By Lulu

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As all of us in Florida know, we are the luckiest bikers in the world. We have year round riding weather! We may get wet, we may be hot, and at times, even need to don our leathers; but we can always ride without snow tires! So our riding brethren from all those cold parts of the USA love to invade Volusia and Flagler Counties for Bike Week and Biketoberfest. But what many, even who reside here, may not know is we have more to offer than the beach and biker bars! We have polled Volusia and Flagler County resident bikers and asked them to tell us the best biker friendly bars, restaurants and the roads they love to ride. Many you will be familiar with and some may cause you to go off your beaten path while visiting.

We have more Biker Friendly Bars than probably any other area in Florida, the favored list is as follow. (Note that the ones highlighted in yellow have ads with Thunder Roads and I would really like to see you visit them!)

In Daytona: On Main St. the list is Main Street Station, Boot Hill Saloon, Dirty Harry’s and Froggy’s. We are proud to have a very classy new gentleman’s club Grandview Live on Grandview. Some of the favorites on 1 are Saints & Sinners, Iron Horse, and during Bike Week and Biketoberfest Broken’ Spoke. Chris’ Lounge on US 1 is part of Bike Week history. Off of Flomich is an old bar Rowsey’s and off of Beach St. is an even older beer and wine bar Walden’s. On A1A in Flagler Beach is Beach Front Grille where I tend bar and gaze at the Atlantic on Mondays and then Finn’s by the pier. Going west on 100 right at the pier in Flagler will take you to the Dog Pound Saloon which one of my best friends is the owner of. If you are here the last Sunday of Bike Week it is Dog Pound’s Survivor Party which includes a free BBQ! West of US 1 on CR 2006 is Bull Creek Fish Camp with a waterfront view. Finnegan’s Black Cloud Saloon is going north on US 1 in Bunnell.

My must do list for Bike Week includes 3 things! Willie’s Chopper Time on the last Thursday of Bike Week, the bikini contest at Main Street Station and a visit to the Cabbage Patch for coleslaw wrestling

Going south on US 1 you will run into the First Turn with a great outside deck and food and we have a new ad client just south of First Turn…The Boat Bar with a very nautical look and in New Smyrna Beach, Chase’s on the beach with a pool and ocean view and Pub 44.

Out in the western area of Volusia we have the infamous Cabbage Patch renowned for their Coleslaw Wrestling in Samsula. And in Deland OB’s and Rudy’s Crossroads both great watering holes and OB’s had great burgers.

Great places to eat that are not chains are listed as: First Turn (Port Orange) for steak & seafood, Beach Front Grille (Flagler Beach), OB’s for burgers, Woodie’s BBQ is known for its great BBQ! Brick Yard (Daytona), Lulu’s off Granada beachside, Babe’s Blue Room (Ormond Beach) and Iron Horse (Ormond Beach) for burgers and DB Pickles (Ormond Beach) for home cooked foods and excellent desserts. The best spots for sushi are Bamboo Garden and Ronin’s. And even though Blackwater Inn isn’t in Volusia County it is just east on 40 and has a great outside porch in the trees and I love the shrimp!

The roads we were told to travel are A1A going north of Granada for the unobstructed beach view. The Loop starting on Beach. Many enjoy riding through the Ocala National Forest.

No visit to Volusia County is complete for a biker without dropping in on Destination Daytona. Just browsing makes it a great place to spend a few hours. Places to make stops that may not be your typical biker destination, but things we think are worth your time are The Lighthouse in Ponce Inlet, take a ride ON the beach in Daytona (don’t forget to wash the salt off), the Speedway in Daytona, Tomoka State Park with the old Fairchild Oaks and the statue of Chief Tlmokie, Bulow Ruins, visit the manatees in Blue Springs, the city of Deland has a historic downtown area and you can cook your own breakfast at DeLeon Springs. Our county also has golf, horsebackriding, sky diving, boat rentals, camping and fishing expeditions.

Many of the bars in our areas have bike nights and free BBQ to thank their biking patrons for choosing them as their riding destination. We offer wonderful homegrown musical talents so find a “Cool Joint” after a long day of riding and relax or dance the night away. And thank you for visiting Volusia and Flagler!