Kick off the car racing season at Daytona International Speedway this January with speed and throw in a little sand by enjoying a beach vacation on Daytona Beach. Start things off at the ultimate racing fan experience NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest Jan. 20 – 22, 2011. Not only will fans have the opportunity to see their favorite drivers but they’ll see them on Daytona’s new racing surface. For the second time in its history, the racetrack will be repaved and will be ready for Speedweeks 2011 and the 53rd Daytona 500. NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest is for the ultimate racing fan with forums, autograph sessions, silent auction and entertainment.

The following weekend is the 49th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona (Jan. 29 – 30) with 24 hours of car racing fun on and off the track. Racing stars scheduled to appear include Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya,  Danica Patrick and Scott Pruett. When needing a break from the speed, take a ride on the largest Ferris Wheel on the East Coast, take a walk down racing memory lane at the Daytona Heritage Exhibition in the Sprint FANZONE, take a tour of the garage for the smell of rubber and sounds of blaring engines, and grab your favorite driver’s autograph.

Feb. 12, 2011 it’s the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, season opener for the ARCA Racing Series. See the racing stars of tomorrow go round and round the track for 80 laps. But wait, it’s a racing doubleheader with the Budweiser Shootout All-Star Race later that night. The next day, Feb. 13, is the Daytona 500 Qualifying Presented by Kroger.

Later in the week on Feb. 17 it’s the Gatorade Duel and the next day it’s the NextEra Energy Resources Camping World Truck Series 250 (Feb. 18). And this isn’t called Speedweeks for nothing, Feb. 19 is the DRIVE4COPD300  race with the pinnacle of races on Sunday, Feb. 20, the Daytona 500.

Ready for the thrill of Daytona? Find information on Speedweeks on the Daytona International Speedway site and let Resort Rentals, Intl., find your affordable Daytona Beach accommodations.

Another Guinness World Record has been broken and we hope it doesn’t make the previous holders cry. In recognition of World Smile Day® on Oct. 1, 2010, five hundred smiling people from across the globe traveled to Orlando to set the Guinness World Record for the biggest smiley face.

The travelers forming the 50-feet smiley face hailed from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Brazil and were flown in for the event by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau. They were some of the storytellers behind the 20,000 smile stories collected by the Orlando CVB on the site, VisitOrlando.com/smile.

The world’s largest smiley face was nearly the size of a basketball court and participants dressed in yellow and black ponchos. They stood shoulder to shoulder for ten minutes atop the top parking deck of the new Amway Center mega arena, home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic. We assume everyone was smiling for the duration of the event.

“With our world-famous theme parks and more than 100 attractions, we thought we might just be the smile capital of the world.  Now, it’s official,” explained Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando CVB.  “We have a world record and world travelers from the four corners of the globe told us that no other destination creates unique smile moments and memories like Orlando for families and friends to share for a lifetime.”

During the year-long World Smile Search campaign, the Orlando CVB also raised $19,825 for the charitable organization, Smile Train.  The donations will be used to provide more than 70 cleft lip or cleft palate surgeries for children so that they can smile.  Some of the children who have benefited from Smile Train’s work joined the smile ambassadors from all over the world at the record-breaking event.

We know what makes you smile so when planning your Orlando vacation, check out the affordable accommodations Resort Rentals Intl. has to offer.

Key West’s funky, eclectic flavor will be amplified during Fantasy Fest 2010 when the Florida island destination is transformed into this year’s theme, “Habitat for Insanity,” Oct. 22 -31, 2010. The over-the-top extravaganza will entice participants to leave their cares behind in exchange for a fantastical escape. During the 10-day long festival, revelers can party in more than 40 masquerade balls, costume contests and celebrations with a dazzling parade with large floats and costumed marching groups being the Fantasy Fest highlight.

A Royal Coronation Ball kicks off festivities on Oct. 22 when the king and queen of the “habitat” are crowned. A Goombay street party in the Bahama Village neighborhood is scheduled for Friday and Saturday of that same weekend and celebrates Key West’s Caribbean roots.

Additional festivities include the “Diagnosis Psychosis” Headdress Ball (Tuesday) with prizes for best masks, feathered turbans and other cranium covers; Pretenders in Paradise costume competition (Thursday) when entrants will don glittering costumes and dance under the stars; Fantasy Fest Street Fair (Friday), an ideal time for Key West vacationers who did not bring Fantasy Fest attire can pick up a feathered mask or just enjoy food and libations followed by the Masquerade March through Key West’s Old Town.  Monster’s Ball, a rowdy toga party, tea dances, sensual after-dark soirees and exuberant themed costume contests top off Fantasy Fest celebrations.

If vacation time is limited, plan your Key West Fantasy Fest trip around the Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade in Key West’s historic downtown on Saturday, Oct. 30. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to gather around for a spectacle which usually includes Caribbean bands, fantabulously decorated floats including a 40-foot mechanical shark, and feather-bedecked marching groups. Being Key West, be prepared for other visual surprises.

The complete Fantasy Fest event schedule can be found at www.fantasyfest.net or call 305-296-1817. Be sure to let us assist you in finding the best value lodging in Key West during your fantastical vacation.

Image Source: Screen Shot of Official Fantasy Fest Website