Girls Trip to Daytona
 

Hi, my mom, sister, and I will be heading to Daytona in mid-June. We picked the destination because my mother's friend needed to get rid of her timeshare, and we assumed the beach locale would be fine...all this to say that we know nothing really about the area.

Any suggestions on things to do? My mom and sister love the sun, but I will get bored very quickly with the sun and airbrush shops. Any help with antique shopping and any other recommendations - restaurants, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Please keep in mind that Daytona and other Florida destinations will be extremely hot and humid, and very, very crowded.
With that said, they should enjoy the shopping and the beach, especially since you can actually drive on the beach. You can take day trips to the Kennedy Space Center, Orlando, and one I would highly recommend, would be a day trip to St. Augustine--America's oldest city. Lots and lots of charm and history.

You didn't give exact dates when you are going to be there, but June 18-23, the United States Tumbling & Trampoline Assoc. is holding their national competition in Daytona Beach at the Ocean Center. There will be competitors from across the nation there.

I have lived here for years and can tell you there is so much to see and do! You don't mention whether you're renting a car or not, but, if you are - and you love antiques, you will very much enjoy the Beach Street area on the river. Also, nearby DeLand (county seat) is known for its many antique stores.
Ponce Inlet also has the lighthouse - excellent outing and fantastic view if you're brave enough to climb the steps!!
There are great restaurants - on the ocean and river . . .
There are also art/history museums as well.
If you do your homework/research, there is little chance of boredom!
Have a great time, it is a great place to live, work and play.

Even if you are not a NASCAR fan you would still enjoy Daytona USA. There is a tram ride around a part of the track and into the infield.

http://www.daytonausa.com/

you are about 90 minutes south of the outlet mall just N of St. Augustine. If you do a day or evening in St. Augustine, you could combine the trip.

There is a state park not far outside Daytona, something Springs where Manatee reside. I believe the park also has canoeing.

Blue Springs in Orange City is the park but too late to see the manatees. They come in when the ocean is cold!

One thing I forgot that is only a few miles to the south, the Canaveral National Seashore.

http://www.nps.gov/cana/

Then to north is Fort Matanzas http://www.nps.gov/foma/
and Marineland http://www.marineland.net/aboutus.htm

There is more in Jacksonville. Try to stay near the shore, the heat and humidity builds more inland than it does along the coast.

Thank you all so much for the feedback and recommendations! We will be sure to do as much of these as possible!

I am from Daytona also (live in Atlanta now), but I go home frequently and love it. Daytona gets a bad rap because of Nascar and lots of tourists, but it really is a nice place. I expecially like Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach, as they are less touristy. Shopping is not that great at all but depends what you like. La Crepe en Haut in Ormond is hands down my favorite restaurant of all time! Other than that, most restaurants are franchises. As someone else recommended, St. Augustine is only a 45 minute drive north, and there are several outlet malls as well as historic sights there. Have fun and bring lots of sunscreen!

P.S. I was down there last week and there were some hazy/smoky days from the fires in South GA and FL. Hopefully they will get some much needed rain down there before your visit, but just be forewarned that this might affect your time outdoors.

If you want to browse in antique shops I suggest Canal Street in New Symrna Beach (a bit south of Daytona Beach) or San Marco Avenue-(north of the Fort), that would be about an hour north of Daytona.
Although you might not see the types of antiques you do in upscale shops in other parts of the country(no fine 18th century furniture or anything!), they are still interesting and fun. Mixed in are many other types of small shops and good places to eat. You can eaisly make a day out of either of these trips from the beach if you want to get out of the sun for awhile.