A trip to Daytona Beach and the speedway circuit is always a great day out. If you a motor enthusiast and also like a bit of culture then I can recommend the following places to visit. Firstly Daytona Beach is a great place to start, here you can drive onto the beach and have your own picnic, it can get a little crowded especially in the months of March spring break and October.
We found a nice spot near the Boardwalk which is an attraction itself, this place has a Gondola sky ride as well as go karts, arcades and a bandstand were they hold regular concerts. On the beach you can hire a jet ski or a water buggies and even a bicycle is for rent. Once you have spent some time on the beach you may want to explore Daytona a little more. There is a river across from Daytona Beach called the Halifax, beyond this is the downtown area. First port of call to visit is the Halifax Historic Society Museum; this place dates back to 1910 and is a bank building. Here you will lots of Murals and local history including a model of the boardwalk that dates to 1938.
West of downtown is another Museum called the Museum of Arts and Science, here you will find a broad range of subjects including a Florida pre-history section. There is also a skeleton of a giant Sloth. You will also find an array of artwork that dates back to 1640 to 1920 you will also find notable Cuban and African collections and a planetarium.
A visit to Daytona isn’t complete unless you visit the Daytona Speedway track, this place hosts NASCAR racing as well as the famous Daytona 500. The place can hold up to 110, 000 spectators. Tickets for the Daytona 500 are sold a year in advance for this event. You can visit the visitor centre and relive all the action from days gone by; they show numerous films which include some spectacular crashes. There are also 2 motion simulator rides where you can experience the high banks of Daytona. Acceleration Alley invites you to hop inside a car, buckle up and accelerate to 200mph. There is also a computer simulated pit stop and you can also try your commentator skills on a race. If you visit when there are no races taking place you can also take a half hour tram ride around the speed track.
Another attraction that you need to book in advance is the Richard Petty driving experience where you can get to drive shotgun alongside an experienced professional. This is a 3 lap drive around the circuit at speeds of up to 160mph; this is well worth trying if you have nerves of steel.
We found a nice spot near the Boardwalk which is an attraction itself, this place has a Gondola sky ride as well as go karts, arcades and a bandstand were they hold regular concerts. On the beach you can hire a jet ski or a water buggies and even a bicycle is for rent. Once you have spent some time on the beach you may want to explore Daytona a little more. There is a river across from Daytona Beach called the Halifax, beyond this is the downtown area. First port of call to visit is the Halifax Historic Society Museum; this place dates back to 1910 and is a bank building. Here you will lots of Murals and local history including a model of the boardwalk that dates to 1938.
West of downtown is another Museum called the Museum of Arts and Science, here you will find a broad range of subjects including a Florida pre-history section. There is also a skeleton of a giant Sloth. You will also find an array of artwork that dates back to 1640 to 1920 you will also find notable Cuban and African collections and a planetarium.
A visit to Daytona isn’t complete unless you visit the Daytona Speedway track, this place hosts NASCAR racing as well as the famous Daytona 500. The place can hold up to 110, 000 spectators. Tickets for the Daytona 500 are sold a year in advance for this event. You can visit the visitor centre and relive all the action from days gone by; they show numerous films which include some spectacular crashes. There are also 2 motion simulator rides where you can experience the high banks of Daytona. Acceleration Alley invites you to hop inside a car, buckle up and accelerate to 200mph. There is also a computer simulated pit stop and you can also try your commentator skills on a race. If you visit when there are no races taking place you can also take a half hour tram ride around the speed track.
Another attraction that you need to book in advance is the Richard Petty driving experience where you can get to drive shotgun alongside an experienced professional. This is a 3 lap drive around the circuit at speeds of up to 160mph; this is well worth trying if you have nerves of steel.