Gentlemen - Start Your Engines!!

We've realised that there are two important things that you have to do when you stay in Daytona.

Firstly, you must take advantage of the excellent beach that the city has to offer. One of the best things about it is the fact that you are free to drive up and down the beach in a car at a mere cost of $5. We were very tempted take the Mustang to the sands this morning, however we felt there'd be a more fun, if slightly more pricey way of enjoying the sensation of motoring on the beach. We rented a golf cart, and went pootling down the dunes at 10mph, avoiding slightly portly Floridians and their kids.


After this little jaunt, Adam obviously felt some strange compulsion to join these chaps in their portly-ness, and promptly ordered a Chili-Cheese-Dog from a beach vendor. MMMmmmmmmm!

So, after this healthy lunch, we decided to head to the second of the two "must-see" attractions of Daytona - the world-famous International Speedway - home of the Daytona 500. Now, we can't pretend that we know a hell of a lot about NASCAR Racing, or much about any of the drivers save for ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya - however, that didn't stop us from enjoying the Speedway Tour enormously. It is an unbelievable venue - huge in scale, with great facilities. And the noise from the cars as the zip round the track is quite something. I have to say we may just have to tune in for the Daytona 500 early next year!













So, after a hectic day racing golf carts, and watching other's race NASCAR, Adam thought it best to get some more food (another chili-cheese-dog).... at Hooters!

----------------
Now playing: Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
via FoxyTunes

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM DAYTONA HERE

Day One

I wish I could tell all you jealous people back home that we've had nothing but disaster since we got here.... but I'd be lying.

I honestly can't believe how smoothly things have gone since we left home at 9am yesterday. No delays at Gatwick, and we got upgraded to the Premium Economy service on Virgin Atlantic - which we were thoroughly impressed with. Champagne, some good movies, tasty food, and oodles of leg room - couldn't ask for anything more out of transatlantic flight really.

We arrived in Orlando about 15 mins ahead of schedule, and prepared ourselves for what we thought would be a long process at baggage claim, and then at US Customs. Imagine our joyous surprise when our bags were out first, and we got through Customs within 15 mins of getting off the plane with no probs whatsoever. Well, apart from the Customs Official thinking we were a gay couple.

Off to the car-rental desk we went, thinking our luck was going to run out, and we'd be lumbered with a Chrysler Sebring instead of a Mustang, and that they'd charge us loads of money for all the extras we didn't have included in our orginal quote. Our luck remained the same though, and we got the car we wanted, and the same reasonable rate we'd quoted over the phone 6 weeks ago. That'd be this one......


A brisk 90 min journey to Daytona Beach followed, with no probs at all. Adam found the car easy to drive, and it was a very smooth, comfortable vehicle to be a passenger in. Of course the gas-guzzling nature of the vehicle does mean that you can visibly see the fuel-gauge needle moving rapidly toward empty - but then again this is hardly the land of economising.



Anyway, we're at the Oceanside Hotel in Daytona, which is a perfectly acceptable place, with a very nice chap called Neil on reception, who arranged for a cab to take us to dinner at Hog's Heaven BarBQ - where Adam ate a rather large amount of chicken, and I had my first American Half-Pounder.


Now we're doing a bit of roaming on the beach, and will head off to a few bars later for some beers - life is just pretty damn great so far!



----------------
Now playing: The Verve - Lucky Man
via FoxyTunes