Wyndham Wisdom

Daytona Beach Pit Stop

The need for speed has made this Florida town famous. But you can come here to slow down, too

Raucous, rowdy and raw are all adjectives employed to describe Daytona Beach. But relaxing? That, too.

By early summer in Daytona, the snowbirds have mostly migrated north. Former spring breakers are gone into the real world. And the relatively few motorcycles are merely part of the perennial scenery, parked at showroom slants in front of the biker bars on Main Street or carrying wild-haired riders down windblown A1A.

Like a celebutante recuperating from a busy social season, this famous beach is back to doing what it does naturally this time of year: lounging about looking pretty. It's also welcoming walkers, joggers, bikers and cruisers from all corners of the world to its sun-soaked sands.

WHERE THE CARS ARE
Relaxation aside, Daytona does have a longtime reputation for lightning-fast thrills. In the early 1900s, the first automobiles were test-raced on the wide beaches here. And driving on the sand is still allowed today, though at a strictly enforced 10 mph. To kick up the adrenalin, there's a theme park called the Daytona 500 Experience, billed as "the official attraction of NASCAR" (386-947-6800; daytona500experience.com). Visitors can go head-to-head in a simulated stock car race at speeds up to 200 mph, or take a tour of the Daytona International Speedway aboard an open-air tram that travels through the garage area, the pit road and the famed high banks of the Daytona 500.

FOR BIKER BABES
"How many do you want, sir: one or two? Or should I ask how many women you have in your life?" inquires Kathleen Steele Tolleson. The owner of ROAR Motorcycles (897 Bellevue Ave.; 386-255-7527; roarmotorcycles.com), a company geared specifically toward women riders, she's talking to a man in her shop who's eyeing a pale pink beauty of a bike lacquered with Swarovski crystals.

A longtime Florida resident and rider, Tolleson opened ROAR in 2008, confident that the growing niche of women riders would be responsive--particularly in a town like Daytona. The support, she says, has been overwhelming. "Once a woman gets behind the bars, she doesn't want to go back to riding on the back of a bike. And with today's technology, you don't have to be a mechanic to ride."

ROAR custom-builds bikes for female riders and also customizes existing bikes, lowering the frames and installing leather seats that fit the female form. "We build bikes that women love and men respect," she says. And Tolleson isn't stopping at hardware--she's designing a mineral-based cosmetics line to help women feel and look their best while battling the elements of the open road.

SLOW RIDER
Not ready to rumble on a real bike quite yet? Rent a traditional one. The friendly owner of Ducer Cruzer Bicycle Co. (386-383-7433), an aging skate rat, will deliver a super-comfortable beach cruiser, with high handlebars and roomy saddle, right to your hotel. At low tide, the beach is some 500 feet wide, and pedaling atop the packed sand is a cinch. Egrets and shorebirds poke around near the waterline, while surfers scope the waves from the tailgates of pickup trucks parked in the sand. Retirees arrange their lawn chairs in circles next to vans selling the beach essentials: lotions, towels, toys, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries. There's something undeniably retro about the overall beach vibe, from the candy-hued motels set back in the dunes and painted with tropical blooms to the salty-dog fishing scene at the Main Street Pier.

CULTURAL INTERLUDE
Visitors are often surprised to learn about Daytona's cultural leanings. But locals are rightfully proud of their town's Museum of Arts & Sciences (386-255-0285; moas.org; $13), one of Florida's largest museums. Its vast holdings range from pre-Castro Cuban art to a giant sloth skeleton excavated in 1975 from the Daytona Bone Bed. The museum runs the historic Gamble Place, a hunting lodge built around 1907 on nearby Spruce Creek as a winter retreat for James N. Gamble of Procter & Gamble fame. (Grounds open Thurs.-Sun.; guided house tours $5, Friday only.)

Also in Daytona, the Southeast Museum of Photography (1200 International Speedway Blvd.; 386-506-4475; smponline.org; free), is one of only 13 dedicated photography museums in the country. Its exhibitions have featured works by a White House photojournalist and portraits from a Siberian prison camp. For local history, the 60-year-old Halifax Historical Museum (386-255-6976; halifaxhistorical.org; $5) has exhibits on the history of racing, "Resort Hotels of Yesteryear," Jackie Robinson and more.

PERFECT PORT
Ponce Inlet--where the Halifax River empties into the Atlantic, roughly 10 miles south of Daytona Beach--is a siesta-prone fishing hamlet. Fishermen toss lines from the jetty and surfers throng to one of Florida's best beach breaks. Closer to the river, you can climb Florida's tallest lighthouse, the historic Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station (386-761-1821), for ocean-to-river views. Nearby, injured sea turtles are rehabilitated at the Marine Science Center (386-304-5545); visitors can peer into hospital pools to see the creatures on the mend. Then order a fish sandwich at Down the Hatch, a dock-like restaurant on the Halifax, with views of dolphins and manatees while you eat.

EAT

MARTINI'S CHOPHOUSE
With its high-backed leather booths and
candlelight, this is Daytona's sexiest
restaurant. Ingredients are locally sourced
whenever possible: fresh grouper, sautéed
Florida lobster tail, salads loaded with
homegrown herbs. Garden seating is extra
romantic, with a water-wall sculpture and
glowing fire pit. 1815 S. Ridgeview Ave.,
South Daytona Beach; 386-763-1090;
dinner for two, $70*

CAFFEINE BISTRO AND WINE BAR
Just north of Daytona in quiet Ormond
Beach, this artsy eatery does gourmet
lunches and dinners. The lobster mac
'n cheese is addictive. Tasty sandwiches
include chicken with sun-dried tomato
and goat cheese on focaccia; or try the
mean prime rib dip. 49 W. Granada Blvd.,
Ormond Beach; 386-672-7277; dinner
for two, $40

ROSSELLINI'S
The owner hails from Salerno at this
authentic Italian spot just south of Main
Street. The mood lighting is lacking, but
the vintage Italian posters and cozy
booths are homey. Tuck into rosemary
lamb chops, involtini di vitello (asparagus
tips rolled in veal and prosciutto) and
pastas aplenty. Ask for a terrace table
in fine weather. 136 S. Atlantic Ave.,
Daytona Beach; 386-253-8333; dinner
for two, $75

THE CELLAR
Daytona's most celebrated restaurant occupies
the basement of an early-20th century
Victorian home that served as President
Harding's winter escape. The menu is Italian,
with housemade pastas, fresh snapper and
fabulous antipastos of artisan Italian meats.
220 Magnolia Ave., Daytona Beach;
386-258-0011; dinner for two, $90

DOWN THE HATCH
Weekend lunches are happening at this
riverfront restaurant in Ponce Inlet. Fried
fish fingers are made with the catch of the
day; steamed oysters arrive on a tin tray.
There's usually live music to accompany
your meal. 4894 Front St., Ponce Inlet;
386-761-4831; lunch for two, $25
*Prices cover a meal for two, not including drinks, tax or tip.

STAY

RCI-AFFILIATED RESORTS IN DAYTONA BEACH INCLUDE:

SILVER BEACH CLUB RESORT CONDO
TROPIC SHORES
WYNDHAM OCEAN WALK

For more information, visit RCI.com or call
Weeks: 800-338-7777
Points: 877-968-7476