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I just made my own reservation. I’m going on a turtle crawl next month. I’ll head with a friend to the beach on June 20. And with any luck, I’ll witness firsthand one of nature’s amazing spectacles: the nesting of sea turtles, among the oldest creatures on earth. This is something I’ve wanted to see for years but somehow never have. It’s one of those great only-in-summer things to do around the Fort Lauderdale area. In my last blog, I told you about the turtles and their endangered status, stressing the importance of observing them on guided tours. Now I’ll tell you how to find those tours.

Though the loggerhead, leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles nest on our beaches from March through September, the organized tours operate in June and July. So you’ll have to make a jaunt to South Florida during the warmer weather. It’s pleasant here if you hang out near the water, where the breezes blow most of the time. (And you can get all those two-for-one Summer of Discovery deals on this website.) Again, you must take an organized tour if you care about the future of this protected species. Independent turtle-seeking excursions risk causing serious harm to these animals.

To book a tour just call either the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale or John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in Dania Beach. Here’s what to expect. The museum tours begin with a slide show and lecture that runs from 9 p.m. to about 10:45. Plan to be on the beach from 11 to 1 a.m. You can go Tuesday-Thursday during most of June (the schedule skips a day the last week of the month) and on July 10 and 11. The cost is $16 per person for non-members, $14 for members. John U. Lloyd Beach State Park’s tours run on Wednesday and Friday evenings in June and July, beginning with an 8:30 p.m. slide and lecture presentation. Then you head off to the beach looking for turtles. The turtle walk lasts until about 11 p.m and costs the regular park entrance fees -- $3 for one person, $5 for two to eight people. Both the park and museum stress they can’t absolutely guarantee you’ll find a turtle, but the odds are good. For reservations or more information, call the Museum of Discovery and Science at 954-713-0930, or John U. Lloyd Beach State Park at 954-923-2833. Go, look and wonder at these creatures. As for me, I’ll tell you about my experience later this month when I go on my first turtle crawl. I can’t wait!

We live in a time when the environment appears threatened from many directions. But it’s also a time when people increasingly are paying attention to how they can protect the natural world. Residents and visitors in greater Fort Lauderdale have the opportunity to help in a highly unusual way – and at the same time, to experience something most folks see only on an Animal Planet documentary. From March through September, sea turtles nest on beaches up and down Broward County in an annual ritual that’s very important to the survival of this endangered species. Florida’s central and lower east coast is considered the second most vital nesting area in the world for loggerhead turtles. Leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles also lay their eggs on the sands around Fort Lauderdale.

It’s possible to take a late-night excursion to witness the sea turtles’ nesting behavior. In my next blog, I’ll tell you where to go and how to do this so you don’t harm the animals. It’s essential that none of us just blunder on to the beaches at night looking for the closest turtle’s nest. We can prevent mother turtles from laying their eggs and confuse newborn turtles to the point where they never find the water. The experts tell us that bright lights and flash photography disorient hatchlings, for example. It turns out that baby turtles need all the help they can get. If they make it from their nests out to sea, scientists estimate, only one out of 1,000 will survive to adulthood.

Sea turtles have somehow endured the changes on earth since the age of dinosaurs. They’ve even handled our human population boom, our condos and street lights and automobiles, but they are threatened. Leatherback, green and hawksbill sea turtles are on the endangered species list and loggerheads are under serious threat. All of them are protected by both Florida and federal statutes. Violators can be punished with fines as high as $100,000 and up to a year in prison. I’m telling you all this because I feel it’s important to understand how fragile these creatures are. And how seriously the authorities take the turtles’ protection. But there are environmentally sensitive ways to enjoy the turtles too. On Friday, I’ll have all the details about how you can do that this summer.

South Florida is often called a paradise. It isn’t, of course. No place is, at least not on this planet. To me, South Florida is far more interesting than any supposed paradise could be anyway, with a wild blend of cultures and characters. But what gives the impression of some kind of heaven on earth is our look and feel. Palm fronds and sunshine, bougainvillea and seashore. Warmth in the midst of winter. Ocean breezes to cool the summer heat. This may not be paradise but it’s a pretty great place to hang out for a while, whether for just a week or for 18 years. That’s how long I’ve resided in paradise so far.

I’ve never gotten over the tropical vegetation here. It still feels exotic, romantic, sexy. But among all the lush foliage and greenery, one thing especially grabs my attention. South Florida’s flowering trees. I don’t know what it is about them but somehow I’m always amazed that we have trees in bloom pretty much year round. More than anything else, flowering trees suggest an earthly paradise to me.

I’ve been noticing that many different trees are blooming right about now, despite our drought. I’m no expert on these things. Well, actually I’m pretty far from an expert. After living in Vermont for many years, I still barely know what an oak tree looks like. But others much more knowledgeable than I am tell me that bottle brush trees are in bloom all around the Fort Lauderdale area. These are pretty, lacy tropical trees with long red flowers that look like fuzzy brushes. I do recognize those when I make the effort, honestly. I’m also told that I have a Hong Kong orchid tree in the yard outside my new condo. It’s a very sturdy tree with silvery bark and fan-shaped leaves, all covered in purple flowers. The hibiscus are out now too, in their multitude of colors. And the bougainvillea are always spectacular, purple and red and yellow. There was a good reason the explorers named this state Florida. It came from the Spanish, Pascua Florida. That means, “feast of flowers.” Come to think of it, maybe this is a kind of paradise after all.

Who says airport food is boring and stale? Certainly not me. As a matter of fact, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is full of pleasant surprises for our travelers, with a wide variety of fresh and healthy on-the-go meals available. Let me take you on a food tour of the airport.

One of the most delicious salads I have ever tasted comes from Spinaci’s restaurant in Terminal 1. It is a seared tuna salad, marinated in hoisin sauce and sesame oil, lightly grilled, and served over mixed greens. You can also get fresh salmon served over a pasta salad and sprinkled with pesto sauce.

In Terminal 2, The Bakery features an unbelievable grilled-to-order Cuban sandwich and a vegetarian anini served on fresh herbed focaccia bread. At La Cucina, a few feet away, you can get made-to-order pasta dishes and tasty gourmet pizza.

Next up, Terminal 3. As you already know from my last blog, Chili’s serves the best spicy black bean burger in town. They also have several new menu items which have become very popular including mesquite chicken salad, chicken club tacos, and a chipotle bleu cheese bacon burger. Their chips and salsa are freshly made on location daily. For sushi fans, fresh sushi is prepared daily at the Crazy Fish Sushi Company, located next to Chili’s.

Rounding out the tour is Terminal 4. Another one of my favorites is the Friday fresh salmon special featured at Sbarro, followed by a latte at Dunkin Donuts. If you need a little extra kick, you can get a turbo coffee, includes a shot of espresso! For a real treat, try the dulce de leche ice cream at Edy’s.

Don’t miss Nana’s Salad at Vitto’s located in all the terminals – with fresh chicken, organic mixed greens, pears, dry cranberry, pecans, and Feta cheese.

That concludes our tour. Wishing you safe travels and happy taste buds,
Steve

I stopped for breakfast this morning. Alone by the sea. On a whim. It was wonderful and seems to have set the tone for my whole day. I sometimes think we allow spontaneity into our lives too rarely – just doing something because we feel like it right now. Unplanned and unforced. Whenever I do this, I’m usually glad I did. This morning was one of those times.

I left my girlfriend’s place in Lighthouse Point at about 9 a.m. and really needed to get home. I had a lot of work ahead of me. I “should” have taken I-95, which would have planted me in my desk chair within 25 minutes. Instead, I thought, “Hmmm, maybe I’ll drive home on Federal Highway with my convertible top down.” I had a great Sirius satellite radio station playing on my stereo, probably loud enough to annoy other drivers at stoplights. When I got to a street that goes to the beach, I thought, “It’s such a gorgeous day! Hmmm, maybe I’ll drive down A1A.” So I cut over to that seaside road, but with every intention of making my way straight home. As I drove along, though, my plans evolved. It seemed too beautiful outside to just tuck myself indoors all day. And anyway, I was hungry. And one of my favorite breakfast places was only a couple of miles farther south on A1A. Hmmm, maybe I would just stop and eat. Why not?

So I did. I found an oceanside table, looking out over a sparkling mid-morning Atlantic. The shallow water closer to shore was jade green, with the strong breeze whipping up breakers that tumbled onto the sand. Farther out, the deep water was darker, a soft gray with a glossy sunlight sheen. Sometimes, the sheen faded as wads of thick white clouds covered the sun for a few moments, then drifted away to brighten the sea again. I ordered eggs, home fries and bacon with coffee. Watching the joggers and roller bladers and dog walkers, I felt some unusual sense of freedom because of this small change of plans. My life seemed less orderly, less routine, less pre-packaged. And more fun. Yes, I had a lot of work to do. But I was going to enjoy this lovely South Florida day. I’m back home now, sitting here at my computer, and I’m still not sure exactly how I’ll do all this enjoying later on. Hmmm, maybe I’ll just wait and it figure out as the day goes along.

It’s beautiful outside today as I write this blog. I don’t mean to be smug about it or anything but I did mention something on this subject a few weeks ago. That is, about May weather and how nice it can be in South Florida. All I know is that I’ve been in my new condo for more than two weeks and have slept with the windows open nearly every night. I get a great breeze here, about one mile from the ocean. I’ve even been leaving the windows open during the daytime. That’s how pleasant the temperature has been so far this month.

Right now, there’s a beautiful cooling wind blowing from my patio through the living room into my office. Windows on both the south and west sides of my office help create a great cross-draft. It’s sunny today and not too humid, temperature around 80 or so. There are some large puffy cloudbanks around the horizon and it’s possible we’ll have a shower later. But the rains usually come and go quickly this time of year.

So why am I giving you this weather report? Because I think May is often an underappreciated month down here. The snowbirds typically pack up for their northern nests about Easter, though some are still around. The beach is relatively uncrowded in May, with fewer tourists lying on the sand. The restaurants and bars are much easier to get into these days. A whole lot of people are missing a whole lot of gorgeous weather by going home so early – or by failing to plan a trip to the Fort Lauderdale area during this period. It’s true that this is the start of our summer weather pattern. That means our skies are somewhat more unpredictable. But it would be a very rare May without sunshine most of the time. That really holds true for the entire summer. It’s usually like: “sunshinesunshinesunshinerainsunshinesunshine.” Besides, I always think a little tropical rainstorm is fun in the weather mix. But that’s a discussion for another blog. For now, I just wanted to say that I’m having a lovely South Florida day. Wish you were here.

On my daily rounds around the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International airport, I always stop by the Southwest ticket counter near Concourse B to marvel at Guy Harvey’s 60 ft tall mural. Called the “Sunken Treasure”, it took 2 years to construct and depicts off shore marine life and the city skyline. Passengers going down the escalator to the security check point always comment on it.

After Terminal 1, I usually stroll through Terminal 3 which features the Las Olas/Hollywood Boulevard Streetscape. This project is a beautiful combination of storefronts that feature the wares of restaurants and businesses located on Las Olas Blvd. and Downtown Hollywood. It brings the outside, in. If it’s lunch time, Chili’s is right there, and I sometimes grab a “Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burger” to take back to the office.

We do a lot of tours at the airport, and I always bring the group to the new Rental Car Center located in the bottom half of the Cypress Garage. It looks more like an art museum than a rental car building. The three levels of beautiful terrazzo floors feature numerous marine creatures and several entrance vestibules, called ‘Luminous Portals,” that change color as you enter and exit the building. The glass walls and spiral staircase enhance the magical feeling.

From the Rental Car Center, I take tour groups up in the elevator to the roof of the Cypress Garage. This is one of the highest structures at the airport and you can see for miles. You can see cruise ships at Port Everglades and you can see the downtown skyline. You can see runways, taxiways, and airplanes taking off and landing.

Up on the roof, you get a sense of the history of the airport. Where we were and the vision it took to get us where we are. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport traces its beginning back to 1928 when the airfield was created to honor the memory of pioneer Fort Lauderdale aviator, Merle Fogg. The airport turns 79 this year, but the old gal looks better than ever. Merle would be proud.
In the past few years, she has gotten quite a facelift. The latest terminal addition, Terminal 1, is truly amazing.

The feeling is always the same whenever I walk around the terminals and it never ceases to amaze me. I’m really proud of our airport.
-Steve Belleme, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport

On Mother’s Day, I had the chance to talk with a rare woman. The friend of an older friend I visited Sunday afternoon, she was just “Julie” to me. I never learned her last name. But this senior citizen was engaged, spry and charming. And she has a personal memory of Broward County that’s far longer than anyone I’ve met in all my years of living here. To me, Julie was a reminder about the rugged frontier history of this area – and how recent that history really is by American standards. She served as a reminder, too, about the remarkable transformation from subtropical wilderness to chic tourist destination that continues to this day. That exotic past, I believe, is part of the underlying reason for South Florida’s appeal, both to locals and visitors.

Julie is a fourth generation Floridian, born in the Gainesville area. She moved to Broward in 1931, at age seven. “There was just nothing here,” she told me. “I remember the farms that were east of Federal Highway, between about Atlantic and Oakland Park boulevards. EAST of Federal Highway! There were only a few bridges across the Intracoastal Waterway back then. One of them was on Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale.” The two main highways were Federal and Dixie. There wasn’t much between them – and only the Everglades beyond. “We had lots of pine trees and palmettos all around us. Kids used to dig tunnels in the stretch between Dixie and Federal – ya know, just for something to do,” Julie said.

What about the heat and insects in that pre-air conditioner, pre-bug spray era? Today, everything is cool and clean, modern and upscale. Tourists come because it feels and looks like paradise to them. But what was it like 75 years ago? “True, there wasn’t air conditioning. But there weren’t high rises and other buildings either,” Julie explained. “We didn’t live by the ocean but we got a wonderful sea breeze year round. It was often hotter in Chicago and New York than it was here. And we had screens in our windows. My father used to put a substance on the screens sometimes to keep out the no-see-ums.” Her relatives also hunted right here in Broward for quail, doves. Even rattlesnakes. Those days are long gone, of course, the dangerous snakes replaced by pretty wild parrots, the farms replaced by luxury condos and hotels. But someone like Julie – and there aren’t many like her left – helps us remember that South Florida wasn’t always a vacation paradise. There were people living here who loved this place, even before it was.

NOTE: There are many attractions for visitors that offer glimpses into South Florida’s history. Right in the midst of downtown Fort Lauderdale, you can visit Stranahan House and the Fort Lauderdale Museum of History. And just off the beach on Sunrise Boulevard, is the Bonnet House and Gardens.

I remember when I first moved to the Fort Lauderdale area. Everyone I knew suddenly was just dying to visit me. It’s amazing how popular you become once you live in South Florida. So I naturally had to figure out the best places to bring all these tourist-friends. That was nearly 18 years ago. But some things don’t change. Because one of my first “favorite places” to take guests is still one of the best spots around to experience the local lifestyle.

Bahia Cabana really is a Fort Lauderdale institution. It’s been here for I don’t know how long – and it seems as if some of the regulars have been bellying up to it’s square bar for most of that time. This outdoor restaurant has a great view of the grand yachts tied up at Bahia Mar. The Jungle Queen comes and goes from that same area and so do water taxis. There’s also a beautiful perspective on the downtown skyline from the many canalside tables. The food is terrific – that funky, beachy cuisine of conch chowder and burgers and fish kind of thing. Many places offer the same items on their menu. Few do it as well for such a reasonable price. I’ve always thought Bahia Cabana serves among the best conch chowder I’ve had anywhere.

But aside from the view and food, the best part of the place is its atmosphere. Laidback doesn’t quite describe it. At Bahia Cabana, laidback would seem stressed out. It’s totally casual, totally relaxed. People tend to be chatty and friendly at the bar, whether tourists or locals. The evening bartender, Lisa, is always welcoming – fun and attentive and sexy. And Bahia Cabana has some wonderful music at night too. Check out Nancy Hartline on Wednesdays. She’s a very talented, lovely musician who sings and writes her own tunes. Nancy’s pretty friend, Jennifer Batchelor, sometimes sits in for a few numbers, belting out songs in a strong, clear voice. If you’re visiting town, it’s one stop you really should put on your list. If you’re a resident entertaining house guests, Bahia Cabana always seems to make an impression. And hey, if you’re just hanging out, looking for that beyond-laidback vibe – well, it’s hard to think of anywhere much better.

This time, I went. As promised in an earlier blog. And I was impressed. On Saturday, I attended the 13th McDonald’s Air & Sea Show at the Fort Lauderdale beach. Along with hundreds of thousands of others. I had never gone to the event before and this was the busiest I’ve ever seen the beach, by far. All those locals and tourists piled out of bus after bus at the Galleria Mall for the trek over the Intracoastal bridge and down to the sand where they could see our American military in action. No one seemed to mind the long walk. I know that I didn’t. The weather was just about perfect, with the sun hanging against a nearly cloudless sky. The temperature was in the low 80s and a pleasant breeze blew in off the sea to keep things comfortable. And the turquoise Atlantic waters were clear and comfortable. Those who went to the show on Sunday enjoyed the same conditions. What more could any of us have asked?

Of course, we weren’t going for just any day at the beach. The Air & Sea Show is billed as a public salute to the men and women in the armed forces, a display of support. If the public was saluting, the military returned that salute with style. I’d never watched a mock amphibious landing by the Marines, or stunt maneuvers by Army helicopters, or skydiving teams plummeting in long free falls before opening their chutes to land with pinpoint accuracy. I watched all of these and more on Saturday afternoon. Of course, there was some amazing flying by both military and civilian pilots. I’ve flown in an F-4 supersonic Air Force jet and so I have some appreciation for the stresses these aerial maneuvers create for the aircraft and those inside them. I was in awe at the skills of these pilots.

I also spent a lot of time watching the crowd at the show. There was a surprising diversity of people there, from small babies to the very elderly, folks of all races, a total mix of women and men. They included many spectators I wouldn’t have expected at this event, especially some of the young women who appeared as enthusiastic as their boyfriends. I suppose this shouldn’t have seemed unusual. After all, two of the six Air Force Thunderbird pilots in the show were women. Male or female, young or old, the wide array of humanity on the beach was pointing and smiling and saying “wow” a lot. From what I could see, everyone was having a good time. In that way, the Fort Lauderdale beach was doing what it does best year round – offering a wonderful place to play in the sunshine. Last weekend's beachgoers had some fairly remarkable company.

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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

June 1: Turtle Crawl: Part Two

May 29: Turtle Crawl: Part One

May 25: Florida Florals

May 23: Airport food, Lauderdale-style

May 21: Spontaneous Consumption

May 18: Weathering May

May 15: FLL Hidden Treasures

May 14: Our Past Remembered

May 10: A Cool Cabana

May 7: A Salute Returned