Cocoa Beach – the local billboards say it all – this is Orlando’s Closest Beach. It is just 45 minutes drive away from Orlando International Airport.  Take the aptly named Beach line Expressway (528) straight east, keep driving and arrive.  Buy a souvenir at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, and then head to the beach – fantastic and not crowded at all.

Kennedy Space Center - is just north of Cocoa Beach.  It has an amazing museum of space exploration (known as the KSC Visitors Complex) and is well worth a full day visit. If you plan to catch a shuttle launch, be prepared to sit in traffic for several hours driving back to Orlando, but the spectacle of an actual launch will be well worth it.  Our whole family loved the day.

Daytona Beach - if all you are looking for is sun, sand and surf, then a quick trip Cocoa Beach will get you there a bit quicker and give you all you want.  However, Daytona Beach is less than two hours away, and it has a special appeal to Spring Breakers, bikers, and NASCAR fans. If you stay until sunset, the brightly colored Ocean Walk Shoppes and Movies offers a fantastic ocean view.  The beach is really hard and many cars and pick ups drive along it (slowly of course)

Tampa area – is less than two hours drive away from Florida on the West coast.  Check out Florida’s Gulf Coast in the historically rich city of Tampa. Nearby at St. Petersburg there are upscale shopping areas and museums while Clearwater Beach offers warm waters and powdery white sand.

Silver Springs – is another “Old Florida” icon.  It is famous for its glass bottomed boat rides, animal exhibits, and jeep safaris through the Florida forest. Silver Springs was opened in 1878, and is Florida’s oldest commercial tourist attraction.  It is where Johnny Weismuller filmed some of the earliest Tarzan movies.  A little drive away from Orlando but well worth visiting for the crystal clear springs.

Ocala National Forest – is not far from Silver Springs. It is the world’s largest sand pine forest and covers around 366,000 acres. Hiking, fishing, and canoeing are popular activities in this natural attraction.

Mount Dora - with its Victorian architecture, boutique shopping, and lovely lakefront, Mount Dora is one of the most genuine small towns in Central Florida. You can even see some of the few remaining citrus groves on the outskirts of this well preserved village.  My wife just loved Mount Dora with its fantastic quaint shops.  You can also go on a boat ride on the lake.  Well worth a visit.

Sebring – is a sleepy town less than two hours due south of Orlando, Sebring has a charming downtown district, and is home to the Sebring International Raceway, which is the oldest permanent road racing track in North America. Nearby Highlands Hammock State Park offers campsites and hiking trails.

Blue Spring State Park - with the water temperature at a constant 68º F, Blue Spring State Park in nearby Volusia County (where Daytona Beach is located) is a winter refuge for manatees between November and March. In the warmer months, human visitors enjoy snorkeling and canoeing.

This is great because you can pitch your gazebo to protect you from the sun and you can also set up a bar-b-que for lunch.

There are numerous food and beverage outlets along the shore and restroom facilitys. Every 15 minutes or so an ice cream van goes up and down the shore stopping when you flag it down.

You don’t even have to take chairs and umbrellas’ because they can be hired when you’re there. Bikes can be hired to go along the beach and small quad bikes. The one thing i like to do is watch all the custom and classic cars go by, some are amazing but sometimes there music blasters are a bit too load but then again this creates a good friendly atmosphere. There is probably one big down side to some people and that is there’s no alcohol allowed on the beach and they do have patrols going up and down checking.

If you’re worried about safety don’t because when you enter the beach they give you a leaflet which explains about the different currents along the coast line and what you can do and what you’re not allowed to do. When you drive onto the beach they mark out lanes on the sand with cones which makes sure you don’t go too near the sea. There are life guards about every 200 yards so you can be sure your children are watched, the guards are trained to spot when the dangerous currents are approaching and they sound there whistles and shout for people to get out of the water until the danger as passed.

Overall Daytona Beach is a great day out for all the family, its clean, safe, the waters lovely and warm especially during the summer period and you will get a fantastic tan but be sure to put plenty of suntan lotion on.

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.

As you get near to Daytona but before you reach the “Racetrack” there is the biggest Farmers and Flea market for miles on the right. It is all under cover and all aisles have ceiling fans to keep you cool while you shop.

There are numerous aisles with something for everybody. Lots of motor bike gear of course, lovely leather coats, shoes, etc but prices much lower than the tourist areas. We brought lots of t-shirts, towels and items for our villa. We had a hummer car and that was full by the time we came out. There are also lots of places to eat in there and much cheaper than in Daytona.

It was just a short drive to the beach and for $5, you can park your car on the beach all day. The ice cream van goes up and down so there is no need to leave the beach to buy ices for the kids. There are even mini 3- wheel cycles for the kids to hire to use on the beach.

After unpacking all the gear, the kids were off with their boards to the sea. It was a bit rough that day but very warm. After a while, they all seemed to be having so much fun jumping the waves that I  thought I would join them. We were all having so much fun that none of us noticed a huge wave coming at us until it landed on top of us all and we were thrown over.

We came up laughing and then I realised that my cap was not on my head and neither were my prescription sun glasses. !!Now Daytona is a very long beach and we went up and down there looking in the hope that they would have been washed up. No such luck. My advice to anyone going with prescription glass on holiday to Florida is to pack a spare pair or you will be like I was for the last few days………Very short sighted.

Freeze bottles of water to take to the parks they will keep cold all day.

If you intend to go on water rides a change off clothes is advisable, if it is a little cloudy you soon feel cold (you don’t need to carry these around with you - use a locker at the entrance to the park)

Clearwater beach is one of the best beaches to visit the sand being like fine flour. Also it is well worth staying until the sun goes down with the street entertainers and a fantastic sunset at the end of the pier. Also take a trip on the pirate ship or enjoy a cruise with a buffet meal on one of the other boats all at a very reasonable price. If you are looking for that extra special evening dress Clearwater has 2 very reasonable boutiques with a good selection.

If you want surfing then cocoa beach on the east coast of Florida is the place to be and of course not far from the Kennedy Space Centre. Here you can buy all your surfing and skating needs from the many shops around and maybe stay over at a motel that is designed in the shape of a castle and painted pink!

Daytona beach has 23 miles of sugary white sand here you can go parasailing, fishing or surfing. On site vendors sell everything from hamburgers, ice cream beach umbrellas and boogie board rentals. Daytona has a lot going on with all kinds of shops and restaurants and is well worth a visit.