Stories by Donna Kessler
Times Herald-Record

Daytona Bike Week is one of the biggest biker parties of the year. It ranks right up there with Laconia and Sturgis.

Many of you have taken the pilgrimage to Daytona for many years, others may have gone there for only a couple of years and some may have never gone at all, but would like to some day. No matter which one of these you are (I'm the "couple of years" person, myself) you pick up your favorite biker magazine to get all your Daytona happenings, photos and, most importantly, the stories.

Well, I attended Daytona Bike Week 2006 two weeks ago, and I'm bringing the events, photos and stories - basically bringing Bike Week - back to you as I have seen it.

I fly. Yep, I fly. Now wait a minute - let me explain. I love to ride my Harley, don't get me wrong. But I love to enjoy myself when I ride it. Bike Week is just too congested for me, and I've seen too many bikes on flatbed trucks. I'd like to live long enough to go to Bike Week next year. If you want to fly down like me but feel a little slighted because you're not riding a Hog like everyone else, Orlando Harley-Davidson rents out Harleys. You can rent a Super Glide for $47 for three days.

The Holiday Inn on International Drive in Orlando which is alot cheaper compared to the $200 a night that it can cost you for a hotel room down in Daytona. Plus, I get to sleep at night. Orlando is 50 miles from Daytona. It's really not that far, since it's a straight shot right down Interstate 4; just don't go during morning rush hour. My entire package which included car, hotel and airfare for 4 days came to $718 for 2 people thanks to my travel agent Lorraine Mansfield at Liberty Travel in Middletown.

Also, Bike Week is not only in Daytona. It stretches in a triangle from Orlando to New Smyrna Beach to Ormond Beach and back to Orlando. Our first night, we were entertained by the Charlie Daniels Band at Orlando Harley-Davidson for free. Many of the concerts that take place during Bike Week are free. Check your guide.

When we get stuck in the traffic going into Daytona is when I get my best pictures on my trusty digital camera. Yep, that's me hangin' out the window to get the perfect shot of that Boss Hoss V-8 bike stopped in the lane next to us. I even caught a glimpse of Billy Lane on his custom coming down the road the opposite way. Don't get frustrated in slow-moving traffic; see it as a photo opportunity.

You better believe that motorcycles rule during Daytona Bike week. Not many places to park the four-wheel vehicles, but there are places available if you know where to find them. There is a parking garage right down the street from Main Street in Daytona Beach, and it costs only $10 for the day, $5 for bikes. On the other side of the bridge, right down Beach Street, is a business that allows you to park your car for $5, and it's only a short walk to all the vendors.

Many of the biker magazines publish a Daytona Survival Guide that contains listings for hotels, restaurants and events. There is usually a map in the center of these guides. I got mine out of Hot Bike magazine and marked the days we were going to be there and the events I wanted to go to. They also have little pocket guides in many of the stores on Main Street. These are really handy.

This is my second year going to Daytona Bike Week. Yes, I'm a "newbie," and every year I become a little more experienced on how to get around. The maps and guide books are my bibles.

This is how I survive Daytona Bike Week. Others may do it differently. To each his own, but ya know what ... we had a blast, and that's what matters most!

Billy Lane: Extraordinaire