I live on the west coast of Florida. The Gulf of Mexico is pretty but we prefer the Atlantic. Daytona Beach is an amazing place. The beach is over 20 miles long! You can hang out by the boardwalk area which does do not allow cars (perfect for families with small children) or, you can drive your car for miles and miles on pristine, hard packed sand. I have never seen a piece of trash on the beach.
We prefer to stay at one of the many cute little motels that dot the coastline. I don’t like it when I have to take an elevator or walk through a lobby just to get to the beach. I like to open my motel room door and step onto the beach. We have stayed at the Sand Castle Motel and also at the South Shore Motel. Both are nice and clean and they greet you by name. Check out www.daytonabeach.com they have a lot of information on where to stay and things to do. We love Daytona Beach and go there about four times a year!