaver for those early morning classes. If you are not an energy drink person a hot tea or coffee still does the trick!

Making the Most of It
Since cold weather doesn’t stick around long in Daytona, I try to enjoy it while it’s here. It’s a nice break from the usual heat and a reminder to appreciate the little seasonal changes when they happen. Even if I am appreciating it from the comfort of my dorm, it is still nice to pause and think about things. It is just a cozy, and peaceful time of year.

Final Thoughts
Cold weather in Daytona Beach may not be my favorite, but it’s still enjoyable in its own way. Between cozy moments and cooler evenings, it adds a small change of pace before the warmth returns.
Until next time,
Olivia Strickland ✈️

Cookie Recipe:

1 box of strawberry cake mix

2 large eggs

1/3 cup of oil

1 cup of chocolate chips(white or milk chocolate)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl mix all ingredients except for the chocolate chips together. Once the ingredients are evenly combined fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop two tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment paper and bake for 8-11 minutes depending on how you prefer your cookies. I baked mine for 8 and they came out soft and gooey. Then let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

A Quick Thanksgiving Break

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Dominic

Our semester here in Daytona is racing towards the end, and I have been super busy trying to get all my assignments and final projects completed before finals week. However, the nice thing about fall semester is that we have Thanksgiving break! This gives all of us eagles time to reset, see our families, and catch up on any school work that we might have fallen behind on.

My mom, brother, and cat on Thanksgiving!

Every year for Thanksgiving, I go home to visit my family in New Jersey. To get to the airport, I use the SGA Shuttle to MCO (stay tuned for a blog post soon about my experience riding that). Normally for Thanksgiving, my flights are always delayed, so I was very thankful this year that both my flight leaving Florida and leaving New Jersey were on time despite the weather.

The view of Daytona Beach from the plane. Can you spot ISB and Riddle?

One of the things I love about going home for break is I get to see my friends that I have not seen in months. Over the break, my friends and I tried a new brunch spot in our hometown called Brown Sugar Cafe, where I got these delicious cloud-like pancakes. I also got the chance to see the new Wicked: For Good movie, and I can say as a fan of the broadway musical, that this movie is amazing. Finally, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving break without seeing family. I got to see my entire extended family as we gathered around the dinner table on Thursday and got to catch up, spend time together, and eat some delicious food.

The part of break that I was not ready for was how cold it would be in New Jersey. It was a pretty warm November in Daytona Beach this year, which made the northern cold seem that much colder. It was all worth it for the trip home though, and I left New Jersey feeling refreshed and ready to take on finals week. Stay tuned for my annual end of the semester post, and more highlights from this year!

More Semi-Local Activities

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Isabella

I’ll start with the most local activity that my boyfriend and I did recently: glass bowl making. There is a place about 5-10 minutes away from campus in Port Orange called Art Rageous. We took a class that guided us through cutting our own glass pieces and arranging them into a pattern for a glass bowl (mine, of course, is the one with the planet in the middle). They will now take about 2 weeks for processing where the studio puts them in a kiln and melts it into a bowl basically. This was a great local, fun activity to do for date night; it is a small business that is good to support as well.
Then, my boyfriend did a 5k that was for St. Patty’s Day and hosted by a church in Orlando. Although we didn’t stay for all of the festivities, there was a whole St. Patty’s Day festival that day with dancers and food and other activities.
The day after, we went to Magic Kingdom which was so fun!! Again, if you don’t already know, the ICI sells Disney tickets. I got mine for about $100 which is very worth it compared to normal pricing. They also offer discounted tickets for other places like Universal, Busch Gardens, KSCVC, etc.

Some (More) Important Tips

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Isabella

I have learned some things over the past year that I thought I would share with you all!

Work/life balance is so important. Even if you are working on things you love with people you get along with, work takes its toll on you, and the burnout sneaks up literally over night. Rests, fun activities, and self care are good for you and will help you to be more productive and happier in the long run!
Spotify Premium for students stops after 4 years. After many emails with customer service and their business partners, there are no exceptions to this role even though you may take longer to complete your degree or have an extra year (or more) to get more degrees. 🙁
Consistently having nutritious well-balanced meals will improve your mental health drastically and really makes all the difference during exam season. Freezing a bunch of meals that you made yourself before exam weeks is very helpful.
If you overdo it on the caffeine, you can struggle with heart problems and/or make your tolerance wonky so that it’s not as useful anymore (and costs more money for more bean juice).
College is the time that you make a lot of lifelong friendships and/or industry connections; have fun and make the time for it!
If you have meal plans to cash out but are craving something different, cash out on a bunch of ingredients to cook with at home! I used to get boxes of chicken tenders and then make chicken parmesan out of them. I also used to get boxes of salad bar items like spinach and mushrooms that made a great stir fry.
Set up a schedule for basic things (laundry, gym/fun movement, vacuuming, hair wash days, etc.); when life gets hectic, the schedule is essential.
Do a ton of internships, research, and other projects. This is the time to learn new random skills and figure out what you love to do the most.

Food Adventures

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Isabella

Yeah, for one post (and maybe another later), this is going to turn into a food blog haha!
I am a college student, but I really love to explore local restaurants and try different things. I’ve found that a great way to do this on a budget is to pick around 1 place/per week to share an appetizer and entree with a friend or significant other. Many of the places I go also have super affordable prices. Here are a few in the Daytona Beach area that I enjoy!

Hi-Pot: hot pot & ramen
Pho Saigon: pho/Vietnamese
Mama’s Kitchen: Vietnamese
Rice Bistro: various Asian cuisines
Asian Sauce Box: various Asian & dimsum
Leanh’s: various Asian
La Perla: really legit tacos & menudo
Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta: Italian
Larry’s Subs
Wayback Burgers
Pasha: Turkish/Mediterranean
First Watch: brunch
Texas Roadhouse
Taco Bell
BJ’s: American
Tijuana Flats: fast texmex
Masala: Indian
Pollo Tropical: Caribbean fast food
Ocean Deck: American
Red Robin
Miller’s Alehouse
Wild Ginger: Japanese-American
Ford’s Garage: burgers/American
Panera
Panda Express
Pizza Hut
Moe’s
Domino’s
Ichi Ni San: Japanese
Landshark: American
Culver’s: burgers & cheese curds
Takara: hibachi
Giuseppe’s: Pittsburgh Italian
Gabbie’s: Italian
Lan Lamoon: Thai

Restaurants & Grocery Best List!

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Merrick

Happy late February everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, FL, the weather is getting hotter and there’s only eleven weeks until graduation!

I am hoping this week I will find out my base assignment and my estimated arrival date for when I am supposed to go to my base post graduation and commissioning. In the mean time, however, I’ve been reflecting on all my favorite spots in Daytona that I’ve come to know and appreciate over the years. Since it is my last semester, it’s time to go over my Best List for must see/do/experience food related while at ERAU-Daytona Beach!

First on the list is Tia Cori’s Tacos! A must visit if you like Mexican food! Chips and salsa is probably one of my favorite meals (does that count as a meal?), and Tia Cori’s is the best quality for the lowest price.

Next on the list is Smoothie King for their $5 medium smoothies on Fridays! Friday is typically my run day, and my favorite post-run activity, especially when the weather is hot as it usually is in Florida spring, is to get a cold smoothie! I love smoothies, and they’re so refreshing and for $5 you can’t beat it!

Another budget friendly idea for a group of friends is lunch at Sushi King! Sushi King has daily lunch specials and all you can eat sushi! I recommend going with a large group so you are able to order a lot and try different rolls without the pressure to eat them all yourself. A favorite if you’re particularly hungry, a bonus is that the sushi arrangements are always very pretty too!

Up next is my favorite pho place! Phở Saigon is located right across the bridge if you’re heading towards the beach, and their soup and fresh spring rolls are so yummy! If I’m ever feeling a bit under the weather I always order take-out. Pho broth is super nutritious! Soup is also my favorite go-to for rainy days or cozy evenings.

In terms of yummy lunch/dinner options another fun spot to try is Evolve Modern Vegan Kitchen on Seabreeze. Evolve is the ultimate vegan comfort food and is one of my favorite post-PT test indulgences! If you’re looking for a healthier vegan option though – Kale Cafe is delicious, vegan, and great post beach day-vibes.

Local favorites would not be complete without breakfast/brunch and coffee at Cinnamon Tree Cafe! Cinnamon Tree serves a variety of sweet and savory crepes, giant pancakes (the cinnamon roll one is the best to share with friends), and my personal favorite – croissant breakfast sandwiches! They also have amazing iced coffee. If you’re in the mood for something savory be sure to order their homemade blueberry hot sauce on the side too, you won’t be disappointed!

A breakfast classic of Daytona Beach is Steve’s Diner. Steve’s is your typical, super budget friendly, home style diner, and has the best diner coffee in town. Breakfast is my favorite meal, and Steve’s is a consistent classic that never disappoints!

My top grocery store picks are as follows:

Perrine’s Produce – They offer the best priced, freshest, and local fruits and veggies! They also have an ‘ugly’ produce section for cheaper prices! Additionally, Perrine’s sells bulk nuts, seeds, and dried fruits and veggies. Their coffee section, and spices are the way to go too!

Love Whole Foods Cafe & Market – While Love’s is an amazing, amazing place, they are a bit on the pricier side. I highly recommend visiting for the experience though and checking out their super delicious chocolate section. They also offer a wide variety of fresh mushrooms that are gorgeous! Love’s is the fresh, Whole Foods, earthy crunchy vibe that I love, and visiting always puts me in a good mood! They have the best vibe, particularly if you’re wanting a treat yourself experience. Love’s is my recently discovered local favorite!

Publix – sale items, general packaged grocery items, and all else that you wouldn’t typically buy specialty. My grocery shopping usually includes Perrine’s for fresh produce, Love’s for specialty items, and Publix for all else. Publix also has fresh ground nut butters which are great, and $5 fresh made sushi rolls on Wednesdays!

Recent sale buy from Publix for a fun snack option during the week!

I hope this list helped give you some local breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas, along with fun grocery shopping experiences to try out! Keep on keeping on folks, will report back soon!

Perks of Being a Flight Student

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Eugene

This past month, I had the chance to go on a long cross-country flight as part of my multi-engine add-on course. It is my last required flight course that I need in order to graduate and we fly our Diamonds (DA42) for this training. Me and my instructor decided to go up to Charleston, North Carolina on a calm Sunday.

The Diamonds are faster than our Cessnas so they allow us to cruise at much faster speeds. We could cover the distance of near 300 miles in 2 hours so when we left around 4pm, we were able to enjoy some breathtaking sights during our cruise up north.

It is always quite an experience when we get to go on these long cross-country flights. Often times, I am able to enjoy the view and have a friendly, yet professional chat with my instructor, getting to know them personally on these long journeys. We were enjoying cruising over the clouds, flying over cities like Jacksonville and Savannah. Before I realized how quickly we were cruising (about 200 knots groundspeed if you need a reference), we were starting our descent into the Charleston area.

Cruising over the eastern coast of Florida

Charleston is a cool airport as it borders an active C-17 military base as well as the Boeing factory where they build the B787 Dreamliners. As we made our landing and taxied to our ramp, I could see the line of C-17’s and B787’s parked on the other side of the airport. Me and my instructor quickly secured the aircraft, grabbed a crew car and headed to one of the most popular destinations for Charleston XC flights, Lewis Barbeque. It was perfect as my instructor and I were both getting hungry near dinner time, so we decided to fill ourselves up before heading back to Daytona.

After some good BBQ chow down, we headed back to the airport for our return leg. It was now past sunset so the cruise back was gonna be in the dark. We started up the aircraft and cruised up to an altitude that was the highest I’ve ever been at. The Diamond aircraft performance allows us to cruise at higher altitudes than a Cessna so we decided to cruise at 10,000ft in order to clear the clouds and the turbulence.

Making our way down to the cloudy Daytona Beach area, my instructor and I parked the aircraft back at our ramp around 10pm and we were able to safely complete the flight. I went home and crashed right after as it was a long flight, but it will remain as one of the most memorable moments from my flight training here. I get to experience what life as a commercial pilot is going to be like whenever I go on one of these cross-country flights. I get to work with different co-pilots (my instructor in this case) whom I may not know personally, but we still do our best to maintain a safe and professional environment in and outside the cockpit. Of course, I can’t forget about the breathtaking views during the cruises and the delicious local food at our destinations.

How to Food @ ERAU

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Lonnie

You’ve learned about the academics. You know about the Daytona Beach area. Maybe you’ve visited campus so you know all about our state-of-the-art labs and fleet. You’ve followed Embry-Riddle in the news and on your social media. But do you know all the ins and outs of eating on campus? Luckily – Lonnie has the low down. Watch as our newest blogger fills you in on How to Food at ERAU.

President’s Day Weekend!

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Maddie

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend – I sure did!

For my President’s Day weekend, I went to San Francisco! I left on Thursday evening after class (I had to miss my one Friday class but my professor was very flexible) and returned Tuesday morning. During my trip I stayed at a friend’s house. That’s one awesome thing about college – you meet people from all over and build cool connections, like being able to stay at their place!

The reason I went to San Francisco is because my boyfriend, Chris, is in the Air Force and goes to school in Monterey, California. Note: for those who are curious about long distance relationships, trust me when I say they are completely possible (I’ve been doing it for two years)! We loved the city so much!

Here is what we did –

Arrival at night: Chris came to the airport to come get me. He took a shuttle from the DLI (Defense Language Institute) to SFO and then we Ubered to In-N-Out!

Day 1: On our first day we went to Pier 39 and to the famous Boudin’s bread. We then took the ferry to Alcatraz and spent Chinese New Year in China Town! People were launching fireworks in the streets to celebrate.

Day 2: We woke up, got breakfast – which consisted of us putting our name on a list at one restaurant, then going to get a smoothie, avocado toast, and coffee all while waiting. You get a blanket when you eat some places too, which was a first for me! We then took a scenic route and walked to the Mission to get tacos and also saw Lombard Street (a super curvy road).

Day 3: I went to Union Square and the Westfield Mall. Chris and I love to eat. We travel by eating our way around the city! Every morning we try a new restaurant and coffee shop! We also had Pressed Juice and it was so good! Then I tried a charcoal latte, iced foam cappuccino, and a “make your own” tea blend machine! I also had super great toast with mascarpone and fruit – you’ve got to try it! We try to eat local and try recommendations from the people we meet or use Yelp. To get around, we use Uber Pool. This is a fun way to meet interesting people and it’s very inexpensive as long as you’re not in a hurry! It took about 20 minutes to get across the city but only cost about $5!

Day 4: Chris and I found a very cool breakfast sandwich place, got butter coffee (it’s actually really good), and then biked across the Golden Gate Bridge! On the other side of the bridge, we visited the tiny town of Sausalito. We toured the cute town and had really good Mexican food! Then we had to say goodbye and it was sad, but these trips are definitely worth it!

This weekend I went to Savannah, Georgia with Women in Aviation to tour Gulfstream! It was all paid for by the club and orchestrated by the school. Alumni gave the tours and bought our lunch! These opportunities are so amazing and unique to our university!

I encourage you to take any chance in college to take a break and explore! The nature of Riddle is that everyone is either at the beach, space station, or traveling on the weekends! Before you say college is too serious for trips, the week before my trip to San Francisco I had five tests, two quizzes, a paper, and a presentation. I was able to get A’s in all, so carpe diem!

Two Cities: Two Weeks

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Billy

Wow, so a lot of stuff happened in the past two weeks, so let’s get started!

Two weeks ago, I traveled to Montreal and it was an amazing experience. But first, I had to endure a 10 hour train ride.

Everything about the city was perfect. The people were nice, the sights were breathtaking, and I was relatively comfortable traversing the city since I’ve been to New York City so many times.

I was staying with my friend, who generously allowed me to live with her for a whole week. We’ve been pen pals for the past five years, so it was amazing to finally meet her.

The city has some really interesting quirks, like the architectural headache that is Habitat 67 and getting Costo applications in the subway.

I got to try some delicious food as well…because that’s important!

Like all things in the world, my little adventure had to end at some point. I was extremely depressed to leave such an amazing city. But I will return…some day. More photos can be found on my Instagram: billynguyentm

Almost as soon as I got home, I had to get ready to travel once again. Destination: Metlife Stadium.

It took me nine years, but I finally got to see Coldplay live! It was so awesome seeing your childhood idols right there in the flesh. Aside from the concerts Touch-N-Go put on campus, this was my first legitimate concert ever!

These two things were easily the biggest highlights of my summer. I don’t honestly think anything can top them, but with school just three weeks away, I’m open for anything. Until next week!

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Tag Archives: food