Daytona Beach
Much More Than Just a Speedway
By Valerie Summers
 Although world renowned for its car
racing, Daytona Beach, Florida, as I discovered, is a great family vacation spot
and ideal for a girl’s getaway. My friends and I checked into the ocean front
Shores Resort & Spa. My spacious room, complete with four-poster bed and plenty
of room to spread out included a large balcony overlooking the pool area, an
open pit fireplace, the broad expanse of beach and the gorgeous blues and greens
of the Atlantic Ocean. The air smelled fresh and I delighted in listening to
the roar of the surf. As I watched, I was fascinated by the variety of traffic
on the sandy beach….there were cars, trucks, bicycles, strollers, runners,
walkers and sun bathers. Deciding I needed a close up view, I trotted
downstairs, skirting the busy inside bar and the equally busy outside bar, next
to the pool. I passed the fire pit, which I later learned was a favorite
evening hangout and great place to make “smores”. The sandy beach was so fine
that it felt like powder, yet it was so firmly packed that heavy vehicles were
able to drive on it.
 My little group met at the pool and
drew up itineraries which included both spa treatments, relaxing time, exploring
time, a bit of culture and some good eating. We opted for a variety of
treatments in a variety of venues for the ultimate spa experiences.
My holiday indulgences began on the second floor of the
Shores Resort in their boutique Spa Terre where I had signed on for what was
called a Balinese Massage. The spa offers exotic Balinese spa treatments and
Thai body rituals. They use the healing properties of flowers and spices which
made my very relaxing experience very special.
Another day found me in the brand new spa at the Hilton
Hotel where I was told by my friends that I was glowing after their signature
Caviar and Pearl Facial, an advanced therapy facial mask treatment utilizing
lavish ingredients. The tranquil atmosphere and the therapist’s intuitive touch
had me so totally relaxed that I fell asleep as I had during my massage.
Not one to avoid attending to my fingers and toes, on my
final spa visit, I made my way over to the Vacation Therapy Spa one afternoon
where I relaxed in a special chair which massaged my back through the entire
appointment. Unlike my massage and facial treatments where I fell fast asleep,
I enjoyed chatting away with the young lady who gave me a perfect French
manicure and pedicure.
 One of my favorite afternoons was
spend in the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts & Sciences. I was more than
pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of their collections. The
current 85,000 square foot facility, housed in a beautiful 90-acre setting is
the primary art, history and science museum of Central Florida. Like
California’s Winchester House, it just keeps on growing and growing with each
expansion adding a new dimension to these already outstanding and unusual
collections. I was particularly intrigued by the Root collection of Americana
and Coca-Cola. Although I was unfamiliar with the very philanthropic Root
family, I learned that an employee of Root Glass Company came up with the design
for the iconic Coca Cola bottle. The family’s eclectic museum contributions
include a quilt collection, extensive Teddy bear collection, cars, Coca Cola
memorabilia and most impressive, a private train car, the Silver Holly, which
the Root family traveled in. Chapman Root, whose grandfather was killed in a
plane crash while in his early 30’s, preferred travel by rail.
Another memorable display, donated by
former President Batista, included an extensive exhibition of rare 18th, 19th
and early 20th century fine and Cuban folk art, the largest outside of Cuba.
 The Levine collection of 18th and 19th century jewelry was
a glittering feast for the eyes as was the Schulte Gallery of Chinese Art.
A real attention getter was the 13 foot tall skeleton of
the Giant Ground Sloth which was excavated in 1975 from the Daytona Bone Bed.
A group of men, women and children all gathered around, craning their necks to
observe the huge prehistoric remains.
A new addition scheduled to open in the late spring of
2008, is the Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum, which will house
interactive exhibits geared toward children that will demonstrate various
principles of science, engineering and physics.
This is truly a museum for all tastes and ages. My friends
and I each wandered off on our own to explore our interests, and then later took
a walk together through the lush Tuscawilla Nature preserve surrounding the
museum.
 Our next outing took us on a visit to
Cracker Creek adjacent to the historic Gamble Place. The area provides canoe and
kayak rentals and launches, pontoon boat tours and picnic tables. It was here
on a fishing trip that James Gamble of Proctor & Gamble, became so enchanted
with the area that he built a rustic country retreat naming it Egwanulti (a
Native-American word meaning “by the water”). A knowledgeable and enthusiastic
docent led us through, telling tales of bygone days. After a barbeque lunch on
its front porch overlooking Cracker Creek, we opted for a closer look at the
flora and fauna via kayak. Although I was assured there was nothing to be
afraid of insofar as meeting up with alligators, I was relieved that the only
wildlife I had come in contact with was a docile family of huge manatees which
swam alongside and under our kayaks during part of our trip.
 Before leaving this idyllic area, we
ambled over to explore another creek-fronted log-style cabin known as the Snow
White Cottage, a near replica of the forest dwelling featured in the 1937 Walt
Disney animated classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Built by Alfred K. Nippert, the son-in-law of James Gamble, the cottage served as an enchanting
backwoods retreat for entertaining family and friends.
Back at our much more luxurious retreat, there was plenty
of time for just hanging out at the pool or taking walks along the beach
catching up with girl talk and discussing our various spa treatments. Evenings
were spent trying out a variety of restaurants from the funky to the elegant.
As we discovered, Daytona Beach, famed for its speedway, offered so much more… a
plethora of choices for us gals out for a getaway under the warmth of the
Florida sun.
For information:
Cracker Creek Canoeing
1795 Taylor Rd.
Port Orange, FL 32128
386/304-0778
www.oldfloridapioneer.com
Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
126 E. Orange Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
800/544-0415
www.daytonabeachcvb.com
Museum of Arts & Sciences
1040 Museum Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
386/523-2021
www.moas.org
Vacation Therapy Spa
300 North Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
386/323-4941
www.vacationtherapyspa.com
The Shores Resort & Spa
2637 S. Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118
866/934-SHORES
www.shoresresort.com
The Spa at the Hilton
100 N. Atlantic Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
386/254-8200
www.daytonahilton.com
Photos by Valerie Summers
socalinfo@aol.com
www.southerncaliforniaguide.org
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