Things to do in Daytona Beach
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Dancing Avocado Kitchen
Fresh and healthful, a meal here makes you feel better…or is it just the fresh air flowing through the custom-made air filters? Yummy Mexican dishes like extreme burritos and quesadillas dominate the menu at this vegetarian-oriented café, but the signature dancing avocado melt is tops. There’s a juice and smoothie bar on-site, the salsa is made from scratch, and once a month all tips go to charity.
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Mck's Tavern
Just want a low-key spot to enjoy a beer? Chill over drafts and darts at McK's Tavern.
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Nascar
During Prohibition, production of moonshine (corn liquor with an almighty kick) was an important part of the rural Southern economy, and young people with cars fast enough to outrun local cops handled distribution. On their time off, they tried to outrun each other; when alcohol was relegalized the races continued. The most glamorous venue was the Beach St track in Daytona, where entrepreneurial driver Bill France began promoting 'Race Weeks,' attracting thousands.
The sport took off, though it was often dismissed by other automotive enthusiasts as upstart rednecks racing cars that any mechanic could build in their own garage. France knew better, and in 1947 organized Nas…
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Jackie Robinson Ballpark
On an island in the Halifax River, Jackie Robinson Ballpark is home to the Daytona Cubs, a Class A minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. In 1946, the Montreal Royals, Jackie Robinson’s team, was in Florida to play an exhibition against their parent club, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Other Florida cities refused to let the game proceed due to segregation laws, but Daytona Beach cried, ‘Play ball!’ and Robinson later went on to be the first African American baseball player in the majors. The ballpark, seating 4200 people, was renamed in his honor in 1990.
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Daytona Beach Pier
Follow Main St further east and you’ll stumble onto coral-colored Daytona Beach Pier. Easy to spot for its iconic 180ft tower (which formerly zoomed sightseers heavenward for panoramic views, but now sits frustratingly impotent on the pier), two-person cabled gondolas carry you the length of the 1000ft pier and back for $7 per person. It is worth a gander, but the pier’s vintage feel has somehow disappeared. Too bad: this pier – among the longest on the east coast – has been around over 100 years.
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Daytona USA
Adjacent to the speedway, Daytona USA is a superbly flashy shrine to the sport. In addition to stock cars driven by Nascar’s biggest names, highlights include the Pit-Stop Challenge (changing a tire in 16 seconds), a 30-minute tram tour of the track and pits, a 45-minute IMAX film screening throughout the day and a motion simulator ride based on the Daytona 500. The VIP Pass ($50) gets you an extended tour, lunch and vouchers for Acceleration Alley, which is an interactive racing experience.
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Marine Science Center
Despite the built-up environs at Daytona Beach, loggerheads, green turtles, Kemp Ridleys and occasionally leatherbacks are found in the area. A rehab center for injured sea turtles and birds, the Marine Science Center has a wet/dry lab, some great kid-friendly exhibits and a guided tour of the on-site turtle and seabird rehabilitation facilities (call ahead).
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Boardwalk
The architecture and neon along the Atlantic Ave strip is a living museum of 1950s pop culture.
The Boardwalk, which runs behind Ocean Ave between Main St and Auditorium Blvd, offers thrill rides, go-carts and beachside patios where you sip beer from plastic cups. It's good family fun with just a hint of sleaze to keep things interesting.
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Little Chapel by the Sea
Little Chapel by the Sea is a drive-in Christian church. Pull up, hook a speaker to your car (or do as the locals do and tune to 680AM or 88.5FM) and listen to the Rev preach. He and the choir hold service on a balcony overlooking the sea of cars. There’s free coffee and donuts between services. Only in Daytona.
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Southeast Museum of Photography
The only museum in Florida dedicated solely to photography, the vibrant Southeast Museum of Photography doesn’t shy from provocative subjects like human rights in its rotating exhibitions. Some images can be confrontational – check before taking impressionable eyes.
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Stock Exchange
At the marina at the southern end of Beach St, an older crowd flirt with each other via telephones set on the tables at this super-local retro place; just pick up and call if you spot someone you like. Music from the '50s to '80s will have you doing the time warp again.
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Daytona Lagoon
Kids can burn off energy at the Daytona Lagoon, which has a tube float, tidal-wave pool and multilevel water playground, as well as arcade games, go-karts, laser tag, a climbing wall, an erupting volcano and a canon blaster firing foam balls.
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Daytona International Speedway
The Holy Grail of raceways is the Daytona International Speedway. Ticket prices accelerate rapidly for the big races headlined by the Daytona 500 in February, but you can wander the massive stands for free on nonrace days.
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Down the Hatch
Overlooking the gently lapping Halifax River and acres of pristine mangroves, this former fish camp appeals largely to Daytona’s condo crowd, but it still nails the casual seafood-dive vibe thanks to live Floribbean music and unmatched sunset views.
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Pasha
Virtually unchanged since it opened in the ’70s, this place combines an Aladdin’s cave deli of imported Middle Eastern goods and a café with authentic dishes like Armenian breaded cheese pie and platters served with the owner’s grandma’s pita bread.
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Daytona Beach
During daylight hours - tide permitting - you can still drive sections of the former race track on Daytona Beach at a top speed of 10mph. Car access to the beach costs $5 ($3 after 3pm) and is free during December and January.
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Daytona Beach Drive-in Church
In this auto-obsessed town where cars are a religion, you can pull right up for church at the Daytona Beach Drive-In Church, a former drive-in movie theater where you attach a speaker to your car to hear the sermon.
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Angell & Phelps
Churning out chocolate since 1925, today this factory makes 100,000lb of 137 different kinds of candy each year, including white chocolates shaped like conch shells. Free factory tours on the hour from 10am to 4pm, excluding noon.
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Fuel Night Club
The newest, sizzling-hot party complex in Daytona Beach. Young hipsters hit the dance floor in four separate rooms with DJs spinning trance, house, rock, breaks, hip-hop, and R&B with some live music thrown in.
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Starlite Diner
Straight outta Happy Days, this gleaming chrome diner serves giant good ’n’ greasy portions under assorted ’50s memorabilia. Hope that red vinyl booth is comfortable; service can be agonizingly slow.
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Cinematique of Daytona
Home to the Daytona Beach Film Festival, Cinematique screens independent and foreign films at noon on Wednesdays and 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. On Fridays in summer they also show classics under the stars.
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The Bank
Built in 1922, this former bank was converted to a blues club in the ’70s and rages still. The original vault remains inside but now it holds goods more precious than money: beer and wine.
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Neelam Indian Cuisine
A great way to ‘escape’ Daytona, the spicy smells of Neelam’s tandoori oven immediately transport you away from the beaches of Florida – all the way to the mountains of northern India.
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A Tiny Cruise Line
A Tiny Cruise Line runs cruises up the Halifax throughout the day and at sunset. The two-hour Midday Waterway cruise offers dolphin-spotting opportunities; BYO lunch.
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