Daytona Beach

A Tale of Two Cities

To the “locals” there are two Daytona’s. The “mainland” is called

Daytona, and the spit of land bordered on the west by the Halifax River (a

name a lot of locals don’t even use) and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean is

generally referred to as Daytona Beach, or more specifically Daytona - Beach

Side. A bit of “snobbery” may be at play here, because Beach Side is quite

different from the mainland. The Beach Side, during most months of the year,

is the playground for travelers, containing most of the hotels and motels,

restaurants and attractions, and of course the sand and the beach. Daytona

proper is more of the business side of the street; it’s where industry and most

services are located, and of course the property is less expensive because

there’s more of it.

A handful of bridges connect Beach Side with the Mainland. Some are

tall, graceful arches and some older ones contain a “drawbridge” center that

rises periodically to let taller ships sail through.

A lot of activities, particularly attractive in the cooler months, are

available on the Daytona side of the town. The Daytona Beach Area

Convention and Visitors Bureau is on the “mainland” at 126 E. Orange, just

across the river. Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson Dealership, a castle-

looking structure that appears to take up an entire city block and is the largest

Harley dealer in the world is here also.

And Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory can be found just south of U.S.

92 (International Speedway Blvd.). They offer tours of their working factory,

where visitors can watch handmade chocolates being created. Samples are

given at the end of the tour, and you know you’ll want to get some to take back

with you – whether it makes it all the way back home or not is doubtful. Tours

are every hour and last about 30 minutes.

For more information about vacations to Daytona Beach, FL, visit

http://rooms101.com/category/daytona-beach