So, heading to Florida next week... Got a couple ?'s

[JusFlyinBy]

Driving down to Florida on Wednesday with a few friends. Ill be stayin a few days at my buddies house in Lakeland, then a couple days in Orlando at another friends house.

So, a couple questions for you Florida people... Which beach is better, Daytona, or Tampa? Have any suggestions for places to check out? We'll be hitting up Universal for one day. My woman also told me I better find a good club down there, so any help with that? Unfortunatley, no one else besides me is old enough to drink, so keep that in mind. Thanks... :D

[cheater]

I'm partial to Tampa because I'm from the Tampa Bay Area. If you go to Tampa hit clearwater beach. There's also Ybor city in Tampa which has a ton of clubs.

[MustangEater8251]

Ybor city is badass, but Daytona beach is a nice beach too. I haven't been to clearwater beach though. I have a feeling daytona is a better beach.

If you are going from Orlando, Cocoa Beach is pretty nice and alot closer then daytona.

If you go to Universal go to Islands of adventure, not Universal studios, thats the place with all the badass rollercoasters. Mcuh better park then Universal studios.

What day are you going to be in Orlando? Wednesday night, is $1 drinks at chillers, usually pretty packed, Thursday night the aka lounge is supposed to be pretty cool, thats the night they are sponsored by FLModelsearch, the company the "twins" are with.

But I am not really int the "club" scene much.

[JusFlyinBy]

I'll be in Orlando Sunday and Monday. Monday we are going to Universal, and yea, we are getting passes to both parks. Hmm, thats a good point though, maybe I should just look into getting the Islands of Adventure pass, depending on how much cheaper it is to just buy one.

What about Busch Gardens? Better than Universal? Probably not... I guess I'll give Tampa a shot this time, I been to Daytona a few times, including during Bike Week, and that was the sh*t. So I guess I'll try something different.

Where is this Ybor city? Close to the beach?

[nikon]

how about miami beach....is that an option for you?....if so its worth your while...the strip on south beach is like nothing you've ever seen before....but if you wanna goto one of the clubs down there you gotta bring some serious cash

[majeskyb]

I'd say Tampa. Alot of things to do there, Busch Gardens is right there, and all the other theme parks are only like an hour away in Orlando. I haven't been to Daytona but the only thing that I remember that was cool is you can drive you car on the beach or rent dune buggies there. I like Tampa though- I'm not a beach person

[epic]

My bro lives in Sarasota, so we hit up Tampa quite a bit when I visit him. I love it there...it's quality. Definately hit up Ybor if you have a chance. Also, Busch Gardens is a fun time, especially if you go in the early morning. We probably got on every ride three times before noon. :D

[Triple W]

Daytona is awsome.

[Shane]

Daytona is pretty badass....ive been going there latley every night cuz ive been bored. I live like 15 min from Daytona

[cheater]

Where is this Ybor city? Close to the beach?

Ybor is right in the heart of Tampa. It's right off of I4. Clearwater beach is actually on the gulf. There are beaches in Tampa, but they are on the Bay and aren't that great. If you are going to hit up Busch Gardens definitely go on a weekday. It'll be like your own park.

[JusFlyinBy]

Well, I went to the Ybor city website, and I dont really see what the big deal about it is. I dont care much for history, so is that all it is? Some historic place? I couldnt get much info because the website was being stubborn.

And, how do I say this without sounding cheesy? Well, their is no way. Im not good at romantic type stuff, but my girl is all into that kinda stuff. So I figure I might give it a shot one day on this vacation and im sure it will suprise the hell out of her. So people (Especially the local ones), besides some nice dress up type dinner I know she likes, what to do afterwards? Any late night on the water crap, stargazing type stuff? Any places you guys bring yur ladies to just chill? I can show a chick a good time, but showing her a "romantic" time, well... aint got a clue. Oh, and thanks for the help... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[98Camaro3.8]

I go to school in Daytona. Seems kind of boring to me, but I guess that's just because I've lived here all my life.

[cheater]

No Ybor city is a huge strip of clubs, bars, and stores.

[Everglades W68]

Tampa itself has no real beach to speak of - it is on the "inside" of the bay. The beaches in the Tampa area (St. Pete, Clearwater and in between) are by far superior to Daytona.

Daytona Beach is unsightly and run-down. Its claims to fame are the drive-on beach, the speedway, the low prices, and Bike Week.

Driving on the beach means you get all sorts of toxic garbage in the air and sand around you - gas and oil, fumes, noise, asbestos from brakes, etc. The beach on busy days looks like a parking lot with a little road running beside the water. Still, it is kind of unique to drive on the beach.

The water of the Atlantic in that area is kinda steely grey - not particulary attractive and not very clear. There are small waves suitable for boogie boards and limited surfing.

The Tampa / St. Pete area beaches are very pretty. Youy will find more "tropical"-looking trees (eg, royal palms) because the the Gulf moderates the cold air in winter. The water on calm days can be clear enough to see down quite a ways. It depends on the weather. Overall, the beaches are much more attractive than the central Florida Atlantic beaches. Waves are almost nil except during storms.

Lakeland is much closer to Tampa/St. Pete both timewise and mileage. Traffic on I-4 is very bad, particularly through metro Orlando.

Daytona is definitely a redneck area and downscale while Tampa/St. Pete beach areas tend to be a bit more upscale.

Busch Gardens is cool and has several great roller costers and rides. If you are 21+. they have FREE BEER!

Both beach areas feature attractive girls on the beach and very large numbers of overweight tourists.

Ybor City has many nightclubs. In the early 80's Ybor City used to be considered the area nobody dared drive through at night. Obviously, it has improved.

[Triple W]

Originally posted by Everglades W68:


Daytona is definitely a redneck area

That's what I like most about it.