On Friday morning we took a boat tour of the New River and Intracoastal Waterway around Ft. Lauderdale. It was easy to see why Ft. Lauderdale is nicknamed both "The Venice of America" and "The Yacht Capital of the World." The tour took us past waterfront estates of the wealthy and famous. Many had docks right at their doorstep for their yachts. The narrator on the tour mentioned that we were not seeing many of the largest vessels. Since most insurance policies do not provide coverage for hurricanes, many owners will simply move their "toys" to the Mediterranean for the season. Since hurricane season is just a month away, those that were remaining were most likely either procrastinators or risk takers.
In the afternoon we went for a stroll on the "Broadwalk" along Hollywood beach. Yeah, we thought it was a typo, too, until we realized that it was a 2.5 mile promenade made of bricks and not the typical wooden variety. The area was a study in contrasts. New glass and steel 30-story condo buildings stood next to small two and three-story apartment buildings from the 1940s and 1950s and small "surf shacks" stood side-by-side with beach-front restaurants and tattoo parlors. The people utilizing the broadwalk were as diverse as the buildings -- bikers, joggers, in-line skaters in bikinis and octogenarians walking little lap dogs.
Saturday we continued down Florida State Route A1A along the coast through Miami Beach and South Beach. For most of the drive along Collins Ave., it was like driving through a tropical Manhattan with skyscrapers all along the way. In South Beach, however, the area's Art Deco flavor has been beautifully preserved. With over 800 buildings, the district claims the world's largest collection of Art Deco architecture. In "Little Havana", the Cuban section of Miami, we toured a cigar factory store which claimed to sell hand-made "Cuban" cigars. Since Cuban products are illegal in the U.S., it turns out that the cigars were rolled by Cuban ex-patriots from tobacco grown in Nicaragua from seeds originating in Cuba. So, effectively, the beginning and end of the product is Cuban. We stopped for lunch in Coconut Grove, a tree shaded neighborhood on Biscayne Bay. Its a trendy area with people strolling the narrow streets while visiting the various shops and outdoor restaurants.
Saturday evening we attended a Florida Marlins baseball game. Even though the Marlins have won two World Series championships, they seem to have trouble pulling in the crowds. On this clear, warm Saturday evening, they were only able to draw about 30,000 (although fairly vocal) fans.
I was feeling pretty good about our little homestead here in Fremont until I looked at those pics of the houses there. I guess if you're into water activities, that's the place to be. Does look beautiful though.
ReplyDelete