Celebrating Volusia County in Florida

A short drive north of Orlando, far away from the crowds of the world-famous amusement parks, you’ll find the largest county in Florida: Volusia County.  This week marks the start of the 2010 Volusia County Fair, an event that showcases local agriculture, rides and world-renowned musicians.  In honor of this celebration, I’ve put together a list of places to visit in Volusia County, Florida.  After all, Florida is more than mouse ears and under-aged wizards!

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golfing at Daytona Lagoon

Daytona Beach is the perfect place to enjoy the sun, the ocean, and the beautiful Florida weather.  While it’s hot as… um, somewhere really hot… inland, the coastal breezes and the Atlantic Ocean offer plenty of relief from scorching temperatures.

Unfortunately, there is also a really, really good chance that you’ll get rained out if you visit Daytona Beach from May to September.  And as fabulous as the beaches of Daytona are, they are considerably less fabulous during a thunderstorm.

Daytona Lagoon offers the perfect solution when you’re vacation gets rained out. Read More »

When you think about vacations to Florida beaches, one of the first places that comes to mind is Daytona Beach.  But a hidden treasure is not too far away.  Just 20 miles south of Daytona along I-95 is New Smyrna Beach, a lesser known beach community that offers a terrific destination for a beach vacation for families and people looking for a quieter vacation experience.

New Smyrna Beach – The Beach

New Smyrna Beach is one of my favorite Florida beaches.  The sand is white and soft and the ocean is great for body surfing (or regular surfing).  You’ll find the waters teeming with kids and adults, surfers and fishermen, as well as dolphins and manatees on the right day.

New Smryna Beach - playing in the waves

Oh.  And sharks.  But just don’t think about that.

The best way to experience New Smyrna Beach is to pull your vehicle right up on the sand.  You can drive along the packed sand in designated areas from 8 am to 7 pm all spring and summer long.  Pack a cooler in the back and enjoy an entire day with drinks and snacks and towels that are sand free when you’re ready to head home.  There’s a $5 per vehicle fee to drive onto the beach.

Lunch on New Smyrna Beach

New Smyrna Beach – Food and Drink

You can find restaurants all over the town of New Smyrna, but the most popular eateries are right on the beach.  Restaurants like Chase’s on the Beach and Breakers provide a unique experience that I have yet to see perfectly imitated anywhere else.  You can literally walk up to the restaurant from steps on the beach.  Throw on a pair of flip flops and a cover up and you’re ready to go.  Enjoy your meal in the open air and breathe in the authentic beach atmosphere.

Poolside at Chase's. Yes, that's a restaurant.

New Smyrna also offers a small boardwalk area with more restaurants, beach shops and an old fashioned ice cream stand.  It’s nostalgic and charming and a great area to spend a few hours walking around when you want a break from the sand and surf.  There’s also a dynamite BBQ diner down there with picnic tables, plastic plates and silverware, and rolls of paper towels for napkins that I highly recommend.  The name, as far as I can tell from the signage, is BBQ.  Helpful, I know.

New Smyrna Beach – Where To Stay

Of course there are hotels in New Smyrna Beach.  You can stay beach side, or save a little money by booking a room a few miles inland.  If you have a rental car, it might be worth the savings because of the option to drive onto the beach and stay the day without the need to go back and forth to your hotel room.  Although, you can’t beat the early morning view of the sun coming up over the water.

New Smyrna Beach House

You can also rent houses along the beach.  This is a great option for large groups or families who like to set up a real home base when on vacation.

New Smyrna Beach – Other Things To Do

Although the beach is definitely the main attraction in New Smyrna Beach, you’ll find plenty of other options for things to do in the area.

If you like to fish, go deep sea fishing out of Ponce Inlet, Florida.  I highly recommend Critter Fleet Charters for the most bang for your buck and deep sea experience.  (Even my fishing challenged, bad juju husband managed to catch fish on this boat – for only $45 for a four hour trip.)

Not my husband fishing. But one of those kids is mine.

Daytona is a short drive and offers flea market shopping, the Daytona International Speedway, and a boardwalk of their own.  You’ll discover plenty of things to do in Daytona Beach if you find yourself rained off the beach during your vacation.

New Smyrna Beach doesn’t offer the flash or notoriety of Daytona Beach.  It’s one of those hidden gems that locals relish and experienced travelers come back to over and over again when they’re looking to really get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life for a relaxing vacation.

Today, February 27th, marks the official start of Bike Week 2009 in Daytona Beach, Florida!

If you’re a local within 100 miles of Daytona, that means watch out for extra bikes on the roads and give yourself extra time to get pretty much anywhere up and down the Volusia county coast.

Daytona Bike Week Street Model

If you’re a motorcycle fan, Bike Week is the perfect opportunity to get together with approximately 500,000 of your closest friends (or fellow bike enthusiasts at the very least).

Your first stop should be Riverfront Park, across from the Daytona Harley-Davidson.  That’s the official headquarters and you’ll find more event info, tours, shows, exhibits and live entertainment.

From there, you’ll find an endless supply of things to do from motorcycle drag racing to coleslaw wrestling!

Bike row at Daytona Beach Bike Week

Organized events during Bike Week at Daytona Beach:

Smiley’s Annual Pig Roast – March 1st at Smiley’s tap 1161 N US1, Ormond Beach. Music, beer and outside vendors.

Free Sober Pig Roast - March 1st from 12pm – 5pm.  Bring kids, canned soda and a side dish, but not alcohol or pets!  2512 Orange St., Bunnell

Daytona 200 by Honda – March 6th at the Daytona International Speedway.  The bikes will be on the track at 2pm and the racing begins at 8pm.  Daytona 200 tickets start at $45.00.

31st Annual Daytona Bike Week Swap Meet – March 6th going on all day.  Antique Bike Day & Show. Models ’84 and older get in free. Daytona Flea Market, Tomoka Farms Rd., Daytona Beach

Country Mystery Road Tours – March 6th beginning with registration at 9am (rides start at 10am).  Choose from 150, 200 or 250 mile guided tours along Florida back roads.  Cost is $15 per bike and starts at 3602 International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach

Daytona Supercross by Honda – March 7th at the Daytona International Speedway.  Timed trials begin at 12:30pm and official opening ceremonies start at 6:45pm.  Supercross tickets start at $10.

Bike Week Pigfest – March 7th beginning at 1:00pm.  Sponsored by American Legion Post 270, get food, music and prizes for the oldest Bike Week shirt!  Located at 119 Howes St., Port Orange.

Fit to ROAR Seminar - March 7th at 10am, ROAR motorcycles talks about motorcycles and accessories exclusively for women.  12pm-4pm you’ll find free food and live music. 897 Bellevue Ave;, Daytona Beach

Custom Chopper Show – March 7th, show begins at 10am.  This is he 37th annual Rat’s Hole Custom Chopper Show and will feature bikes from around the world.  Daytona Lagoon, 601 Earl St., Daytona Beach

Classic Motorcycle Auction – March 7th at 11:00am.  This is billed as America’s oldest antique motorcycle auction. Stetson University, Edmunds Athletic Center, DeLand

Blessing of Bikes – March 8th at 9:30am.  Have your bikes blessed in the North Church parking lot of St. Paul’s Basillica. 300 Blk. North Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach

Get a full list of Bike Week events, including sponsors, locations and times at Daytona’s Official Bike Week site.

Daytona Bike Week

While you’re enjoying the Florida sun and mild February temperatures, remember there’s lots to do in Central Florida before, during and after Bike Week!

Other things to do and see in Central Florida include:

See the manatees in Blue Springs State Park – hundreds of manatees are looking for warmth at the springs in Blue Springs State Park.

Central Florida Zoo – about a 20 minute drive from Daytona Beach down 1-4, the Central Florida Zoo offers one of the few crowd free attractions in the area.

Local Central Florida Landmarks - the eastern coastline of Florida was home to some of the earliest settlements in America.  That means there is an ample supply of historic and interesting landmarks to see in the area.

No matter how long you stay or how far outside of Daytona Beach you venture, remember to ride safe and sober.  The Florida Highway Patrol will be out in full force, just in case!