Day two was for Daytona. It's a classic spring break destination, and now I know why!
Sunny and warm, Daytona Beach has restaurants, shopping, clubs, and a boardwalk where all the action happens. My friends and I were surprised at how little beach area there was at high tide, and wondered how anyone could lay out and not get washed away. We wandered downtown and discovered the stretch of beach lined by the fanciest hotels. This was the Daytona Beach I had heard stories about.
Kelsey, Juliet, and I had a great time there!
The entire area was packed with college students. Tanning, talking, dancing, drinking - you name it, everyone was trying to have a good time. Toward the center of the strip, some frat had set up speakers to blast music. It was like being in a crowded house party without the house.
We danced, we talked to people, and eventually we went to relax in the sun. We got to meet people’s dogs, one man’s cat, and tons of other students. That night, we went out again, and the streets were like a block party, so many people were out and about. Everyone was extremely social, and everyone had something to share.
Two guys we walked with told us the story of how they made it there but were broke because of it -- apparently their flight attendant friend booked their plane tickets for them but messed up. One told me, “I said to get DAB, not DAY! This idiot got us tickets to Dayton, Ohio, so we were on our own.”
Later, another guy came up to us. “Can I walk with you?” he asked. “I lost my friends and they have my phone.” It turned out he was a lost, drunk, gay dancer who didn’t want to walk alone. We were on the way back to our car, so we offered him a ride back to his hotel. He kept refusing, saying that we were too nice but we didn’t have to do that for him. He told us the name of the hotel, saying it was right up the street and he could walk there. We looked it up and it was three miles away, and then it began to rain. I couldn’t stand the thought of him walking in that, and we were determined to give him a ride. Juliet, in a flash of inspiration, said, “Hey, do you want some vodka? Get in our car and we’ll give you some!”
I realize how sketchy it was that we used the idea of alcohol to lure him into our car, but he jumped in when he heard that. We distracted him by letting him play whatever music he wanted, and I drove him back to his hotel with Fergalicious on repeat. That was the end of my time as a well-intentioned kidnapper.
We also met an aggressive Canadian, a pizza guy offering free samples of weed and pizza, and a girl who convinced a pilot to let her fly his plane. Some things were less expected than others. We moved on the next day, but I would definitely hit Daytona Beach for spring break again sometime!
xo,
Cecilia