Two Weeks in Daytona Beach, Florida: The Best Things To Do
My Dad proposed to my Mom in the sand on Daytona Beach, the same beach that I would crawl around on a year later, and the same one that my daughter crawled around on 28 years later. Some of my favorite moments growing up were spent on the sunny, warm, Florida beach. In February, I spent two full weeks at the beach with my family and my daughter, Lillie Belle. It was the most fun-filled vacation I’ve had in over a year. Signs of the pandemic were minimal and there were plenty of family-friendly things to do during our stay that I’m excited to share with you here!
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Why Visit Daytona Beach, Florida
The list is long of reasons why you should visit Daytona Beach, Florida. One of the main reasons is that the weather stays beautiful pretty much year-round, making it the perfect vacation spot anytime during the year. It’s true that I love visiting places in the off-season, but in Daytona, it’s super convenient because most of the stores operate as normal.
It’s a great place to stay if you’re looking to escape to somewhere warm on the East Coast. There are so many things to do in Daytona Beach to keep you busy throughout your stay. We stayed two full weeks and still had places or restaurants we didn’t have time to make it to. Our days at the beach flew by way too fast, but we made so many great memories there together as a family.
How To Get There
We typically drive to Florida from North Carolina, but flying seemed so much more efficient when traveling with a baby. A few hours on a plane as opposed to 9+ hours in a car was the best thing for us! I brought my 11-year old niece, Audrey, along to help. We flew from Greensboro, NC to Atlanta, GA then into Daytona Beach, FL. I am loyal to Delta Airlines, especially with how well they handle the cleaning and sanitizing of planes during the pandemic. They have daily trips from small airports around the US to Daytona Beach. Upon landing in Daytona, you’ll get a great view of the Daytona International Speedway right next to the landing strip.
My 9-month old at the time flew as an “infant in arms”, which means she didn’t have her own seat. This was the easiest way to travel because the flights weren’t very long, and it saved me money. I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card points for the three of us to fly round trip from Greensboro to Daytona Beach. I used 27,520 points – an excellent deal, in my opinion!
The Daytona Beach International Airport is the most convenient option because it’s only a few minutes drive to most of the oceanfront hotels. Other airports in the area are Orland International Airport, located an hour’s drive from Daytona Beach; Orland Sanford Airport, located 35 miles from Daytona Beach; and Jacksonville International Airport, about 2 hours’ drive from Daytona Beach.
If you decide to drive with a baby or your children, I recommend traveling overnight, the wee hours of the morning, or making sure nap times align with your road trip.
Where To Stay
My family has a condo in Daytona Beach Shores, so I’ve pretty much stayed in the same place for 20+ years. I highly recommend using Booking.com to research where to stay. Getting a hotel with a heated pool is a plus because the ocean water tends to be very cold in the winter months.
Things To Do in Daytona Beach, Florida
The amount of things to do in Daytona Beach is nothing short of spectacular. You’ll find something to do throughout the year; no matter the weather. Here are some of the top things that I recommend when visiting:
Lounge on the Beach
Finding an oceanfront hotel isn’t a problem in Daytona Beach. It makes life so much easier being directly on the ocean, especially if you’re traveling with kids. Pack up your stuff in a wagon or beach bag and spend a few hours at the beach, playing in the sand and walking around to find shells – all with the confidence that you can head back to your room in a jiffy if you forget something or your kids need to nap. This was one of the first times Lillie has ever really had a chance to explore the sand, the ocean, and the Florida sunshine. I treasured every moment.
Visit Ponce de Leon Inlet
Drive down to Ponce Inlet and take the 203 steps up to the top of the lighthouse for an incredible view of the inlet. Standing tall at 175 feet, it’s the tallest lighthouse in the state and one of the tallest in the United States. Tour the grounds and do some shopping at the gift shop before heading to dinner at Hidden Treasure Rum Bar & Grill, which sits right on the Halifax River. You can’t beat the views at sunset either.
More Info:
- You can purchase tickets in the lighthouse gift shop upon arrival and no reservations are required. General admission rates are: Adults (age 12+): $6.95, Children (age 3-11): $1.95, Infants (age 0-2): Free
- Masks must be worn inside all buildings and enclosed spaces. Click here for more covid-19 measures
- Hours: off-season 10 – 6 pm, summertime 10 – 9 pm
- Website: https://www.ponceinlet.org/
Drive the Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail
One of my favorite things to do in any beach town is driving around and viewing the million-dollar homes. It’s inspiring and it always gets me thinking about what these people do for a living. I love seeing the beauty of each home and how they’re so different from one another. Take Highway A1A north out of Daytona Beach and you’ll spot on the right side of the road Old A1A Beach where many abandoned homes sit after being washed out on the sand, making driving out to the homes difficult. From Daytona Beach, it’s only an hour trip.
The Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail (OSLT) is a 30+ mile loop of roadways that has “some of the most beautiful and diverse natural scenery remaining in all of coastal central Florida”, according to their website. Entrance is free and there are no tolls. You can see a map of the loop here.
Stop at Matanzas Beach to stretch your legs and walk around in the sand, then make a pit stop for a drink or lunch at one of the many seaside restaurants along Highway A1A.
The Fort Matanzas National Monument is temporarily closed, but it looks like an interesting place to visit as well.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
I was completely shocked by how massive Kennedy Space Center was. It has everything from exhibits and historic spacecraft to theaters and experiences like the Shuttle Launch Experience. We spent hours, literally HOURS there – even with some of the sites closed due to covid. I almost cannot describe how incredible it was. In normal operating times, there are astronaut training experiences and a Mars Base simulator. They also have daily presentations from a veteran NASA astronaut.
Rocket Garden was one of my favorites. You can see rockets from NASA’s Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. There are guided tours available daily.
The Heroes & Legends (hall of fame) had a long line while we were there, so we had to skip it. But I’d love to go back and experience it.
If you have kids with you, it’s worth the wait for Planet Play – an incredible new multi-story indoor play area that’s great to get the wiggles out for kids up to 12 (Lillie was 9 months and still loved it!). There are wormholes, walks on Saturn’s rings, slide through an asteroid field, and more. While kids play, parents can enjoy coffee/wine/beer in the lounge overlooking the indoor play area.
The best part of the Kennedy Space Center was the Space Shuttle Atlantis. You can’t miss the entrance with its full-scale space shuttle stack of two solid rocket boosters and orange external tank. Atlantis is displayed inside with doors open as if it just undocked from the International Space Station. Its final flight was in 2011 before retiring to the Kennedy Space Center for visitors to see. The immersive experience is something you HAVE to witness while you’re there.
More Info:
- You can purchase tickets in advance online: Adults (age 12+): $57, Children (age 3-11): $47, Infants (age 0-2): Free
- Masks must be worn
- Hours: Monday – Friday 10 – 4, Saturday – Sunday 10 – 5
- They also have an incredible app you can download here that can be used in place of a printed map
- Website: kennedyspacecenter.com
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Traveling with kids (an 11-year old and a 9-month old) means I had to think outside of the box on what to do to keep busy on days that we couldn’t go to the beach because of the weather. I found a zoo less than an hour from our condo. It wasn’t large by any means, but they had some fun animals to see, and we really enjoyed the gardens. The zoo spans over 110+ acres. They opened their doors in 1923 and currently have over 350 animals. My favorite was seeing the giraffes, black bears, an Indian rhino, and the beautiful macaw birds. There were also tons of reptiles like alligators, crocodiles, and snakes.
If you bring your bathing suit, you can splash around in the splash park, or spend time feeding the Giraffe or Rhino encounters for an additional price.
More Info:
- Open daily from 9 to 3 pm
- Masks are currently required age 13+
- Ticket prices: Adult $19.50, Children (age 3-12) $13.75, Children (2 and under) free. You can purchase tickets in advance online here
- Visit their website: https://www.centralfloridazoo.org/
Daytona International Speedway
I was fortunate enough to see not one, but two races while we were in Daytona Beach. We saw both a night race and an evening race and had the opportunity to watch from the infield of the track. It’s incredible to be up close and personal. Even Lillie got in on the action.
If you have the opportunity to visit the famous Daytona International Speedway and catch a race, I highly recommend it. If you’re feeling super adventurous, try the NASCAR racing experience. It’s available for dates all throughout the year. You can find more info on their website here.
Favorite Places to Dine
We cooked a lot of meals in the condo, but we also took every advantage of eating seafood and dining out. Some of my favorite places we ate around Daytona Beach are listed below!
Crabby Joe’s Deck & Grill
Crabby Joe’s Deck & Grill is a short walk from a lot of the oceanfront hotels in Daytona Beach. It’s in a great spot on the pier where you can see the waves splashing below you through the wooden boards. Their fish tacos are amazing and they also make a mean margarita.
Hours: Open every day from 8 am – 9 pm
Address: 3701 S Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118, United States
Website: click here
Hidden Treasure Rum Bar & Grill
In Ponce Inlet is Hidden Treasure Rum Bar & Grill that sits right on the Halifax River. They have indoor and outdoor seating on the waterfront. Right on the inlet at sunset is even more amazing.
Address: Click here
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 12-8pm, Friday & Saturday 12-9pm
Racing’s North Turn
This NASCAR-themed bar and grill has a beachfront deck and nightly live entertainment. Their prime rib sandwich was mouth-watering.
Address: Google Maps Click Here
Hours: Open from Wednesday – Sunday 12 – 10 pm
Our Deck Down Under
We really wanted to eat at DJ’s Deck as it’s pretty well-known in Daytona Beach, but the line ended up being too long. Our Deck Down Under turned out to be a great spot for dinner.
Address: Click here for Google Maps
Hours: Open every day except Tuesday 11:30-9 pm
Our two weeks in Daytona Beach flew by and it was really hard to leave such a wonderful place. Being with family and my daughter in one of my favorite childhood spots was a wonderful feeling. Not to mention the Florida sunshine did us all good after a really tough year apart thanks to the pandemic. You should add Daytona Beach, Florida to your list of places to visit because you’ll find plenty of things to do to keep you busy and entertained for weeks!
If you found this post helpful, leave me a comment below or pin it to your favorite Pinterest boards!
Extra: Must-Have Products for the Beach
A beach trip with a baby was a whole new experience. It takes having the right equipment and beach products to make a successful vacation for everyone. Some things I absolutely recommend having for your baby/kids are a good hat, sunscreen, bathing suit, and if you have space, a wagon! We loved pulling the wagon on the beach and it’s a great way to transport all your beach items from the hotel room to the beach. We’ve put a lot of miles on this little red wagon from the driveway of my parent’s home in North Carolina to my mother-in-law’s house in Beaufort, South Carolina and now in Florida. Shop my favorite beach products below.
2 Comments
Tita Luisa Freytag
I found this to be very helpful! Thanks!
Summer
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for reading