I spent a fair amount of time in Daytona (six years, between 1982 and 1988), and would like to give you an idea of what it used to be like when I was there. So, shall we start the trip from I-95 and U.S. 92, better known then as Volusia Avenue [now International Speedway Boulevard], and head east? I'll put the modern comparison in brackets....
Look over there, on the left--the Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge [LaQuinta Inn, the restaurant is now the Daytona Ale House] is there, and has been there since the early 1960's--if those walls could talk, I wonder what kind of stories you'd hear about Pops (Curtis Turner), Balls (Glen "Fireball" Roberts), Little Joe (Weatherly), and the rest of the NASCAR gang? They were some of the sport's early pioneers, not too far removed from--and some of them still working as--the 'shine runners who sometimes still ran an event or three every year. Close to the HoJo's is a Western Steer, a college fave simply because it has a soup/salad/food bar for about $3. Next door, if you want to go whole hog, is a Red Lobster...
The big sign across U.S. 92 says "Indigo Lakes". It is a huge country club with all the amenities. [Now, there sits a Holiday Inn Express where the big sign once sat.] Further down the north side of U.S. 92 is largely undeveloped property at this time, until you get by the speedway. A Dodge dealership, TraveLodge, and Pizza Hut stand just west of the speedway, a bit east of them sits a Sambo's [Now a Bob Evans], and a 7-11 is next to the Sambo's. [The TraveLodge is still there, but was totally rebuilt/refurbished recently. The Pizza Hut is gone, and a lot of new stores stand where it and the car dealer once sat.]
Further east, on the right, you can't help but see the shrine to speed known as the Daytona International Speedway. Right there, outside the speedway's Turn 1 and 2, and dwarfed by the speedway, is the Daytona Beach Kennel Club [now moved about 3 miles away, off the east end of the speedway]. The Kennel Club sponsored Junior Johnson's 1960 Daytona 500-winning 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne. The amazing thing you'll see is all the empty area along the front stretch outside the speedway. I remember parking spectator's cars at the 1983 running of the 24 hour race--then known, I believe, as the Daytona 24 Hour Pepsi Challenge--in that empty space. [Sometime in the late 1980's--maybe 1986--a couple of shopping plazas sprung up around the speedway. Another attraction that opened in the 1990's was Daytona USA, a NASCAR tourist draw where you could see the car that won the previous Daytona 500, play pit crew member, etc. It has recently been closed by new speedway chief Joie Chitwood III. Daytona USA was built in that empty space that used to be parking for the speedway.]
Off further to the left is Daytona Beach Regional Airport, the American Motorcycle Association offices, and a few of the off-site offices of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University--the University itself sits across the airport. [All of the university's off-site offices, including those in Bunnell, were consolidated into the new office building on campus known as Spruance Hall. Spruance Hall was damaged by a December 2006 tornado and subsequently razed.]
Across from the speedway is the Holiday Inn [Ramada Inn], another lodge that has seen a fair share of racers pass though. The bar in the lobby is Dr. BJ's, and Friday nights were All-You-Can-Eat Prime Rib for $4.95 [an Uno Chicago Grill now occupies the space]. Behind the hotel is the Volusia Mall, one of two malls in the city. The Volusia Mall is typical of the malls of the day--a Sears, JC Peney, Belk's, Walgreen's, and the ubiquitous mom-and-pop shops, along with the customary Camelot Records and Tapes and assorted restaurants scattered around (the Taco Viva, York Steak House, and Mr. Dunderbaks being college student favorites). Across Bill France Boulevard from the Holiday Inn, and set a bit off U.S. 92, you'll find the NASCAR offices [which have been razed and replaced with a modern high-rise type building, right next to the footbridge over International Speedway Boulevard], some more Embry-Riddle offices, and just to the west of them [where the Barnes and Noble stands now] is the Daytona Beach Jai-Alai fronton. A small shopping plaza also sits across from the Holiday Inn, and on the end [where the Ruby Tuesday's is now] is a pizza place--Mr. Gatti's--that must be the forerunner of all-you-can-eat pizza places like CiCi's. [A Friendly's now also sits in that plaza.]
Across the street (Coral Sea Drive) is a new place called Casa Gallardo, and their claim to fame is the $5 Friday Happy Hour food specials and their 48 oz fishbowl Margaritas. And yes, I went there a time or two...or three...thanks for asking. A new Olive Garden is just about ready to open next door. [Casa changed hands and names several times over the years--I believe it is now the Rio Bravo Cantina. The Olive Garden is still there, joined next door to a Hampton Inn that opened in the early 1990's. A bank also opened along that stretch on the south side of Volusia Avenue, and still operates today.]
Just past the mall is a Big Daddy's (known in that area as Carmichael's and another E-RAU favorite hang out, especially for the aviation maintenance students), a Sonny's BBQ, a few stores, a Denny's, and the McDonalds that serves a good percentage of meals to the E-RAU students. Behind the Mickey D's is a K-Mart plaza. In that plaza is a superb Italian place, Sorrento's. Next to it is HobbyCraft Junction, a small hobby shop. The owner is a jack of all hobbies, and he carries a fair stock of stuff. [With the K-Mart corporation's woes, the store is still there, but nothing like what it used to be. HobbyCraft Junction closed sometime around 1985, but I believe Sorrento's is there to this day. A new plaza was built next door, and it now sits largely empty. The Denny's is still there--like most Denny's, it will outlast us all.]
We'll turn right onto Clyde Morris Boulevard and head south. On the left is Mainland High School (remember, Daytona is separated by the Halifax River into the Mainland and beachside)[A new Mainland High campus was built to replace the older campus sometime in the early 2000's]. Next to the high school is the Volusia County Health Department. Some pretty interesting stories that "explained" the close relationship between the two were circulated, but I can't vouch for their authenticity. Further down, on the right, is the main entrance to Embry-Riddle. The entry lane is some funny looking asphalt--it used to be a taxiway. Right off of the entry lane is the University Center, the hub of the campus. Many an hour was spent studying, getting mail, buying books, and hanging out in that place. To save space here (and give me another batch of stories to share) I'll give you a tour of Embry-Riddle's campus--as it was from 1982-1988--later.
As we round the end of the runway on Clyde Morris, we approach the intersection with Bellevue Road. There's a cemetery, Daytona Memorial Park, that straddles Bellevue, and one of the local heroes buried there is none other than Fireball himself--Balls died after a fiery crash at the World 600 in Charlotte.
Continuing down the Clyde, off to the left is Camellia Court Apartments, my home for three of my six years in school. Further down is the next intersection with Beville Road. Across the intersection, to the southwest, is Pine Lakes, better known as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Apartment Complex 2. Hang a left, and off to the right is Louie's Pizza House, an Embry-Riddle favorite. Continue along, there's Nova Road where we'll hang a right. Down a few miles, we'll enter the Port Orange/South Daytona areas--but before we go all the way there, hang a right on Big Tree Lane. Off to the right, you see that fenced in compound? Look at all the H-34's! Officially, it is the Big Tree Extension of the Valiant Air Command, a group of warbird restorers based in nearby Titusville. The lot is owned by Harry Doan, himself a warbird enthusiast. [Harry died in an airplane crash in 1992. I was there helping to clear the wrecked airplane off the end of the runway at Titusville that weekend. The property was sold shortly after his death, and I'm not sure where all the helicopters went.]
Backtrack to Nova Road, and head south. Off to the left is another of the four decent hobby shops in the area, Sky LTD. [They closed around the time I graduated in 1988.] Hang a left on Dunlawton towards the beach. When you get to Ridgewood Avenue (U.S. 1), take a left. About five miles down is another favorite hobby shop, Ace Hobbies. The owner is a nice guy, wheelchair bound but a decent RC pilot. I used to sit and shoot the shit with him and the rest of the gang for hours--I didn't do RC, but the conversation was always good with Lou and the crew. [I believe that Ace is still there, either as Ace or under another name--it has been a while since I wandered around the area...if they've closed, it is a shame.]
Continue north on Ridgewood until you get to Orange Avenue. Hang a right, cross over the river, and here you are, beachside. A right turn will take you towards Ponce Inlet, the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, and Mac's Famous Bar. Mac's is another favorite watering hole of the early NASCAR pioneers--at one point in time, I had a complete set of service (beer mugs and tray) from Mac's. [Another victim of modernization in Daytona, Mac's closed and was torn down. I wonder what that set of service--if I still had it--would fetch on eBay?] About five miles past the Dunlawton intersection is a marker--it marks the North turn of the old Daytona beach/road course, where the stock car races were run until the speedway opened in 1959. You can still see the pilings driven into the ground that supported the grandstands--such as they were--and you can almost imagine the signs that Bill France, Sr. posted that read "Danger! Snakes!" to keep nonpaying fans from watching the race. The signs usually wound up getting trampled. [Another sign of the times--there now sits a small bar, appropriately named "The Famous North Turn Bar" on the site.]
The Ponce Inlet lighthouse (officially, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light and first known as the Mosquito Inlet Light--if you've been there in summer, you know why...) first lit the way to the inlet in 1887. It is 175 feet tall and light is provided by a first order Fesnel lens. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1982, and you can tour the lighthouse--for a small fee. Next door is the Fisherman's Wharf, complete with a watering hole for the fishermen (and thirsty college students)....
Back north along A1A, aka Atlantic Avenue, past Dunlawton and Orange Avenue (known as Silver Beach on this side of the river). On the right is 701South, one of Daytona's busier clubs, especially during Spring Break. Further along, you'll pass Broadview, aka Volusia Avenue. On the corner--left--is what now passes for a hotel, but in actuality it is a flop-house. Called the Streamline, the current condition of the place belies the fact that in 1947 a group of wheels in the racing community met at the bar on the top floor for a series of meeting that culminated in the birth of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. A shame that it is so run down. [It still isn't in the best health, and I'm surprised that NASCAR hasn't made efforts to restore and preserve the building.]
A little further down, and there's the Boardwalk and Pier. You can just make out the bandshell--during Spring Break, college students are treated to free concerts from the likes of Starship (after they lost their "Jefferson" and "Airplane"), Cheap Trick (they put on a great show in 1986 or thereabouts), Southside Johnny, A Flock of Seagulls, The English Beat, and so many others that I've not been able to remember. [Everything is still there to this day, and I'm sure it sees quite a few people even with Daytona not being as popular a Spring Break destination as it was in the day.]
The interesting part of the beach are all of the small 10- or 15-room motels along the strip. With names like Thunderbird, they've been there for years, and are still open for business. [Not any longer--most were torn down and now the huge Adam's Mark complex sits on the property. The Ocean Center, a convention center opened in 1987, sits across the street.]
We're only halfway down the Strip, but we've seen a lot. We'll continue the ride later on.
Until then, be good to one another. I bid you Peace.
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