LauderBlog

I live in Dania Beach near one of Greater Fort Lauderdale's best parks - John U. Lloyd Beach State Park. I mean, I live really near the park, about a mile or less. Walking distance. I've been there many times over many years. Been there for picnics with groups of friends. Been there for romantic outings with someone special. Been there on my own to commune with nature. I've gone to John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in mid-afternoon on major holidays when the place was packed and I've visited in the evening for a sea turtle search when it was nearly empty. But recently this wonderful park became even better. That's because a popular rock jetty just re-opened to the public after being closed for nearly eight years.

What's the big deal about some rock jetty? This particular pile of rocks makes up the southern end of the Port Everglades Inlet along the very edge of the Atlantic Ocean. And this particular rock pile is more than a rock pile. They've constructed a paved walkway over those rocks, with railings and several areas for the disabled to easily fish from shore.

Visitors are enthused about the re-opening. This jetty allows folks to feel a connection with the sea, very near the splash of waves and whirl of currents. It also brings them up close and personal with the ships that pass through this inlet. Huge ships, many of these vessels. We're talking about standing just 20 yards from military ships and tankers and cruise ships - including the two largest cruise ships in the world. Those, of course, would be the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas. This isn't something many people get to experience, watching these giants at such a short distance away as they sail into and out of Fort Lauderdale. If you're really lucky, you may even spot a submarine just off shore. It happens sometimes on this John U. Lloyd/Dania Beach stretch of sand when our U.S. Navy holds exercises around here. Or you may come across a sea turtle nest or ... who knows? John U. Lloyd Beach State Park is a lovely oceanside setting that adjoins Greater Fort Lauderdale's most natural beach, right here in Dania. The park is a great destination for that group picnic or romantic outing, to commune with nature or to do whatever else. For more information, check out this link: http://www.floridastateparks.org/lloydbeach/ Or just go explore for yourself, including a stop at the new jetty walkway. That walkway can't float you out on the sea, obviously, but it can help you feel as if you're on the water for a while.
(Photo courtesy of http://coastalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Jetty_Lars-Dugaiczyk_flickr.jpg)

The first of the summer holidays is nearly upon us. Incredible, eh? And in Greater Fort Lauderdale, this means some good things. It means the seas are warmer now, more inviting to locals like me. It means long, languid days and breezy tropical nights, a time for our lightest fabrics and an ample supply of sunscreen. And it means bargains, of course, including this website's Super Summer Savings all the way through September. You can check out these two-for-one deals by clicking here: http://www.sunny.org/supersummer/. Even aside from this special offer, the summer prices in South Florida commonly are lower than during the winter season. Hotels, restaurants, attractions - many of them run warm weather bargains of their own. But summer in the Fort Lauderdale area isn't just about hotter days and cooler pricing. 

As we approach Memorial Day, other things shift into summer mode as well. We see a lot more of the kids during this time of year, parents with all the children from places nearby and places far away here for the summer fun. This is a great destination for a family vacation.

Not only our Blue Wave beaches but also attractions such as Butterfly World and the Bonnet House, the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science and the Young at Art Children's Museum. Kids always love a visit to the Everglades too, a chance to ride an airboat and scout the shallow waters for alligators. Or a trip to Flamingo Gardens, where they can see alligators in captivity along with panthers, otters and more than 70 bird species among other creatures. For more kid-friendly ideas, click on this link: http://www.sunny.org/visitors/just-for-kids/ There's no shortage of family options. Just as during other summers in the recent past, some of those families will be locals. So will some of the singles and couples who make like tourists, folks such as me who want a close-to-home vacation simply for much-needed R & R. Staycations have become popular, obviously fueled in part by economic realities. But only in part. I'm a staycation veteran and really relish those opportunities to feel like a visitor on my own home turf. My girlfriend and I usually go for a week somewhere on the beach, mixing a bit of work in among the play but mostly kicking back to savor the sultry summer together. It's a no-stress vacay where our getaway is half an hour from our front doors. We're hoping to make that happen again in 2012. We won't be alone, believe me. The locals often will mingle among the out-of-towners at the top spots during this coming summer season. And whether we live in Detroit or Dania Beach, Helsinki or Hallandale, we'll all be having just as much South Florida summery fun.

The best way to see Fort Lauderdale is from the water. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Well, I just did say it again, huh? But seriously, I think too many tourists still don't hop one of our rides around the city's waterways when they stay here on vacay. There are lots of options for this. The classic Jungle Queen Riverboat, for one. Or go high end and rent a luxury yacht. You can even catch a modified gondola for your float around town. But for the purposes of today's blog, I'm going to suggest the Water Taxi because it's inexpensive, accessible and allows you to hop on and off pretty much at will. Here's a good link for info about schedules and prices: http://www.watertaxi.com/

For this particular trip, you'll also need a decent camera. Ok, sure you have a camera in your phone. But for some really memorable pics of waterside Fort Lauderdale, bring along something a bit better. We're going on a short voyage intended as a great photo opportunity.

You see, I like to point out perspectives of Greater Fort Lauderdale that the semi-serious shutterbug might not think to capture. I have in mind someone who enjoys taking quality snaps to show the folks back home, not a pro photographer by any means but a talented, interested amateur. This person may not realize all the photo possibilities that will reveal themselves on a Water Taxi ride, angles and vantage points that would make them wish they had more than an iPhone. A really good zoom will come in handy, for instance. You could pass a private dock that's casting a fascinating reflection on the New River, maybe, or spot some wealthy homeowners sipping cocktails on their canalside patio. Zoom in tight enough and you come away with a terrific shot. The play of light and shadow on the water, the tropical foliage, the mansions and the yachts tied up beside those mansions - all these things and many more will present you with Fort Lauderdale shots most of your friends would never get. On the Water Taxi, you also can make a stop for some landside photographs if you want. Or maybe for a cocktail of your own in between sessions behind the lens. South Florida is a wonderfully photogenic place. And within South Florida, Fort Lauderdale is among the top spots for picture-taking. But within Fort Lauderdale, the canals and rivers provide some of the loveliest photo ops you'll find. The Water Taxi is an affordable, simple way to explore those waterways, with another surprising photograph always waiting for you just around the next bend.

I also was fascinated to learn that this same area apparently was used for a United States Army fort constructed in 1839. The scientists unearthed more than 200 items during their dig on the beach. Musket balls, Army buttons, posts used to build the fort.

One official was quoted as saying this spot now would rank in the top five historical sites in Florida. There's even an effort to include that small section of the beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Kinda cool, don't you think? I do. Greater Fort Lauderdale already offers tourists and locals alike so much, in many different ways. Great weather of course, along with luxe hotels and celebrity chef restaurants, casinos and nightlife, attractions both natural and manmade. The new archeological finds add yet another layer to all this. Next time you're walking along the Fort Lauderdale beach, try to imagine what the place must have been like in 1200 A.D. - or even in 1839, for that matter. No seaside condos, no cafes by the wave wall. No concrete of any kind. And no traffic, no bicycles, no umbrellas. Only a raw wilderness and miles of untrodden sand, with sea life for food as well as plants and animals inland to supplement their diets. This was no tropical paradise back then, certainly, but a hot, harsh environment that would have challenged even those hardy people. Still, it must have been very beautiful. If you sit on that stretch of Fort Lauderdale Beach Park today, very near the ocean while facing the sunrise, it's possible to transport yourself back to those days in your mind. A pleasant thought, for sure. But you know what? I'm happy to return quickly to the modern Fort Lauderdale beach instead, thank you very much. I'll take a café and beach umbrella over musket balls and Army buttons any day.

I'm leaving later this week on a trip. But I'll be back in South Florida before too long. And I'm glad, very glad, about that. After nearly 23 years in Greater Fort Lauderdale, I feel that this has become my tropical home, the one spot on the map to which I'm always happy to return. It's nice to have that feeling. For me it's very different than my experiences during some other times of my life, in some other places. Not that I disliked those times or places. Not at all. I love Vermont to this day, for example, and I'll forever feel a strong gravitational pull toward the city where I was born and raised, Detroit. But I've lived in South Florida far longer at this point than anywhere else. And somehow this land of coconut palms and sea breezes and SPF 45 is comfortable for me now.

Comfortable, yes, but also as exciting as ever. More exciting maybe, enhanced by the transformation of Fort Lauderdale into a chic, multi-dimensional travel destination. This is not the same city I found when first arriving here in the summer of 1989.

There was no Hard Rock complex then. And there was no Ritz-Carlton either, no W or Atlantic hotels, no Hilton on the beach. Greater Fort Lauderdale couldn't tout restaurants owned by celebrity chefs or boast about a Las Olas Boulevard with something appealing for almost everyone. We weren't one of the largest, busiest cruise ports in the world in 1989, attracting voyagers from around the planet. Truth be told, this was a charming but still somewhat sleepy satellite to Miami. But that has changed. And I embrace those changes. At the same time, our culture has become even more diverse, offering new Latin and Caribbean and Asian pleasures among others. Asia is where I'm heading soon - China, South Korea and Japan for a travel writing assignment. I adore Asia, truly, and I'm sure I'll relish my time there as I have before. I'll be going to new places on this journey, including a planned excursion to the Great Wall. Meanwhile, you'll be reading a few blogs I've written for this space in advance of my trip. But I will be heading back in just two weeks or so. I'll let you know how it was over there when I return. I can assure you of one thing already, though, based on all my previous travels from South Florida. No matter how great it may be there, I will be most happy to come home to my everyday life here in the tropics. Yeah, that's a very nice feeling indeed.
(Photo courtesy of http://facebook.com/ftlauderdalesun).

There are, it seems, apps for everything. Including apps for your visit to Greater Fort Lauderdale. There also are apps for making custom greeting cards and for converting foreign currency figures into dollar amounts. There are apps for recipes and apps for airports and there's even an app for locating your iPhone when it's lost. One day soon, no doubt, we will be offered an app that will tell us if we're in love - and when to propose. How did we ever survive all those long years before the arrival of the app? By the way, you'll find the Greater Fort Lauderdale apps
I mentioned at this link: http://www.sunny.org/visitors/apps/. Now comes another addition to the growing collection of local tourist applications. This time it's a useful app for guests, or even locals, who get around on those cute Sun Trolleys. 

So what is this Sun Trolley application and how will it change your life in oh-so-many ways? The app is called the Sun Trolley Tracker, a real-time system that tells you exactly where your next Sun Trolley is and when it will swing by to pick you up.

No more standing around wondering if you missed the Sun Trolley by two minutes. No more asking strangers if they know when the next Sun Trolley will arrive. No more waiting in the sunshine longer than needed for your ride - now you can go sip another glass of chilled wine before the Sun Trolley rolls into view. Hey, if those things don't change your life in oh-so-many ways, well ... at least life will be more convenient when you're hopping on and off your preferred mode of transport. And why wouldn't the Sun Trolley be your preference? It's convenient, inexpensive and kinda fun too. The brand new app is available for both Android and Apple phones. And here's the link for your free download: http://www.suntrolleytracker.com/qr/generic.php. If you're not familiar with Sun Trolleys, they are buses that look like street cars, painted all sunny yellow and orange. They have no set stops. It's just a wave system, as in: You wave at the driver and the driver stops for you. Pretty darned simple. Lots of Sun Trolley routes are totally free and many others cost only 50 cents a ride. They can shoot you down to the beach, over to Las Olas, around downtown and more, each trolley fully wheelchair accessible and equipped with a rack for your bike. So now you know. You know why folks might prefer the Sun Trolley and you also know why they might enjoy the new Sun Trolley Tracker app. I think it makes a lot of sense. On the other hand, I can't figure out why anyone would need an app to locate a lost iPhone. But maybe that's just me.

They're back. It's been five years but the military jets and the civilian aerobatic planes and the skydiver teams all will be here again. The Lauderdale Air Show runs April 28-29, this Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 4 pm each day. You can check out the complete slate of performers and times at this link: http://lauderdaleairshow.com/schedule/ It's a pretty impressive roster. Like, how about the Navy Seals Leap Frogs parachute team? Or the Black Diamond Jet Team? Or fly-bys from a B-1 bomber? Or an amazing routine by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as they pull some heavy Gs in their F-16 fighter jets? That's only a very partial list, by the way. Four hours worth of sky high demonstrations by some of the top flight performers in the world.

These beachside air shows always draw huge crowds of locals and tourists alike. And yes, I did say beachside. It's been a while since the last event so you may not recall that Fort Lauderdale devotes the city's absolute primo location to its big air shows. The Fort Lauderdale beach. Nothing like hanging out for the afternoon in the sunshine. On the sand. Near the ocean. And just in case that's not exciting enough for you, there's some free entertainment too.

Really, really good free entertainment. I've seen Fort Lauderdale's air and sea shows many times over the years. They've always offered some fairly spectacular stuff to see. The 2012 version should be no exception, well worth a trip to the beach. Actually, if you're anywhere in the general vicinity of Fort Lauderdale this weekend you're likely to catch a portion of the flying. Some of these jets need a large amount of air space to carry out their maneuvers, making low passes over a wide swath of Broward County. I think it's all very cool. If you glance through that online schedule at the link above, you'll find the celebration beginning today, with a welcome party for the performers at Shooters Waterfront Café. And it's open to the public, as is the next night's Air Show Take Off Party at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Yep, they're back all right. The jets and the jumpers and all the rest. Fort Lauderdale pretty much rocks it on most weekend nights anymore. There's no shortage of things to do, places to go, parties to join. But during this last weekend in April, things around our town will be more rocket than rock it. Just look up once in a while. You'll know they're around. 

South Florida's weather today is just about perfection. Temps in the 70s mostly, the sky brilliantly cloudless. And up north? I hate to say I told you so ... But, well, I told you so. On February 1, I wrote my own bloggy weather prediction as a counterpoint to Phil-the-Groundhog's shadowy prognostications. Here is what I said then: "I'm seeing into a future with a late winter/early spring snowstorm for sure. A big one, just when everyone thinks warmer weather is right around the corner." So, have you looked at the weather map yet today? But relieved self-congratulation aside, I have a more serious reflection about our gorgeous Florida weather and the people who come down here for it. That's because two of those people were my parents. For years, they made an annual trek to stay with friends and with me for a large chunk of the winter.

My dad was a great guy who loved the heat and sun. And hated snow. Always did, for as long as I can remember. So he relished their escape from the icy bitterness of Chicago to the summery comfort of Florida. My mom was no big fan of snow either, really, though she appreciated the beauty of a new snowfall - much as she appreciated the majesty of the sea from a South Florida beach. Anything in nature was utterly fascinating to my mother.

I mention all of this for a reason. A couple of reasons, actually. First, as a small tribute to my parents, who both are gone now. My mother, Elizabeth Jeanette Knotts, passed away just one week ago. My father, John William Knotts, died back in 2004. Both lived long lives, and fortunate lives in many ways. They had the chance to travel extensively around the United States, for one thing. They lived in several states, for another. Both enjoyed extraordinary health for the most part and each made many lifelong friends along the way, folks attracted to them for their genuine love of people and full-throated love of laughter. But the second reason for these thoughts today is that I see so many other visitors who come to Florida just as my parents did all those years: to savor the tropical climate, yes, but also to enhance the quality of their lives. To these tourists, Florida is more than a big sunlamp in the sky and a huge length of sand beside the water. It's a piece of the good life. It is lush golf courses in January and fresh-squeezed orange juice each winter morning. It is shortsleeve shirts and sundresses instead of bulky parkas and long underwear. For my dad and mom, Florida was an opportunity to soak up a lifestyle that they couldn't afford all year round. My parents never had any real money. But for several weeks each year, Florida helped them to feel as if they were rich.
(Photo taken 4/23/12, courtesy of http://twitter.com/ftlauderdalesun)

So what's it like to fly inside a supersonic military jet? I can tell you. My adventure seems especially relevant just now as the Lauderdale Air Show gets ready for rollout on April 28 - 29. Next week, I'll give some details about this year's four-hour beachside extravaganza, which includes the Navy Seals and Air Force Thunderbirds. But for now, how about riding along with me inside an F-4? Today's Thunderbirds fly the F-16, a later and more sophisticated aircraft than the F-4 that was used during the Vietnam War. But the F-4 kicks it too, believe me. Years ago, I had the chance to fly in the backseat of an F-4 flown by a Vietnam combat pilot, Lt. Col. Ritt. The experience was ... wow. After learning how to eject, an unnerving lesson, I crawled into my anti-G suit, which inflates from the abdomen down whenever the jet pulls sufficient G forces. Oh yeah, we would soon pull sufficient G forces all right.

As you can imagine, the cockpit was confining, with instruments packed all around, a canopy almost touching my helmet and a control stick to fly the plane just in front. Surprisingly, it was very quiet too, mostly the occasional sound of Col. Ritt's voice and the regular fffft-fffoooh suction of my own breathing in the air mask. The ejection pull-ring was directly between my legs. I tried very hard to stay away from that ring during our one-hour flight.

At some point in mid-air, Col. Ritt asked if I was ready. Hmm, for what? But I just said, "Sure." From 7,000 feet, he turned the jet on its tail, climbing straight up to 14,000 feet and pulling 4.5 Gs. My suit squeezed like a blood pressure cuff around my entire lower body to prevent blackout. At 14,000 feet he swung us through an Immelman Maneuver, a dogfighting tactic where the jet levels off - upside down. Then quickly flips rightside up again. "Wanna have some fun?" Col. Ritt asked me. Gulp. "Sure," I said. He had me take the control stick. "Push it hard right or hard left," he said. I did. The F-4 rolled completely around until I leveled it off again, all while letting out a loud cowboy yell, "Yeee-haaa!" Seriously amazing feeling. I performed another roll in the opposite direction, then flew the F-4 for a bit before handing the controls back. Col. Ritt dropped the jet into a series of parabolic arcs that made us briefly weightless and flew simulated dogfights with a wingman and performed touch-and-go exercises, wheels down on the runway momentarily before the powerful engines were gunned for fast takeoff. Quite honestly, I wasn't afraid once we were airborne for a few minutes. I trusted Col. Ritt's skills and simply viewed the flight something like the most incredible amusement ride ever. And no, I didn't lose it ... you know, in one of those bags. Toward the very end, I briefly thought that I might. But we soon landed, Col. Ritt opened the canopy and the fresh air washed away my nausea. When the Thunderbirds arrive next week in the Lauderdale Air Show, their pilots will show off maneuvers far beyond anything I went through in that F-4. It should be fun for all of us to watch. Only now, as you look up, maybe you can imagine yourself inside the cockpit with them. Hopefully you won't need, you know, one of those bags.

You can pretty much count on at least two things every morning lately. First, that the sun will rise. Second, that Andy Royston will be on the Fort Lauderdale beach to watch it happen - and take photos of the sunrise to share with everyone online. This week, though, there's another way to look at some of his best sun shots. Through April 19, these photographs will be on exhibit in downtown Fort Lauderdale at the Art4Vision Gallery. If you're a Royston fan, or simply want a chance to become familiar with his pics, this is an opportunity to see them in a new way. Of course, you also can check them out daily on Royston's website at http://ftlauderdalesun.com/ or through this website's Facebook or Twitter pages, among other online outlets.

So you may wonder why the big fuss about some sunrise photos. Hey, I mean, after all. Every early rising Greater Fort Lauderdale tourist will snap some shot of the sun peeking over the Atlantic, right? Sure. But Royston's photographs are better than most of those tourist pictures. And he posts new ones every day. Been doing it for years now.

He's created an extensive gallery of the evolving, shifting morning seascape, complete with coconut palms and seagulls and sea shells as added attractions. Royston has accomplished all this in an unconventional way for a pro photographer: with an iPhone. Every day, he strolls barefoot along the Fort Lauderdale beach to snap, edit and post his photos on the spot. This type of photography has a name: "iPhoneography" they call it. An inelegant word, perhaps, but descriptive all the same. Using an iPhone as his camera, Royston has attracted a good following of folks who love to witness the sunrise through his lens. Photos are among the most accessible means of communication, quickly and easily enjoyed by many. Including me. I don't see his work daily, but when I do come across Royston's pics I like them. Some of his shots even have been used to accompany my blogs. His project offers one more reminder about South Florida's natural beauty, the beaches and sand and sun and sea that draw so many millions of visitors to our community each year. If you'd like to take in Royston's exhibit this week, head over to the Art4Vision Gallery at 1015 East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. You'll find more information about this show at http://ftlauderdalesun.com/wp/?p=7305. We all look forward to many more years of Andy Royston's early, early morning photographs. If you can't see the oceanside sunrise for yourself each day, these iPhone snaps are the next best thing. (Photo courtesy of http://twitter.com/ftlauderdalesun).