At Daytona Beach, you will enter a laid back world where you can don blue jeans, wear flip-flops and eat at the fanciest restaurant in town without a jacket.

Daytona Beach is a Florida getaway that does not put on airs and graces.  It is a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself at your own speed.  It is also a place where you can enjoy the finest beaches, world-class sports attractions, excellent museums, and first-class restaurants.

The beach itself is world famous.  As soon as you put on your swimsuit and step on the white sand, you will be in a different world.  Everything seems so calm.

The beach is super wide, so wide and flat that cars and trucks ride on it.  Many years ago cars actually raced on it.  The ocean is unbelievably calm and very shallow when you go in and so you do not have to fight the waves.

There are 23 miles of beautiful beaches in the Daytona Beach area. As you look down the beach in either direction, it appears that all of the waves are breaking in unison.  This symmetry is intriguing. The waves breaking slowly over and over create a calming, relaxing effect.  However, for those who to like to surf there are beaches where the waves are high and strong.

There is also a boardwalk on the beach with some exciting rides.  You could spend everyday of your vacation on the beach and many visitors do.  However, there is so much more to do and see in Daytona Beach.

The Daytona International Speedway is a must see on your visit to Daytona Beach. The Daytona 500 race is the most watched motor sports event in the world when attendance at the track and television viewing are combined.  Estimated attendance for the Daytona 500 is 200,000 and more than 29 million watch it on television.

There are tours of the Speedway, but that is only a small part of it.  Located at the Speedway is DAYTONA USA.  This is an interactive motor sports themed attraction.  This is an interesting and exciting entertainment experience for hard core race fans and also for casual observers.  It offers lots of fun for the whole family.  In addition to the thrilling interactive features, there are historical exhibits such as the Goodyear Heritage of Daytona history walk.

A good place to start your visit to DAYTONA USA is by taking a 30 minute guided tour of the Speedway.  The tour takes guests on an open-air tram through the Speedway’s garage area.  The tour is narrated and you see Pit Road, Victory Lane and the world-famous 31 degree high banks where cars race at over 200 miles per hour.

There are two new motion simulator rides at DAYTONA USA.  These are “Daytona Dream Laps” and “Acceleration Alley”.  “Daytona Dream Laps” is a ride that seats 32 guests for a full range motion experience racing at the high banks of the Speedway.  On the “Acceleration Alley” ride you hop inside a racecar, buckle up and take a simulated ride at high speeds that combines motion, video, and sound.  Other activities include going over the wall at Ford’s 16 second pit stop challenge to test your skills in a live pit stop.

One of the most popular attractions is the Daytona 500 movie, a large-screen format film presented on a screen 55 feet wide and almost three stories tall in the Pepsi Theatre. You see the movie in the realism of 3D, and with the accompanying sounds you feel as though you are behind the wheel of one of the racing cars.

Tickets for DAYTONA USA including the Speedway tour are around $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $14 for children 6-12.

If you want the real thing, for an additional charge of about $130 you can first don a racing outfit including helmet.  Then climb through the window of a racing car on the Speedway track, strap yourself in, and ride next to a race driver at high speeds around the track.

Whether or not you are a baseball fan, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark is an interesting place to visit in Daytona Beach.  This is where baseball legend Jackie Robinson played in the first integrated baseball game.  The ballpark was built in 1908, seats 3800 fans, and is the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

It is also a museum with plaques and photos documenting the life of Jackie Robinson. It explains Robinson’s childhood, how he excelled in many sports in college, and the humiliating experiences he faced as the man who broke the colour barrier in major league baseball.  It also lists many of his accomplishments such as playing in six world series and being voted MVP in 1949 in the National League.  But the one that tells it all, was that after Robinson’s retirement from baseball, his “number 42” was also retired by every major league baseball team.  It’s a real pleasure to visit this historical ballpark and watch the Daytona Beach Cubs play.  Tickets are only $5.

Another fun way to see Daytona Beach is by an amphibious adventure on a trolleyboat.  It leaves daily from the Ocean Walk Shoppes and takes you on a drive through historic Daytona Beach.  It then enters the Halifax River where you are given a narrated tour of the history and wildlife of the area with great views of the riverfront mansions.  The trolleyboat then leaves the river and drives you back to the Ocean Walk Shoppes.

At the Ocean Walk Shoppes there is lots to do.  There is a new Bandshell featuring concerts with an ocean view and a beachside theatre showing ten movies.  There is also a delightful Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant for some casual fun, good food, based on the Forrest Gump movie with plenty of Forrest’s favorite fixins.

A visit to the Museum of Arts and Sciences is a wonderful way to spend some relaxing and interesting hours in Daytona Beach.  All six permanent collections are excellent.

The Centre for Florida History collection tells the story of Florida’s historical and cultural development from prehistory to the present complete with interactive features.  It centres around a 13 foot tall skeleton of a Giant Ground Sloth which was excavated in 1975 in a fossil site called the Daytona Bone Bed.  This huge vegetarian could have weighed three to five tons and eaten a daily ration of 300 pounds of plants abundant in the area.

The Cuban Museum collection is the largest Cuban Museum in the world outside of Cuba.  It contains rare 18th, 19th, and early 20th century maps, documents, lithographs, paintings, furniture, sculpture, and ceramics arranged chronologically.  Rare photographs help establish a sense of time and place.

The Root family’s collection is not only interesting, but it also brings back a lot of memories.  This is an astounding display of more than 800 Teddy Bears, ranging from seven feet tall to only a few inches in height.  Each Teddy Bear represents a different time period or theme, and portrays everyday scenes such as a “Teddy Bear Wedding”, complete with bridesmaids, grooms, and a minister.

The Root family has also amassed one of the most historically important anthologies of the American soft drink, Coca-Cola, on which their family fortune was founded. The collection includes just about every conceivable item relating to bottling, advertising, and consumption of Coca-Cola.

The Root’s collection also includes an impressive array of decorative arts, china, silverware, and glasses collected from 85 of the nation’s railroads, hotels, and restaurants.  Two actual railroad cars are also displayed in this permanent collection.

There are still lots of other fun things to do in Daytona Beach. You can spend an hour or two at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, and climb to the top if you wish.  It is the tallest lighthouse in Florida.

Not far from the lighthouse is the Inlet Harbor Marina and Restaurant.  The seafood is fabulous. There is a lot of freshly caught fish on the menu.  It is a nice place for lunch or dinner (they have sunset specials if seated by 6 p.m.) with a lovely waterfront view.  You can dine inside or on the riverfront outdoor deck.  It is casual dining.  A live band playing on the outdoor deck added to the festive Caribbean like setting.

Greyhound racing is also another exciting attraction in the area. They race at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. Children are welcome with a parent or guardian.

However there is a lot more to see, and Leu cleverly designed the gardens into separate zones to maximise their impact on the visitor.

On arrival a path leads to the Tropical Stream Garden, which was completed in the year 2000. Follow the meandering stream down to the shore of Lake Rowenta and marvel at lush vegetation and babbling natural spring. Here Harry P Leu has created a garden with the look and feel of the tropics with plantings of banana, ginger, tree ferns, and palms to name but a few.

The Wetland Garden and Wycoff Overlook on Lake Rowenta was replanted with native aquatic plants around ten years ago. Today it is teeming with all sorts of wildlife including wading birds, dragonflies, turtles, and even the occasional alligator.

From the boardwalk the visitor will come across not only native Florida aquatic plants but also water lilies and lakeshore mangrove.

For the amateur gardener there are two zones dedicated to plants native to Florida.

The Home Demonstration Garden showcases different plant groups including annual and perennial flowers, vines, ground covers, fragrant flowers, ornamental grasses and textured plants. For those short of space the Urban Patio Garden features tub plants and vines that can thrive in courtyard settings.

Then there is the Bird Garden with plants that attract a range of migratory and native birds including the Florida Scrub Jay and Hummingbird.

The Butterfly Garden is planted with flowers and plants that supply nectar and attract many different types of butterfly.

Additionally there is the Enabling Garden, which features a variety of plants on raised beds ideal for wheelchair users and the Evening Garden is full of highly scented flowers and herbs in pale hues which stimulate the senses.

There also separate sections for vegetables, wildflowers, grasses and herbs.

In summary Harry P Leu has created a horticultural masterpiece so diverse that it is guaranteed to attract all types of garden lover from all over the world.

A visit is highly recommended.

The Florida Aquarium is probably one of the finest aquariums in Florida.  It has been ranked by Parents Magazine as one of the top five child friendly aquariums.

This very large aquarium consists of more than 200,000 square feet of exhibits and about 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from around the world, in particular Florida.

Recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, The Florida Aquarium sits in Tampa’s Channelside District.  It opened in 1995 and last year welcomes around 675,000 visitors a year.

Galleries and Exhibits

The aquarium itself is divided into four “galleries” with many exhibits within each of those galleries.  Each gallery has a different theme for your enjoyment.

Wetlands – this section of the aquarium is very much Florida orientated.  Here visitors can explore fish, animals, and birds of the state’s marshes, streams, rivers, swamps, and mangrove forests.  Children will love the adorable river otters and be awed by the alligators.

Bays and Beaches – visitors to this gallery get the opportunity to observe the sea life typical of nearby Tampa Bay.  Exhibits show what is at the bottom of the bay as well as fish that typically attract recreational fishermen to the area, like snook.  The beach display presents a cross section of the sea life found at a typical Florida beach.

The Coral Reef – this colourful gallery brings guests close to the waters of the Florida Keys with a look at the sea life that inhabits the coral formations of the Dry Tortugas, near the Keys.  Guests can walk under a virtual tunnel to find out what’s inside a coral cave or peer through the Panoramic Window and watch one of several daily dive shows held at the site.  Visitors will also want to check out the Coral Farm, where biologists experiment with techniques used in coral reproduction.

Ocean Commotion – the Florida Aquarium’s newest gallery, Ocean Commotion invites visitors to explore the depths of the world’s oceans.  Very much an interactive, hands-on gallery, children can pick up phones and learn about their favourite creature and even play with a virtual dolphin.

Several additional and noteworthy exhibits also keep guests entertained and educated as they make their way through this excellent facility. They include:

Aquariumania – this fun exhibit tells guests how to go about setting up their own home aquarium at home and educates them about Florida’s fish farms, which grow more than 95 percent of all aquarium fish grown in the U.S.

Dragons Down Under – part of the Coral Reef Gallery, this exhibit provides the opportunity to view real Southern Australian sea dragons and fascinating dwarf seahorses, which are native to Florida. Absolutely awesome!

No Bone Zone – geared towards younger children, this section of the aquarium focuses on invertebrates.  The piece de resistance for little hands is the touch tank but there’s also an addition 400 gallon tank featuring more boneless sea creatures.  Children also love crawling in and out of human sized hermit crab shells.

Year of the Frog – not one but four exhibits outline the plight of the frog in hopes of encouraging amphibian conservation.  Visitors will view frogs native to Florida as well as their sisters and brothers from around the world.

Activities

No one is ever bored at The Florida Aquarium.  Aside from galleries and exhibits, there are plenty of scheduled activities and additional attractions to keep visitors of all ages busy.

Explore a Shore – at two acres in size, this outdoor water zone provides plenty of room for the kids to run around and cool off.  It features slides, geysers, water guns, and more, the Explore a Shore is a welcome break for little ones with short attention spans.

Penguin Promenade – a few times each day, guests can get up close and personal with resident penguins as they promenade across a red carpet lined with eager visitors.  Guests are asked to sit calmly around the carpet as the penguins travel through, often stopping to greet their visitors.

Behind the Scenes Tour – these fascinating one hour tours take guests to parts of the aquarium that cannot otherwise be explored, like the quarantine areas and the kitchen that prepares the meals for all the Florida Aquarium residents.

Dive with the Sharks – certified SCUBA divers age 15 and up are invited to experience close encounters with the aquarium’s sharks in hopes of dispelling the myth that sharks are man eaters.  Dive masters accompany each diver.  An additional fee is charged and reservations are suggested.

Wild Dolphin Ecotours – climb aboard the Bay Spirit, a 49-foot catamaran, for a 90-minute journey to view Tampa Bay’s bottlenose dolphins.  Ecotours run daily, with extra tours available during the weekends.

Prices are very reasonable and reservations are recommended.

Kelly Park is near Apopka adjacent to Wikiwa Springs State Park which is also very popular. Turn off the I4 at exit 60 for the 429 to Apopka take exit 33 for US-441 turn left at s. Park Ave and continue on Rock springs Road. Turn right at E. kelly Park Road and follow the signs.

Just before turning right into the approach road to the park, there is a grocery store on the left and a bar on the right. The bar also hires large balck rings for floaitng on the water for a few dollars. Entry to the park is also very cheap.

It was early January when we visited but the weather was very warm. We found ourselves almost alone in the park but I’m told that it is very popular in the summer. There is plenty of car parking amongst the trees and we made for the children’s play area at first where the boys had a wonderful time. There are plenty of picnic tables amongst the trees and there is also a kiosk where they sell snacks and drinks but not in the “off” season when we were there. The shop was in the centre of the park near the water where there are also changing rooms, showers and toilets, all beatifully clean.

We entered the water where there is a sort of pool near the changing rooms. This proved to be a mistake as parts of that area are deeper and my young grandson’ns arms weren’t long enough to reach over the side of the large ring to paddle. The best thing is to enter the water further upstream when the very slow current will take you along through the area where the pool is and further downstream. The stream itself is very shallow. After the initial mishap, I walked with my graqndson in his ring and the water was mainly around waistlevel and never got above my armpits and I am only 5 foot tall. It is a bit disconcerting at first to find oneself wading through the weeds but once I realized what they were I was fine.

We ended the day in the children’s part of the pool where there is a paddling area and also a sandpit. The water was beatifully clear and the children were able to see all the little fish swimming around. It was a lovely day that cost very little but just as much of an adventure for my grandsons and going on the rides in the theme parks.

During a conversation with locals we were asked if we had ever visited one of the areas national parks. We hadn’t so we looked for information on the internet and decided to visit Blue spring national park.

The park is located about 35 miles from Orlando and the main attraction (for us) was the fresh water spring.  

The water rises from the spring at a temperature of around 20c and during the cooler months can become a temporary winter home for manatee.

The spring deposits its water into the St Johns so during the summer the manatee can still be found within the park area. The animals always nearby ready to swim back to the spring area when the cooler months return.

Within the park area is an under cover BBQ area, a supplies shop, cafe and a diving equipment hire shop (face mask flippers etc) which can be used to snorkel / swim in the area of the spring.

The spring itself is open for public use but if the temperature cools swimmers must be prepared to vacate the water for the retuning manatee.

Boat trips are available either by John boat (which last about 2 hours), The crew double up as park guides and provide information on points of interest and they are very informative, or for the more energetic and adventurous canoes or Kayaks are available to explore the St Johns river.

The park is home to numerous types of wild life and visitors can expect to come across anything from snakes to alligators.

The area is a complete contrast to the vision most visitors have to an entertainment park in Florida.

If you are looking for a day of peace and quiet and want to get back to nature a visit to Blue springs or one of the many other national parks might just do the trick.

Brian Pearson

We choose a villa a Bradenton, which would be a good base to explore the area. Bradenton was an ideal location to visit not only the numerous beaches around but also Busch Gardens.

A favourite for the whole family was Anna Maria Island.

Driving along the coast road from Bradenton Beach to Holmes Beach and then onto the northern tip was Anna Maria Island.

On arrival at Anna Maria Island we found free car parking just along from the South Pier, across the road was a small shopping mall with restaurants, clothes shops and an Ice Cream Parlour.

We wandered along the pier and found at the end a restaurant, outside seating and people fishing. Our Boys who were 13 and 10 wanted to join in. This was not a problem as the Pier had a bait shop which not only sold bait but hired out fishing rods by the hour. So for a few dollars we had and lovely afternoon with the boys fishing. The adults were happy sitting in the glorious sunshine enjoying a cold drink which were also readily available from the bait shop.

After a couple of hours we decided to visit the Ice Cream Parlour “Two Scoops” to cool down and then make our way back home. The boys loved this unexpected experience that they asked to return the next day.

We decided that we would go to Wal-Mart to purchase rods, which they could keep. New rods in hand we returned to the pier the very next day.

Whilst there we even caught sight of many Dolphins, Sting Rays, Pelicans and various Fish on the end of the rods.

The locals at the bait shop, restaurant and pier were most welcoming, friendly and chatty. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and plan to return next year. We would recommend a visit along to Anna Maria island whether you want to fish are just laze on the beautiful white sandy beach.

• The Trail is only open during daylight hours, and alcoholic drinks are prohibited.
• Pedestrians and handicapped have the right of way, wheelchairs should use the pedestrian lanes and electric handicap wheelchairs are always permitted
• Bicyclists are required to obey all traffic controls and signals
• Cyclists are not permitted to wear headphones at any time and under age 16, they must wear a helmet
• Electric bicycles and motorised vehicles (except wheelchairs, maintenance, law enforcement and emergency vehicles) are not allowed on the Pinellas Trail, nor are horses
• Bicyclists and skaters should obey the posted speed limits. No racing or race training
• Skaters should use the bicycle lanes, and both skaters and cyclists should give an audible warning when passing
• Pets must be kept on a max. 6 foot leash and under control

Wet and wild is a good park if you really like water slides because it has loads of them, but is no relaxing space.

But there is some good slides like “Bran Wash” which is a big drop, it drops you in a tube 2-4 people per tube. There is a little park for the kids with the bubble which is a big bubble with water coming down which you slide down on.

Magic kingdom

Magic kingdom is very good for all ages. The main street is where all the main shows take place like “Spectro magic & Wishes” gathering by the castle with fire works and lights and Tinkerbelle. There are other “lands” with rides and shows in like “Tomorrow land” which is all equipped with things for the future, there is a “in the dark rollercoaster” called Space Mountain. There are more “lands” like “Adventure Land” with the great ride “Pirates of the Caribbean”. There are also “lands” like “Frontier Land with the very good “Thunder Railway”. There is also a “land” for younger kids which is “Mickey Toon Town Fair” which is a good for little kid with little kiddie roller coasters and fair rides.

Animal kingdom

Animal kingdom is very good it has the ride called the “Everest”, which is a very scary rollercoaster. It is based around Asia and Africa. So you can picture what it looks like very green, with a wide selection of animals including Monkeys, Gorillas, Giraffe and Birds. There is a wide selection of rides from rollercoaster’s to water rides. There is also a wide selection of shows for all the family to watch.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is all about glitz and glamour with movie theatres and dress shops which are all props. But it is a very good park it has to big rides with the Rock and Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. There is a animation bit of the park with a show from Kermit the frog and Miss piggy. You can go behind the scenes in real movie studios to see what producers do. There are skylines like in Manhattan so you can get the “REAL” feeling of different parts of America.

Winter Park

The Morse Museum (or ‘The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art’ to give it its full name) is situated in Winter Park, a little way to the north of the attractions area - around a 30 or 40 minute drive along the Interstate I-4.  Winter Park in itself is a pleasant destination, featuring other museums (including The Cornell Fine Arts Museum and The Albin Polasek Museum), pleasant gardens (Central Park and Kraft Azalea Gardens), and a fairly exclusive shopping area along Park Avenue.

Louis Comfort Tiffany

One of the main features at The Morse Museum is the Tiffany Exhibition, billed as one of the world’s foremost collections of his work.  Before visiting the museum, I must confess that my knowledge of Tiffany’s work was primarily from looking at the lampshades in a TGIs restaurant.  I am now enlightened - or at least have a greater understanding of the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  He lived from 1848 to 1933, and this museum houses a wide range of his work.  This work includes jewellery, pottery, paintings (whilst not his primary skill, Tiffany was a very accomplished painter) - as well as the leaded glass windows and lamps he is better known for.

1893 Chicago World Expo

Possibly the finest element of the museum’s exhibits is a restoration of the chapel interior he designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  Many reviews claim this part of the museum is worth the admission price alone - this is undoubtedly true, as admission is a bargain at just a couple of dollars.  Although even this cut price admission is waived during some evenings, when visitors are admitted after 4pm without charge.

Funding

Whilst admission is low cost, the museum does not receive public funds, and therefore opportunities will be presented for small donations to be made.  And, of course, merchandise is on offer, much of it in the Tiffany style.

Summary

We recommend a visit to Winter Park and The Morse Museum, particularly as a pleasant way to spend an evening - perhaps taking advantage of the free admission (although if you enjoy the exhibition, do please help fund the exhibition with a small donation).  The museum is open most days, but do check before travelling.