Things to Do in Palm Coast

Asbury Arts Center owner Jeanne Glogowski taps experience on both sides of the curtain—boasting bachelor's and master's degrees in dance—to oversee an eclectic array of dance classes for children and adults of all experience levels. Instructors gather budding dancers, fitness-minded patrons, and experienced shimmiers in practice rooms lined with mirrors to ensure both students and teachers can keep an eye out for proper form during dance, yoga, and martial-arts classes. Hammier classes include lessons in performing arts and music, giving patrons the opportunity to test their performing chops under the same level of personalized attention they enjoy in the studio’s fitness classes and during IRS audits.

Each summer, beer-toting mini-golf enthusiasts congregate for Putt N' Crawl, a golf-themed beachside bar crawl. Clad in golfing garments, teams compete on home-built mini-golf putting greens, and dodge windmills and fiberglass stegosauruses on their way to a dozen different bars. In addition to quality time with golfing buddies, the event promises prizes for exceptional teams and plenty of specials on frosty pints.

A 39-foot ninjasaur snarls in the corner of Big Air, bearing white fangs and a coiled, sloping tail that broadens to a two-lane slide. This inflatable monster shares a habitat with castles, volcanoes, and princess towers, as well as bouncy football fields and sports arenas. Together, these inflatables occupy a 12,000-square-foot arena that adjoins to a 1,700-square-foot "parent's space." As sock-footed kids frolic amidst the bounce houses and slides, parents enjoy grownup distractions such as free WiFi, pool tables, and novelty-sized checkbooks. Big Air welcomes guests for open play, field trips, and parties.

As the head trainer of Cactus Jack's Trail Rides, Debbie Zito cares for a fleet of healthy, happy, and well-trained horses, which she also pairs with beginners and experienced riders for leisurely tours. Debbie and her other guides call upon their seasoned riding experiences as they lead visitors throughout the shade-speckled trails of the Florida Horse Park and the 110-mile Cross Florida Greenway trail system. While groups trot along, the guides point out historic sites and natural inhabitants, such as great horned owls, red-tailed hawks, coyotes, cardinals, and armadillos. Debbie and her team also offer lessons to increase riders' confidence and help them communicate with horses effectively rather than sending them commands through email.

A piece of Spain separated from Europe and landed in Florida. Nestled in Saint Augustine’s historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the majestic Villa Zorayda contains architectural features that mirror those found in the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. Audio tours lead visitors through this restored Spanish villa’s halls and airy inner courtyard, pointing out hundreds of antiquities such as Arabic arches, glazed ceramics, bronze statues, and ancient charcoal burners. When not welcoming tours, the historic building and grounds also host weddings and private parties.

The seasoned jumpers on staff at Skydive Amelia Island have all successfully completed thousands of jumps. The dedicated professionals securely strap themselves to beginning skydivers and plunge from a plane to enter a freefall of up to 120 miles per hour. These experienced skydivers hope their enthusiasm for diving is catching, as one of them says: “The falling is so exhilarating, I just wanted to keep on doing it”.