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Most of us are travelers at heart who long for escape from the daily routine. In challenging economic times, however, we just have to become a little more creative. How about spending some time in nature, like taking a side road off a busy boulevard? The Greater Fort Lauderdale area offers some surprising moments of quiet this summer, some hidden gems.
Just a few minutes east of jam-packed I-95, the West Lake Park recreation area in Hollywood provides a change of pace with canoeing, kayaking, biking, and walking trails along 1,500 acres of tidal mangrove wetland canals. To see the world from a different point of view, a 25-passenger covered boat takes visitors on guided nature tours; the Anne Kolb Nature Center features educational and interactive exhibits; and a five-story tower offers a panoramic view of the ocean, the lake, the airport and other recreational areas for fishing, tennis, and racquetball. It’s one of the largest urban parks in Florida, rich in native vegetation and wildlife, including some threatened and endangered species.
Further east along the ocean in Hollywood, the 55-acre eco-friendly North Beach Park has a turtle hatchery that is part of the Endangered Sea Turtle Protection Program. The park also features a 60-foot observation tower, and a boardwalk edges along the barrier island mangroves.
Nearby, reminders of Broward County’s multicultural historical heritage blend with natural settings which retain vestiges of old Florida in its undeveloped state. John U. Lloyd Recreation Area is 244 acres of self-guided nature trails through a semi-tropical coastal hammock. The park is dotted by abundant bird-life, and you may even spot some manatees in the shallows of Whiskey Creek. This is also the site of what was once the segregated beach for African Americans in Broward and will soon become a historically-marked site. The Big Cypress Seminole Reservation offers airboat tours to see deer, water buffalo, bison, wild hogs, hawks, eagles and alligators, and the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Museum offers exhibits on the heritage of Florida’s Native American roots.
Uncovering these and other gems will be a lot easier this summer because restaurants, hotels, and attractions in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area are offering numerous in-state resident discounts. Packages are available for beachside resorts as well as superior small lodgings including charming seaside inns, some starting at less than $100 a night. Also, the Summer of Discovery program provides discounts to spas, dining experiences, and premium recreation and cultural attractions across Broward County through September.
So, we travelers at heart can pack our bags, stay at home, take a mini-vacation, and be a tourist in our own backyard.
-- Kitty Oliver
Just a few minutes east of jam-packed I-95, the West Lake Park recreation area in Hollywood provides a change of pace with canoeing, kayaking, biking, and walking trails along 1,500 acres of tidal mangrove wetland canals. To see the world from a different point of view, a 25-passenger covered boat takes visitors on guided nature tours; the Anne Kolb Nature Center features educational and interactive exhibits; and a five-story tower offers a panoramic view of the ocean, the lake, the airport and other recreational areas for fishing, tennis, and racquetball. It’s one of the largest urban parks in Florida, rich in native vegetation and wildlife, including some threatened and endangered species.
Further east along the ocean in Hollywood, the 55-acre eco-friendly North Beach Park has a turtle hatchery that is part of the Endangered Sea Turtle Protection Program. The park also features a 60-foot observation tower, and a boardwalk edges along the barrier island mangroves.
Nearby, reminders of Broward County’s multicultural historical heritage blend with natural settings which retain vestiges of old Florida in its undeveloped state. John U. Lloyd Recreation Area is 244 acres of self-guided nature trails through a semi-tropical coastal hammock. The park is dotted by abundant bird-life, and you may even spot some manatees in the shallows of Whiskey Creek. This is also the site of what was once the segregated beach for African Americans in Broward and will soon become a historically-marked site. The Big Cypress Seminole Reservation offers airboat tours to see deer, water buffalo, bison, wild hogs, hawks, eagles and alligators, and the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Museum offers exhibits on the heritage of Florida’s Native American roots.
Uncovering these and other gems will be a lot easier this summer because restaurants, hotels, and attractions in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area are offering numerous in-state resident discounts. Packages are available for beachside resorts as well as superior small lodgings including charming seaside inns, some starting at less than $100 a night. Also, the Summer of Discovery program provides discounts to spas, dining experiences, and premium recreation and cultural attractions across Broward County through September.
So, we travelers at heart can pack our bags, stay at home, take a mini-vacation, and be a tourist in our own backyard.
-- Kitty Oliver
posted by GuestBlogger-GFL at 10:24 AM
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