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46 love it!

y stomach lurched as the speedometer reached a buttock-clenching 160 miles per hour, forcing

my cheeks – all four of them – to judder furiously.

As someone who can’t even drive – and doesn’t know one end of a gear stick from the other, let alone how to use the brakes – riding in a stock car as it hurtles round one of the most famous speedway tracks in the world probably isn’t a good idea.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the one behind the wheel. ‘Hang on,’ the driver said, as he took the car on two wheels along the banks of the NASCAR track.

Being driven in a car leaning at a 31-degree angle is breathtaking – and I’m proud to say, I loved every

teeth-grinding minute of it. My only problem was getting out, as I had to climb through the window – not easy when you’re wearing a huge helmet.

Tom Cruise, in the racing movie Days of Thunder, made it look so easy.

The Richard Petty Driving Experience is just one of the attractions on offer at the Florida beachside resort of Daytona.

riding the waves Famous for its motorsports, Daytona is just an hour’s drive from Disney World, so it’s ideal for a two-centre holiday.

It boasts a 23-mile stretch of golden sand, so there are loads of water sports to try out.

Ever since watching Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves do battle in Point Break, I’ve wanted to learn to surf.

So I couldn’t wait to get on a board. I managed to stand on it OK, but I fell off within 10 seconds. ‘You gotta paddle,

dude,’ the super-fit instructor told me, for what felt like the 100th time.

But it was all I could do to stay on the blimmin’ thing without going sunny-side up. And forget trying to stand – the waves were far too strong for a surf virgin like me.

Wipeout? Washout, more like.And when I started drifting in the

direction of Cuba, a salty surfer (who could well have been one of the original Beach Boys) helped me back on my surfboard (no mean feat) and ferried me across to the rest of my group.

But after swallowing what felt like gallons of saltwater, and getting a pounding from the waves, I had to admit defeat.

Instead, I watched enviously as my friend’s 10-year-old daughter skimmed effortlessly over the surf.

Luckily, there are lots of other things to do in Daytona that don’t

require quite so much physical effort.You can really slow things down

on a manatee cruise – the best time to go is early in the morning, when you’re more like to catch a glimpse of these shy, giant mammals.

If you’re feeling energetic, climb to the top of the impressive Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse for a gull’s-eye view of the area.

ditch the diet For culture of a different kind, the Museum of Arts & Sciences boasts an impressive array of paintings, photos and classic cars. There’s even a couple of vintage trains to explore.

And there’s an open-air stage right next to the sea. It’s so romantic.

Forget dieting in Daytona – most of the food available is fast and fried. But make sure you visit the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant, which

M

Everybody’s going surfing

… in daytona Beach, Florida – the perfect destination for an action-packed holiday that takes in disney world, too

love it! 47

is themed on the movie Forrest Gump. The seafood is great, and the cocktails are amazing, too.

Order very carefully, though. Starters aren’t necessary because the main courses are huge.

And as Forrest would say, life’s a box of chocolates, so stop off at the Angell & Phelps chocolate factory for a tour and free samples. They’re delicious.

After five days, it was time to say goodbye to Daytona and hello to Mickey Mouse, as we checked into Disney World’s elegant Yacht & Beach Club resort.

Still feeling the need for speed, we opted for some more high-octane, edge-of-your-seat thrills.

The rides we braved included the exhilarating Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road, the nausea-inducing (for me, at any rate)

next week love it!’s trisha in dubai

Spend one week in Disney World

Florida and one week in Daytona

Beach with Travel City Direct,

from only £729 per person. Departing on selected dates in

June and September, the price

includes return flights from London Gatwick, seven nights’

room-only at Disney’s Yacht &

Beach Club Resort, seven nights’

room-only at the Plaza Resort &

Spa in Daytona, and 14 nights’ car

hire with third party insurance.Departures from Manchester

Airport start from £769 and £779

per person respectively. All prices are based on four

people sharing a room.Seven-day Disney tickets are

also pre-bookable with Travel

City Direct, priced from as little as

£168 per adult and £148 per child.

For further information about

booking a holiday with Travel City

Direct, call 0871 911 2415, or log

on to www.travelcitydirect.com.For further information

on Disney World Florida, call 0870 242 4900, or visit www.disneyworld.co.uk.

For more information on Daytona Beach, call the brochure

line on 020 7932 2471, or log on

to www.daytonabeach.com.

daytona fact file Expedition Everest and the very cute It’s a Small World…

OK, so It’s a Small World isn’t really fast. But after all that excitement, I needed to relax. And in my book, this gentle boat ride is a Disney must-do.

A fairytale ending After all those heart-stopping moments, we chilled out by exploring the natural world at Animal Kingdom.

Then it was time for some more rides, including the Turtle Talk with Crush ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (which has a life-size model of Johnny Depp, swoon!), Peter Pan’s Flight, and the brilliant Soarin’, which makes you feel as if you’re flying over California.

Our Florida holiday finished with a beautiful firework display at Epcot.

You get the best of both worlds on a two-centre holiday – and twice the fun. n

‘You’ll feel on top of the world on disney’s Expedition Everest’

‘disney’s classy Yacht & Beach Club resort’

‘hurtling round the NAsCAr track will take my breath away – if I can get my helmet on first’

travel

‘tom Cruise raced the NAsCAr circuit in days of thunder’

‘Keanu reeves as the ultimate surfing dude in point Break’