(That Sunny Winter Morning) In Daytona Beach

   Had a full day layover in Orlando and as I had no desire to visit Walt's World or any of the other amusement parks in the area, I decided to head up to Daytona Beach. 

   I'd always wanted to see what a beach that cars could be raced on looked like.

   As I'm a cheap bastich, I opted to take public transit as opposed to ride share - Daytona Beach is about 57 miles from Orlando, and paying nearly $150 to $200 for a round trip was not in my pocketbooks best interest.

   Instead I caught the SunRail light rail from the Orlando Sand Lake Road station to the Debary Station, and from there I took the VoTran (Volusia County Transit System) number 31 bus to the Amelia Super Stop in Deland where I transferred to the 60 bus which took me all the way to Daytona Beach.

   Total outlay: $7.50 for the all-day SunRail pass, $3.75 for the all-day VoTran pass, so $11.25 for the round trip.

   I should point out that the 31 bus from the Debary station has limited use - you can only catch it Monday through Friday, and the last morning departure from the Debary station is at 7:48am. If you don't get that bus (or the 7:18am one), the next 31 to Deland is at 2:43 in the afternoon.

   Oh, and I also should point out that public transit in that area of Florida shuts down pretty early. The last 31 from the Amelia Super Stop in Deland to Debary leaves at 6:48pm, which will get you to Debary at 7:41pm. Then you will have to wait almost 30 minutes to catch the 8:10pm SunRail train from the Debary station back to the Sand Lake Station - which is the last southbound train of the day.

   In short, plan your visit carefully and keep track of the time.

   I enjoyed the ride(s) up to Daytona, which surprised me. I hate taking the bus, but it wasn't at all unpleasant.

   Daytona Beach was pleasant - it was 77 degrees and the beach wasn't packed with people sunning their buns off. It appeared to me to be mostly locals enjoying a day on the beach or fishing off the pier.