I’ve lived in Florida for a long time and one of the things I love about living here is the many places to go for just a day when you want to get away. Summer is a great time to visit any of our Florida beaches and when you live on the beach, as I do, summer is a great time for not only people watching but talking to some of them and finding out where they’re visiting from, after all nearby Orlando is one of the premiere vacation destinations of the world.
When people ask me, as a Floridian, where I like to go one of the places I always mention is Daytona Beach. Daytona Beach is known for many things, like the Daytona International Speedway home of NASCAR, Bike Week in March and Biketoberfest in October. All these things are great draws to Daytona Beach but what I like about it is that you can drive on the beach there, that’s something you can only do on a few beaches in Florida.
It’s ironic that the first beaches in Florida are on Amelia Island and you can drive on the beaches there as well, it’s like an instant draw to the beach and with over 1,000 miles of coastline in Florida, can you blame us for wanting to get people to our beaches as soon as they cross the boarder?
While driving on Daytona Beach there are certain rules and regulations you must follow. First and foremost is the speed limit, which is ten miles an hour, it is strictly enforced and they do give out tickets to people who don’t observe it. This may seem a bit slow but all things considered, like people laying and playing on the beach, it’s plenty fast enough. You also have to stay within the designated area, drive too high up and you’re in the dunes destroying them and if you drive too low you could end up stuck in the surf praying the tide doesn’t come in soon. There are precautions in place, for instance, if the tide is high or the sand is too soft to be driven in they’ll close the access ramps and no one is allowed to drive on the beach but of course the beach is always open and free to pedestrians and bicyclists.
I have a convertible, of course, so when we drive on Daytona Beach we put the top down which is even more fun. You can park on the beach and enjoy the day besides; you haven’t lived until you’ve picnicked out of your car right on the beach. There isn’t anything like feeling the ocean breeze on your face or looking up and seeing the Seagulls, Pelicans, Skimmers and other birds in the air above you. The Daytona Beach Pier is right there too, it’s been renovated recently and is a great place to spend the night having fun with your family after a day of driving on the beach. As you’d imagine nighttime beach driving is not allowed.
From February 1 through November 30 there is a slight fee to drive on the beach which goes down after 3 pm. If you happen to live in the area you can get day or annual passes, it’s very convenient.
There has been some recent controversy on whether or not people should even be allowed to drive on the beach but the simple fact of the matter is that when you’re on the beach either in a car, sunbathing or playing in the surf it’s everyone’s responsibility to be paying attention and aware of not only their surroundings but of what’s going on in their surroundings. After all we want everyone to have a good time, tell all their friends and come back to Daytona Beach time and time again.
If you’re looking for a different kind of beach experience, try Daytona Beach, the motorsports capital of the world. Annual events like Biketoberfest bring out crowds of motorcycle enthusiast to party all week long.
