I’m old enough to remember when there were “Kodak Photo Spots” around theme parks to stop and take pictures with unique backgrounds related to the location. When you had to take multiple pictures because you never knew how they would turn out until you had the film processed later. While the technology has. changed over the years, the idea of photo ops at special places with fun backgrounds has not!

My very first post on my public Instagram account, CassGoAroundDaytona, was with an angry Care Bear mural my family stumbled upon while touring Downtown Daytona in the months after we moved here. As I’ve previously mentioned, the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has a Mural Trail posted on their website to help you find amazing paintings at DaytonaBeach.com.

The Care Bear mural is a bit hidden, but when you’re driving east on Orange Avenue in Downtown Daytona Beach and see the animal cracker box mural with mythical creatures pictured inside, you know you’re close to the small alleyway that will lead you to him!

A new mural that is set to be finished in early September and has, therefore, not been added to the trail is being painted on the side of Midtown Café at 536 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd. It depicts a child blowing bubbles filled with historic individuals from the area, like Dr. Bethune herself. It is such a sweet mix of respect for the past and hope for the future. I was at the Midtown Redevelopment Board meeting when the owners of the café and artist expressed the dream that this mural will be the first of many to bring new life and beauty to this area of town.

For more interactive murals, there are wings you can take pictures with both in DeLand and Ormond Beach. Artist, Erica Group, has created a series known as the, “Wings of the West” that includes both bird and airplane wings. You can see the map of each mural location at her website, Erica.Group/DeLand-Wings.

Over in Ormond, Wild and Raw Smoothies and More (1930 W. Granada Blvd.) has a mirrored wall with wings for a very unique selfie spot! My family has loved the flamingo wings at Gathered (775 S. Yonge St.) since my youngest was still in a baby carrier!

If you prefer to take your picture with 3-D objects rather than murals, the two most iconic in Daytona Beach have to be the World’s Most Famous Beach archway at the end of International Speedway Blvd. and at the Speedway itself.

The archway had been removed due to damage from the hurricanes last fall, but is back up and ready to greet you as you drive onto the sand of the beach. It can be tricky to take this picture as you must literally stand in the middle of the road! That’s why I appreciate that the Daytona International Speedway has a selfie spot at one of its entrances to encourage drivers to pull over to take a safe picture of it there.

While Daytona Beach no longer has a selfie studio, there are still plenty of places around the city to have your Kodak Moment. You won’t need to wait for your film to be printed to enjoy your pics, so get out there and say, “Cheese!”