Daytona Bike Week

Bob has been wistfully wishing for a trip to Daytona Beach Bike Week as long as I've known him, but he has never had any bikers to go with, and, besides, it's quite an effort to trailer motorcyles to Daytona. Plan B -- taking a day to visit Daytona -- was never an option until this year, as our trips to central Florida have never before coincided with Bike Week.

Our visit was iffy until the sky began to clear sometime after 8 AM and we decided the trip was a "go". It was an easy ride on 95 and we turned off onto International Speedway Drive shortly after 10. We had been to Daytona many years ago, when Chris was a middle schooler, and I was amazed then at the NASCAR subculture that dominates the city. Touring the speedway triggered an interest in racing, and I enjoy watching the Daytona 500, or at least the beginning and the end of the race.

During Bike Week, the speedway is taken over by motorcycle racing and other bike activities. We arrived early enough to park close to the apparel and accessory vendors, and we enjoyed walking around simply enjoying the sights and making a few purchases. I was a little worried about my slow walking in this quick paced environment, but the weather reduced the number of participants so I was just fine.

It was quite a thrill to be able to ride through the tunnel onto the infield. Unfortunately, we couldn't go around the track (something Bob would really love to do in his Corvette). It was fun to be back in that large space that was the site of the Daytona 500 only a few weeks ago, though the famous speedway could use a major makeover.

After we left the speedway, we crossed the bridge to Daytona Beach and drove around a little. The city was much less congested that it had been all those years ago, when we came here for the first time. There were bikes and bikers everywhere, from all over the USA and Canada. We rode down Main Street, and I took pictures blindly, hoping to capture something of the excitement of being here.

Bob looked in vain for the "hot biker babes", as seen on TV. In fact, the crowd looked very old to me, and neither babes nor good looks among the AARP crowd were very much in evidence. Of course, the weather is so cold that the beautiful bikers may either be covered up, or passing on Bike Week this year. We both enjoyed the day we spent at the 69th Bike Week.