Hotel at a Glance: Baymont Inn & Suites Ormond Beach

In less than 20 minutes, guests at Baymont Inn & Suites can be in the heart of Daytona Beach, whether it’s the need for sun or speed that draws them. Closer to their home base, they’ll find nearly a dozen restaurants less than a 5-minute drive away including Applebee’s and Cracker Barrel.

• Fresh-baked waffles, piles of fruit, and piping-hot coffee await at the free deluxe continental breakfast.
• Go for a swim in the outdoor pool.
• Stay connected with free WiFi.
• Bring Fido: this hotel is pet-friendly for animals under 25 pounds ($20/night).

Daytona Beach, Florida: Racing Legacy and a Famed Lighthouse

At the turn of the 20th century, motorists began racing on the packed sand of Daytona Beach out of practicality: the beach had a wide, unobstructed stretch and a smooth surface ideal for high-speed sprinting. Today, stock-car racing has moved to nearby Daytona International Speedway, but it’s still possible to park your car along the oceanfront here—one of the few beaches in the world where you can do so.

Hundreds of thousands of racing fans visit Daytona International Speedway each year to watch world-class champions such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Stock-car, sports-car, and motorcycle events round out the calendar all year, highlighted by the Daytona 500 in February—the first race of the Sprint Cup Series and typically regarded as the most prestigious. On various behind-the-scenes tours, you can explore the speedway’s elevated press boxes, banked infield turns, and decadent hot tubs filled with motor oil.

At Daytona Beach itself, cars toting beach gear roll across the hard-packed sand through oceanfront driving zones; there are also traffic-free areas. South of town, you can see the Ponce de León Inlet Lighthouse. There, a spiral staircase winds up to the top of a 175-foot tower, where you can overlook a 52-acre park filled with armadillos, shore birds, and native wildflowers.