|
Fort Lauderdale has eliminated the rowdy parties in favour of
families and Boomer visitors to it’s beautiful beaches
There’s
an old saying that it’s easier to get a reputation than it is to
live one down but Fort Lauderdale has risen to the challenge. Just over
20 years ago the city on the sunshine state’s southeast coast was
known as the Spring Break capital of North America, annually attracting
thousands of college students who widely indulged in hedonistic
revelry, alcohol, drugs and raucous behaviour causing significant
damage to hotels, beaches and public property. The yearly influx of
rabble rousing students escalated from the 1960s forward to 1985 when
Fort Lauderdale had had enough and restrictions were put in place that
sent Spring Breakers looking for more receptive venues.
Today the city that boasts one of the prettiest beachfronts in Florida
is no longer tarnished by a yearly spate of rowdiness. Instead it is
widely known as one of the sunshine state’s finest vacation
destinations with wide white sand beaches, a waterfront promenade,
miles of inland waterways and a host of other assets including its
gateway location to the Florida Everglades National Park. This vast
natural preserve covers well over a million acres and is one of the
great North American ecosystems where airboat and walking tours provide
visitors with an opportunity to observe exotic flora, a wide range of
bird species and indigenous wildlife such as alligators, water buffalo
and the Florida panther. For Canadian snowbirds, it’s good to
know that the best time to visit is during the winter dry season when
lower water levels make wildlife spotting easier and blood-thirsty
mosquitoes are gone.
The Everglades preserve is also home
to the native Seminole Indians tribe who have turned their Big Cypress
Reservation into one of the most visited attractions in the park. One
of the key highlights is the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum (meaning a place to
learn) considered one of the finest American Indian museums in the U.S.
|
Gondola tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Venice of America
|
This 5,000 sq. ft. repository chronicles the tribe’s history and
culture through film, rare artefacts and native craft demonstrations.
Other Reservation attractions include alligator wrestling shows and
snake handling demonstrations. Visitors can also take a swamp buggy
eco-tour led by Seminole guides, and for the ultimate experience, the
adventurous traveller can book an overnight stay on the Reservation
where accommodations are traditional, dorm-style Seminole lodges with
no electric or water.
While a day trip to the Everglades Park
is a worthy addition to a Fort Lauderdale holiday, it is by no means
the sole highlight. This is an exciting city where its pulse beats
strongest on Los Olas Boulevard, known in Fort Lauderdale lingo as “the
style mile.” This is a long, vibrant street lined with fashion
boutiques, art shops, restaurants, lively lounges, sidewalk cafes and
colourful nightlife.
Nicknamed the Venice of North America
because of its network of inland waterways, the city that boasts 77F
degree weather year-round is like a lot of popular vacation
destinations--so much to do within a limited time frame. In the case of
Fort Lauderdale, there are certain attractions that fall into the
must-experience category.
|
The Everglades are a short drive from Ft. Lauderdale
|
Among them is the world headquarters of the
International Game Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. Within the $32
million building that opened in 1999 there is everything fish-related
from a collection of antique fishing lures and rods to displays of
life-sized mounts of world record sport fish. There are interactive
fishing simulators where visitors get a chance to angle for marlin,
sailfish, tarpon and trout without ever getting wet. This is a modern,
state-of-the-art facility that is equally entertaining for adults and
children alike. For those who want the real deal, the city has an
abundance of outfitters who offer both deep sea and freshwater fishing
charters.
Fort Lauderdale is also the world headquarters for
the International Swimming Hall of Fame, keeper of the world’s largest
collection of aquatic memorabilia contained in a 7,500 sq. ft.
wave-shaped building. Among the plethora of displays are the Olympic
swimming medals won by Johnny Weissmuller, probably best remembered for
his movie role as Tarzan. Visitors who want a water experience without
the swimming will find there’s a host of charter companies offering
everything from ocean and inland waterway sightseeing tours to
outfitters offering guided kayak eco-adventures. There are even gondola
tours on the inland waterways aboard authentic gondolas imported from
Venice. Land lubbers can opt for a two-hour trolley tour that captures
all of Fort Lauderdale’s important sights including homes of the rich
and famous. Alternatively, the physically fit and agile can even opt to
book a Segway city tour.
Indeed, the town that proved it’s a
comeback kid has it all from eco-friendly activities to performing
arts, museums galore, casinos, abundant golf and every water-based
activity imaginable. Admittedly Florida is rife with great vacation
spots but Fort Lauderdale’s gateway to the Everglades and the city’s
incomparable inland waterways definitely give it an engaging edge.
TRAVEL PLANNER
See
www.sunny.org or call 1-800-22-SUNNY (1-800-227-8669) for more Fort
Lauderdale vacation information. See: www.nps.gov/ever/ for Florida
Everglades information.
|
