Biketober in Daytona Is Coming Up A 12-Mile Scenic Ride You Don't Want to Miss
When you go to Biketober in Daytona, start at Riverfront Park at the corner of Main and Beach Streets, right downtown. Stop at the Official Daytona Bike Week Welcome Center to pick up your guide to the events of the week and enter the Chamber of Commerce drawing for a bike. Then browse the vendors and bike builders who are set up in the Park.
You won’t want to miss the races at Daytona International Speedway. Both CCS and ASRA races are held at the world’s first motorsports stadium. Bring your helmet and driver’s license along if you want to take a demo ride or two. It’s a great chance to check out various manufacturers. Harley Davidson’s Thunder Alley has a bikini contest. The Midway boasts the Full Throttle Bike Show. If your ride is distinctive, you can show it off here, too. You’ll find lots of vendors on the Midway and you can camp in the infield!
Biketober was started over twenty years ago by the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, so one of the goals of the event is to showcase the scenic beauty of the whole area. Five official top rides help you experience the area. The Old City Rendezvous is a round-trip ride to St. Augustine that takes about three hours. Along the way you can visit Tomoka State Park and the Tomoka River Basin, North Peninsula State Park, Flagler Beach and Pier, Marineland, and, of course the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine.
Take the Steel Horse Scoot to Deland and back. It takes about an hour and a half. You might want to stop at the Barberville Roadside Yard Art and Produce or the Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts or visit DeLeon Springs State Park, Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge or the Volusia County Speedway. Detour a bit and enjoy the renowned breakfast all day at the Old Spanish Sugarmill Restaurant.
The River to River Tour takes you from the Halifax River in Daytona Beach to the St. John’s River, which is an American Heritage River. On the Lighthouse Tour you’ll see the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse and Lighthouse Point Park as well as the Marine Science Center and Birds of Prey Aviary and the ancient Turtle Mound.
But perhaps the most popular ride is The Loop. Ride through a veritable cathedral of trees and over a bridge to the Intracoastal Waterway. Stop and enjoy the country side when the spirit moves you. Follow the Old Dixie Highway to Ormond Beach and then find Ormond Park and the famous Fairchild Oak Tree. It’s a short ride, just 22 miles, but it will give you a glimpse of Florida’s natural beauty.
The nightlife in Daytona Beach is famous, with dozens of venues offering free music and food and drink specials. With over a hundred thousand motorcycle enthusiasts attending, you’re sure to find new friends!
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
