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After endless hours of preparation and anticipation, the week of the Super Bowl is finally upon Greater Fort Lauderdale. This is the week we’ve all been waiting for. In 6 days, South Florida will play host to the greatest sporting event in the world as the Chicago Bears face the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. This week football fans from all over the world will be arriving in hoards to soak up all that South Florida has to offer before the big game. Bring out the banners and turn up the music; LET THE PARTIES BEGIN. We’ve got concerts, festivals, and celebrity hosted events; cook-offs, blow-outs and beach parties. Super Bowl kickoff is in full swing creating the perfect setting for a Bears win this Sunday. Coach Lovie Smith and his Bears have descended upon South Florida and are ready to play. That’s right, they’re here and they’re ready for victory.

As an Illinois native, there is no question that I’ll be rooting for the Bears this Sunday. I’ve been a Bears fan for as long as I can remember and this year’s Super Bowl appearance is long overdue. It’s been 21 years since the last time they went to the “big game” and I was only two years old then, too young to realize it. Now that I finally get to see the Bears play in the Super Bowl, I also have the great fortune of living fifteen minutes from where the game is being played, right here in South Florida. I can’t wait to be a part of the celebration and festivities that surround the Super Bowl, and I especially can’t wait to see the Bears win. Thousands of Bears fans from all over the country are going to pay thousands of dollars to fly down here and be a part of this and I am lucky enough to have it in my own back yard. This is going to be a great game and one that I will never forget. This is truly a great time to be in Greater Fort Lauderdale.

On a closing note, it seems that Hoosierboy has made plans to crash CBS This Morning on Thursday to support his waist of space team the Colts. I guess he thinks that the Colts have a chance of winning this thing and feels the need to go on television to tell everyone about it. I can’t let this go on un-challenged; therefore I too will be making an appearance to set the record strait about the real champions. Tune in to CBS on Thursday morning to see which fan reigns supreme. Go Bears!

Hello readers, I would like to tell you that the cosmos have been aligned and fate is at my doorstep. Proof lies within the fact that the mighty Colts have decided to follow me to South Florida for Super Bowl XLI. Witnessing Peyton Manning’s laser precision passes under the Florida sun is sure to humble any Hoosier, and an epic battle between the ultimate Colts offense against a proven Bears defense will surely not disappoint.

Strategy being planned throughout the week is sure to be challenging for Dungy and the boys, but one variable they won’t have to worry about is the weather. Recently calling the folks, as any good boy should, revealed slight temperature variations between Fort Lauderdale and the heartland. The brink of dawn brought a temperature of 8 degrees and will climb to a meager 22, not to mention the light dusting of snow as a reminder that winter is there for the long haul. The reports of 80 degrees plus is almost too painful to report to the family, but I will suffer with them in spirit.

I would also like to let you know that I am proving my worth as a fan. In attempts to be the utmost important 12th man, I will try to grace the small screen on CBS This Morning on Thursday with signs a blazing. Finally, I would like to leave one more antidote for the team. Remember Stallions of the midway, the only thing better than winning the Super Bowl, is winning the Super Bowl with a tan.

Born and raised in Morton, Illinois (the pumpkin capital of the world), I have grown accustomed to the wind, snow, and ice, but I have never developed a liking for it. I am not what you would call a winter person. I don’t like wool sheets, heavy parkas, or anything that has to do with snow (shoveling, driving in, walking through, etc.). My biggest problem with winter, however, is not being able to go fishing. Now I’m sure you’re all thinking to yourselves, “hey, ice fishing is popular in the mid-west, why not try that?” Well, I have been ice fishing, and let me tell you that sitting on top of a bucket in the middle of a frozen lake for hours on end is not my idea of fun. Its cold, its windy, and I just don’t like to do it.

My favorite type of fishing is saltwater fishing in South Florida. Warm weather, beautiful scenery, and big fish; it doesn’t get any better than this. I just recently moved to the Fort Lauderdale area less than a month ago to start an internship and I have had a little time to get acquainted with the fishing situation in the area. I have got to tell you, it’s a fisherman’s paradise. So far I have caught big snapper, mackerel, and pompano off of the Dania Beach Pier, snook, redfish, and barracuda in the Intracoastal Waterway, and mutton and yellowtail snapper off the Sea Legs III drift fishing boat in Dania. These are just a few of the countless fishing opportunities that the GFL area has to offer. Several fishing piers, countless charters, and even the vast beaches are just minutes from one another; there’s even a Bass Pro Shops. In fact, I just booked a swordfishing charter for the middle of February on the boat Outacontroll II, and I can’t wait to tear into some big Atlantic swordfish. I don’t know why you would go anywhere else. On top of the perfect weather, beautiful beaches, and countless attractions, Greater Fort Lauderdale also has amazing fishing. It really is quite a place.

You’re visiting an unfamiliar city on vacation. Then you look in the mirror and suddenly see that you really need a haircut. Where do you go? Many guys know that feeling. I suppose it happens to women too, though somehow I imagine the females among us are better planners. But fellas, if you travel much, you’ve been there, right? You want to find some place, but you don’t want just any place. You want a good haircut. Preferably not too expensive. If you can drop in without an appointment, that’s even better.

I have just the shop. Tucked away in a tiny storefront in Fort Lauderdale, on tony Las Olas Boulevard of all unlikely spots, there is a classic barber shop that will take you back to your childhood. With a twist. Called simply “Las Olas Barber Shop,” this is haircut heaven for guys. Whether a regular or first-timer, you’ll get an excellent cut. Best of all, you’ll enjoy a neck shave with a straight razor and warm foam. Then you get dusted off with a round talcum brush, which always makes me feel something like home plate at a baseball game. But I love it.

I said the best thing was the neck shave. That’s not quite right. The best things are the barbers. There’s Frankie, a fast-talking and opinionated guy who seems like a barber from central casting. Then there are Anne Marie and Karli. They’re the twist I mentioned earlier. Attractive and attractively dressed, each is a fine barber. I’ve been going to Karli for nearly a year now and I haven’t had a bad haircut yet. But quite honestly, it’s also fun being fussed over by a lovely, long-haired lady for a half hour. They’re all nice folks in a comfortable environment geared toward men. You can call ahead for an appointment but most of us don’t. It’s a throwback to the old days, when you just walked into a barber shop, said hi and picked up a magazine. So you wait a little while maybe. Usually not very long, sometimes not at all. In a place like this, waiting is kind of fun anyway. Las Olas Barber Shop is at 1400 E. Las Olas. The phone is 954-258-7183. Say hi to Karli for me.

I recently moved to Fort Lauderdale and thought that moving a week before my new job would give me enough time to explore what the city has to offer, right? The answer was wrong. Of course, trips to the beach and a few dining experiences are essentials to any newcomer. But as I explore the communities of Fort Lauderdale I find the inland to be as equally appealing as the sand and surf.

Access to downtown from the beach is unusually easy, and can be reached by car in just a few minutes. One attraction that I’m dying to see is the Cradle of Christianity at the Art Museum. They’re displaying pieces of the Dead Sea scrolls and the only known chiseled stone with Pontius Pilate’s verified signature. Whether you’re a history buff or not that’s a must see. That’s just one opportunity of many I wouldn’t have where I’m from. Speaking from one traveler to another, if you get the chance to visit Fort Lauderdale you have to think bigger than the beach!

One of the great things about living in South Florida is its endless cast of characters. The sunshine and warmth are irresistible lures for people who want something better than what they had before, starting with the weather. The doers and the wannabes alike find themselves attracted. The builders and dreamers, the aggressive sharks and laidback snow birds. And more. Nearly every type, it seems, from everywhere. As much as the surf and sand, the residents and visitors give this area its unique flavor.

Sometimes they also make your day. That happened to me this morning, driving home from my girlfriend’s place in Pompano Beach. It was a beautiful morning and I had my new blue convertible’s top down, soaking up the sun at a Sample Road stoplight. But I also was feeling a little of that silly “why, oh why isn’t life easier” thing we all struggle with sometimes. In my case, it was just some frustration over funding my humanitarian nonprofit group, never easy but harder still when your organization is new. And then I heard this guy. Heard him before I saw him. He was loud. And green.

He was dressed like some weird hybrid of the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam, with an enormous green crown and a green Sam-suit. He held a sign for some tax-prep service or something. I wasn’t quite sure. But this was a man with enthusiasm, striding energetically beside the road, shouting a sales pitch worthy of a carnival barker. “Come on, now, people, y’all want them taxes done, don’t ya? Ya know you do! I got the place, got the place right here!” Big smile the whole time. Funny, not threatening. He caught me smiling back, I guess, and started talking across four lanes of Federal Highway. “Hey, blue car! I want that car! Come over here and gimme that car! Come on now, I’m not kiddin’” And I started laughing and he’s laughing and I’m thinking, “This guy must be some unemployed actor. He’s got style!” And I also thought, “If he can enjoy his job that much, who am I to complain about anything?” I drove off, smiling for a long time at this performance by another member of South Florida's colorful cast. Sometimes they turn up just when you need them most.

It’s a tough life being a seawall. Think about it. You just kinda sit there, day after day, year after year, taking your hits. The sand blasts you and the sea sprays over you and the wind chips away at your clean good looks. You try to be always strong and reliable, as a seawall should, but what happens? Birds use you for target practice, that’s what. People lounge on you and picnic on you and do who knows what when it’s dark out. But do they ever appreciate you, really? Do they ever stop to think where they’d be without your rock-solid support for their backsides? No, they don’t.

So it’s only appropriate that Fort Lauderdale’s long, lovely “wave wall,” as it’s called, is getting a much-needed makeover. I was just at the ocean an hour ago, walking along A1A and watching the progress of this big project. They’ve managed to keep the inconvenience to a minimum by working in small sections. The wavy white wall, with its very cool nighttime colored lighting, is in various stages of getting pressure cleaned and patched and painted in a nice new white. It looks to me like this job should be finished relatively soon, along with the huge construction at Las Olas and A1A, where the city is building an impressive entrance to the beach. For the most part, life goes on normally along the oceanfront, despite the work. And when it’s all done –hey, it should look very, very nice.

Personally, I think the seawall deserves this bit of pampering. After sitting myself down on the unusually windy beachfront today, I got a taste of stationary life by the Atlantic. It made me think. Sure, it’s great if you’re a tourist sunning yourself. Not so great if you’re a thick lump of concrete planted permanently in the sand. Just try it yourself some day when the breeze is really blowing and you’ll see what I mean. I was getting sprayed with seawater and blasted by the occasional sand particles. And yes, the wind was chipping away at my clean good looks. I developed a real sympathy for that seawall today. We bonded. I’m glad to see that someone is finally paying attention to its needs. After all, even a sturdy, rugged sea wall needs a little TLC sometimes.

You don’t know what you’re missing. The weather here is perfect, with low wintertime humidity and summertime sunshine. Lows have only been around 60 – no January chill. But I’ve managed a real wood fire in my fireplace a few times this week anyway. To me, the climate doesn’t get much more obscenely ideal than when it’s like this. Which of course is why if you’re one of the folks reading this in New York City, you might want to check out a special Florida visitor to your great town.

I mentioned this deal before but it bears repeating. The visitors bureau from Fort Lauderdale has descended on NYC bearing gifts. Specifically, a free grand prize trip for two, February 1-5, to Super Bowl XLI via Spirit Airlines and Dollar Rent a Car plus other swell hotel getaways to our part of the world. Our currently perfect part of the world, let me say again smugly. They call this event (coast)954, named after our area code, but all that matters is that it can bring you from your dreary northern coast to our wondrous southern coast very soon.

Check out the lighted palm trees on the outside and the giant orange sign that looks like a towel above and then step inside for a chance to unwind, sample some Fort Lauderdale bottled water, relax with the bathing beauties and giant sand sculpture. Make sure to enter to win the grand prize package. You might also catch the beach on wheels nearby. For photos of the Coast (954) store, just click here www.sunny.org/coast954

So find time to drop by the “pop-up store,” which is just open through Tuesday, January 16. You can try your luck at some indoor golf or virtual fishing or get a nice hand massage if you happen into this store, which is in the bank building at 20 Union Square East at 15th Street. And you just might end up with a free trip to paradise. New York is great, but come on now. Really, can you call it perfect in any sense? That’s what I thought.

It’s weird, isn’t it? And somehow, you just know it’s not going to last. That bizarre warm weather in northern places like New York and Chicago, I mean. Not winter, not fall, not spring. Definitely not summer. I remember winter periods like that when I was living in Vermont. But I don’t recall liking them very much. Anyway, an even more unexpected weather system will descend on NYC this week. FTL blows into town, all summer smiles and summer tans. Welcome to greater Fort Lauderdale, right at 20 Union Square East at 15th Street.

The bank building there will host something the visitors bureau folks call coast(954). Get it, 954? Like our area code in Broward County. I haven’t seen the exhibit for myself, of course, but I’ve read about it. And I think if I were in the 212 area code during this odd winter-limbo thing, I might want a taste of Florida right about now. Where else can you find a 3,600-square-foot spot of Manhattan lined with palm trees? There will be a putting green for those of you who miss the links and virtual fishing if you want to cast a line somewhere other than the Hudson River. You can even get a hand massage, just to sample that pampered I’m-on-vacation feeling again.

This so-called “pop-up store” is going to offer some packages and other deals through Travelocity. Fitness and travel experts will be around the store at times too, doing their guest appearance things. Maybe best of all, there will be many giveaways, free vacations that include family weekends and spa retreats. Then there’s that free trip for two to the Super Bowl here in South Florida, which would not be a bad way to spend a few days at the beginning of February, I suppose. This whole sunny summer 954 experience starts Wednesday, January 10 and runs through Tuesday, January 16, opening daily at 10 a.m. Visit www.sunny.org/coast954 for details and photo gallery. All I know is, the store sounds like a lot more fun than standing around in weird winter weather, fishing in the Hudson.

I remember how we linked arms and marched together - Black and white - through the streets of Fort Lauderdale that first year as Stevie Wonder’s song “Happy Birthday” blasted from cars along the parade route. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday had finally been declared a national holiday; it was a moment of triumph after years of political lobbying and demonstrations. For many of us, especially southerners, life was already divided into two parts: before and after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. We had become like immigrants who had left an old world of segregation for the hope - and the frustrations - of the new. The impact was lost on people who were born after that time, however. So, an annual birthday marker became a much easier symbol to grasp.

But, the King holiday honors not just a great man and leader but also an era of possibilities, and an ideal of equality that both still have relevance today - especially in Greater Fort Lauderdale, a place of transformation. Here, diversity is mushrooming, racial and cultural differences are being confronted and the doors of the community remain open to change. Here, the spirit of the man and the era live on.

The area was spared the brutal encounters which occurred in other parts of Florida and the South, but the struggle for civil rights was waged along the pristine shores of Fort Lauderdale’s famous beaches with marches and wade-ins that began in the late 1950s, led by NAACP activists such as physician Dr. Von D. Mizell and businesswoman Mrs. Eula Johnson. Fights to desegregate schools and end housing discrimination continued into the 1970s. The influx of Caribbeans and Hispanics of African descent from a variety of countries, which accelerated starting in the 1980s, has benefited from the strides made in the past, and they have become participants in the holiday celebrations as well.

This year’s Fort Lauderdale MLK parade and events will include Caribbean Carnival and marching bands and representations across countries and nationalities as residents and visitors gather for a prayer breakfast, a Stop the Violence rally and a Sounds of Freedom concert with Urban Ballet Theatre of New York. Cities such as Lauderhill, with a large West Indian population, plan annual presentations with guest speakers to highlight the contributions of Dr. King, and his vision.

Beyond the parades, speeches and camaraderie, however, the King holiday reminds us that hopes, dreams and ideals continue to be worthy aspirations. They bring out the best and highest in us as human beings, even if they are never fully achieved. And, Greater Fort Lauderdale remains an exciting place of possibilities, a fact that is evident from the moment you arrive. If it has been awhile since you were here, you’ll notice how much things have changed – in a good way. If this is your first time, you may be surprised at the diversity, and promise, you’ll find.
- Kitty Oliver

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

100 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 (954) 765-4466 (800) 22-SUNNY

LauderBlog

Jan 29: Bears fan weighs in

Jan 29: From a Colts fan

Jan 27: Thawing out in Fort Lauderdale

Jan 25: A Close Shave

Jan 23: New Kid on the Block

Jan 22: A Contagious Joy

Jan 19: Blasted New

Jan 14: (Coast) 2 Coast

Jan 8: FTL in NYC

Jan 3: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.