LauderBlog

There's something wonderful about the start of a new year. We get to give this whole deal another try. To begin again, looking at daily life from a fresh perspective. As we head toward 2010, the change is even more meaningful because we're not just advancing into a new 12 months but a new decade as well. I don't know about you but I say good riddance to 2009. Matter of fact, the last ten years have been, er ... let's say challenging. For the world, for the country and, yep, for me. Good in many ways but challenging. So I'm definitely ready to ring in better times. Who knows, right? No one can say what's ahead. But let's hope.

One of the things I'm hoping for in 2010 is to begin really traveling again. I think many folks may feel that way. The economy is showing encouraging signs at last and bargains are everywhere. South Florida is full of them, even with the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl arriving here soon. So the coming months seem to offer a good chance to get away and relax. Probably most of us can use some R&R about now.

But I also want to explore more of the great things here at home. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I get out and enjoy life around Fort Lauderdale. I go places, do things, savor our beaches and our weather and our lifestyle. But in 2010 I expect to finally sample deep-sea fishing on one of Fort Lauderdale's many charter boats and to stay overnight in a chickee hut at Billie Swamp Safari - both of these have been on my list for a while now. And I want to get to the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale more often. I still haven't checked out the new Norman Rockwell exhibit, for instance, but I will. I also would like to ride the Water Taxi and River Taxi around our gorgeous waterways more frequently than I did this year. I could go on with my wish-list, but you get the idea. I feel fortunate to live in a place that's a vacation mecca. And a tropical vacation mecca at that. Very fortunate. It's an exciting, romantic, sexy part of the world and I hope to soak up as much of it as possible in 2010. May it be a very good year for us all. I'll clink my champagne glass to that on New Year's Eve if you will.

I love New Year's Eve in Fort Lauderdale. I've had some great ones here. Private evenings with one special person, some fondue, champagne and chocolates. And huge gatherings for hundreds. Black tie galas and funky Irish pub blowouts. And I also have joined in the city's free annual street parties. Those are a blast and I hope to pop in for this year's edition early that night before meeting up with a friend. Whether you join me downtown or are looking for other ideas, there's no shortage of New Year's Eve festivities. Fine restaurants are going all out to entertain, a famous rock group is in town and the hot clubs plan to whoop it up bigtime.

But for starters, let's go back to that free Fort Lauderdale bash. Called the "Downtown Countdown," the event draws an estimated 100,000 people each year to SW 2^nd Street between SW 2^nd Avenue and SW 5^th Avenue. It begins at 5pm and runs until 3am, with a special New Year's countdown for kids at 7pm. Kind of a nice touch, that early children's celebration.

Classic rock bands will be banging out the oldies and at midnight an eight-foot ball bathed in 10,000 lights descends to the official New Year countdown. Should be a very good time. But if you're looking for another kind of rock band and a crowd that's sitting in their seats, you might want to check out the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino. That's where the B-52s will take the stage to warm everyone up for 2010. Tickets start at $60 and include a complimentary champagne toast at the casino's Center Bar to ring in the New Year. Also at the Hard Rock complex, you can hit any of the diverse mix of clubs. They're each doing something special for the night. At the low-priced end, there's Tequila Ranch among others. Men get in for just $5, women are free. Passion Nightclub has a $50 admission. At Opium, it'll cost you $100 to step inside, with tables starting at $600 -- hey, maybe you had a good year or maybe you're just ready to start a much better one. Whatever. You can think about fine dining too, if that's more your style. There are many, many choices. For example, China Grill Fort Lauderdale offers a four-course family style meal for $150 per person, including a free bottle of Pommery Apanage champagne. Like I said, no shortage of New Year's Eve festivities around Fort Lauderdale. As for me, well, December 31 is one of my fave holidays and I can't wait. I may not be at a black tie wingding or Irish pubfest this year, but I still hope to party like it's 1999.

Yes, Santa does visit the subtropics. He comes in the form of brilliant sunshine and hot sand on your feet. And breezes warm enough for wearing bathing suits. I admit that snow is lovely around the holidays, sure. But whenever I feel some longing for the Vermont Christmases of my past, I remember that the holidays always end on January 1 - just a little over one week from now. And then? And then those trackless fields of snow can seem a lot less charming somehow, as December rolls whitely into the New Year and right on through February. And often into March and sometimes April in the really cold climes. I've seen snow in May when I lived in Burlington, a city that sits in a Vermont valley, not the mountains.

So I do view Christmas warmth and sun as a genuine blessing, a gift I'm lucky enough to receive by way of living in Greater Fort Lauderdale. As I write this blog, I just finished a lovely drive by the ocean. With my convertible top down. The wind was brisk but pleasant and whitecaps rolled in across a green sea softened with gray. The sunshine warmed my face and I listened to Christmas carols on my satellite radio.

And I remembered my first Christmas here, way back when. Ok, way back when was in 1989. I'd moved here with my then-wife in August of that year to work as an investigative reporter at the Sun-Sentinel. I couldn't get over the feeling of wearing shorts on my patio in December. That holiday season was much colder than normal for South Florida, I've since learned. But we still felt the need to take our guests to the beach on Christmas day. Oh yes, we had guests for the holidays. Funny how friends and family suddenly feel a strong urge for your company during the first few winters after you move to Florida. Anyway, we all trundled off for a stroll across the sand. I've done the Christmas-at-the-beach thing a few times in my two decades as a resident, but that first year was something different. We went to the beach on Christmas mostly to be able to say we went to the beach on Christmas, telling all those other friends and family members who weren't visiting us about our new life among the palm trees. This Christmas, tourists and new residents will be doing much the same thing. The forecast does indeed call for bathing suit weather that day. It's not a bad way to spend a Christmas, I can tell you. Happy Holidays, everyone!

We're all sampling winter right now, at least on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Even here in South Florida - in our own distinct way. As the holidays roll on and the winter solstice arrives, the cold bluster feels appropriate. Of course, "cold" is a relative term. In New York City, temps will be in the 20s and 30s today. Same thing in Chicago. In Boston? Cold means colder, with highs in the 20s, lows in the teens. Here in Fort Lauderdale, cold isn't quite the same thing. Our nippy high today is expected to reach only 69 degrees, with a low of 56. Brrrrrrrrrrr. Tomorrow, still chilly: the forecast high is just 75 F. After that, things will heat up to around 80 by Christmas. I'll try to keep warm through this bitter snap.

Haha. I hope you're laughing, or at least smiling, even if you happen to live in a truly cold New York or Chicago or Boston or wherever else up there. Assuming you have electricity to power your computer, that is, and aren't too busy shoveling out a pile of snow. Believe me, I know how it goes. I lived in the frozen north for many, many years.

But in the unfrozen south, life is different. It's easy in lots of ways, sometimes almost too easy. So it's lovely to feel a bit of briskness in the air from time to time, if only as a reminder that living isn't so comfortably pleasant everywhere in the world. I went out for a delightful walk early this morning just to catch some of those chillier breezes before the sun appeared for the day. I'm guessing the temperature was in the high 50s when I set out for the local marina, cool enough that I wore a sweatshirt and light jacket. It felt great to wander the quiet streets around my Dania Beach condo, enjoying the Christmas decorations that sparkled from the homes and feeling just a touch of winter on the wind. At the marina, I walked along the wooden dock and chatted with several folks who were working on the yachts tied up there. By the time I got back home, about an hour later, I was ready for some hot coffee and oatmeal and the newspaper. A lovely morning, all in all. I read the articles about the huge snowstorm up north and the airline delays caused by it and all the other hassles folks are coping with after winter's arrival. And I admit that I was feeling a touch smug, and lucky, that I didn't have to deal with that mess this year. In Fort Lauderdale, winter comes in bitesize pieces, just enough to satisfy my occasional appetite for something other than tropical humidity. But like a craving for chocolate, the appetite passes after it's fed - and I'll be eager for the warmth of summer when it returns in a few days.

Tonight's the night. Yep, the night for fans of reality TV. The night for fans of housewives. Especially the night for fans of Fort Lauderdale. So since it's such a big deal for all those folks, I felt that one more blog about this thing might be helpful. You see, the "Real Housewives of Orange County" came to town in July to tape their popular cable program for Bravo - hey, that should show you we're no longer just a winter tourist destination, right? July and August are our hottest months, but these TV stars obviously enjoyed themselves. Anyway, that program airs tonight at 10 pm ET. I confess that I've not seen the "real" housewives before but I sure plan to tune in this evening. I'm told they're quite a trip, these California ladies.

They evidently got all glammed and glitzed up for their stay in a part of the country I'll take over Southern California any day, quite frankly. If they had been really smart, they'd have moved their show here. But it's nice they came to visit. And tonight the viewing public gets to see what happened while they were in town.

What's pretty cool, though, is that you also can enter a contest to win a free trip to Fort Lauderdale -- "Real Housewives of Orange County" style. Just click on www.sunny.org/RHOC for a chance to snag round-trip air on Virgin America and two nights at the ultra-chic W Fort Lauderdale, where the California girls stayed. The winner also receives a fancy spa treatment, a fancy dinner and a trip through the Everglades that's never fancy but sure is a blast. I also learned that there's another "Real Housewives" offering, even if you don't win that freebie. The discounted package is called "Live It Up Like a Housewife." Cute name. It includes accommodations at W Fort Lauderdale as well, along with the spa and Everglades visits, cocktails at W's very hot Whiskey Blue lounge and a poolside cabana so you can go home with a Fort Lauderdale glow. Just like the OC housewives. For details, click on www.wfortlauderdalehotel.com/realhousewives. It spells out all the details for you. Meantime, program your TiVo for tonight's show or just set your alarm clock or whatever works for you. Since you're reading this blog, I know you're probably a fan of Fort Lauderdale just like me. You may or may not love reality TV and I don't need to know what you think about housewives. But I'm pretty sure that, for South Florida junkies, this will be something to see.

Some housewives are more real than others, apparently. This is what television tells us these days so it must be true, right? It's definitely true that some of these "real" housewives are a lot more famous than others. So when a group of both real and famous housewives vacations in Fort Lauderdale, this is something of an event around here. Yep, none other than the "Real Housewives of Orange County" were in town a few months ago to tape an episode of their popular program. You can see them hanging by the sea, and all around Greater Fort Lauderdale, at 10 pm ET this Thursday, December 17 on the Bravo network. The gals were busy being seen pretty much everywhere, from what I gather in advance of the show.

They stayed at the hip new W Fort Lauderdale, of course. Where else would real housewives stay after all? While there, they indulged in the luxury of the hotel's Bliss Spa - as any real housewife would. They also partied at the very cool Whiskey Blue and ate at the very expensive Steak 954. Again, typical housewifey things to do.

I'm teasing these "real" housewives. I'm not sure how much real houswifing they do back in Orange County, California, but they certainly knew how to live here in Broward County, Florida. They got out into the Everglades on an airboat to see alligators. They also toured Fort Lauderdale's extensive waterways during an evening cruise on a private yacht. Good times were had by all and, no doubt, hilarity ensued. I'll have to check it out for myself on Thursday night. Kidding aside, though, their presence here is another nice coup for Fort Lauderdale, showcasing some of the major changes in this part of South Florida. Including a beachfront that's become a very happening spot these days, even drawing some of the Miami/South Beach crowd. No matter how real or unreal those California housewives are, they're obviously smart enough to know a great getaway spot when they see one. They didn't come to Fort Lauderdale by accident. There's 23 miles of Blue Wave beaches here. There are many more miles of canals than in Venice, Italy too. There is a growing assortment of lux hotels and fine places to dine and hot spots to drink and dance and laugh. Any real housewife with the chance to leave her featherduster behind for a few days would find herself having a very good time, I think. I'm pretty sure the Orange County housewives would agree.

You haven't fully experienced South Florida until you've been here for the holidays. There's nothing quite like giant lighted white snowflakes mounted along Fort Lauderdale's tropical beach to make you realize you've entered some kind of alternate holiday universe. One of the real annual highlights is the event coming up this Saturday evening, December 12: the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, as it's officially called. Long name, but a fun event. For those blog readers who've not yet had the chance to experience this bit of subtropicana, allow me to paint part of the scene for you. First, think of a graceful palm tree, perhaps a Royal Palm rising 20 feet on the riverbank, green fronds draped against a light warm breeze. Now imagine that same tree lined with neat strands of colored lights, perhaps a dozen rows of lights climbing straight up from the ground to the top of the trunk with still more strands hung to outline each frond.

I think it's lovely, really. True, a tad surreal to a northern boy like me, but lovely. Now imagine many trees just like this one, lots of pretty palms with lots of pretty lights, all along the New River. Are you seeing this? In the background, somewhere behind you, music is playing. Loudly. Maybe it's a thumping version of "Jingle Bell Rock" or "Deck the Halls" or whatever. But something lively, something that sets the holiday party mood.

Ok, now here's where the fun really starts. Because there is a very upbeat, smiling crowd along the riverbank near you, folks mingling and laughing and eating among those twinkling palms. And you learn that the music is blaring from one of the megayachts tied up on the river, with invited guests onboard sipping cocktails and waving happily to the rest of us on shore. Each yacht is lined with holiday lights as well, maybe all white or maybe all blue or maybe multi-colored. And on the bow of one of them, an enormous lighted display shows Santa sitting in his sleigh wearing Bermuda shorts. Or some such wackiness. The other grand yachts have other grand and often wacky displays. Then a couple of kayakers float by and you notice that their small watercrafts also are turned out with glistening holiday lights and so are the cigarette boats and sailboats and every other kind of vessel that can float down the New River and then up the rest of the parade route on the Intracoastal Waterway. And then it begins and all of those boats form a long, long line as they slowly motor east toward the Intracoastal and the crowds are cheering and waving now. It may not be Currier and Ives exactly, but it's the holidays for sure - Fort Lauderdale style. You really have to see it to know how much fun it is.

I was digging some cool music on a warm afternoon this past weekend. You can do the same on the first Sunday of each month all year long. It happens on the Riverwalk's northern banks, an array of jazz bands grooving out the tunes from 11-2 as part of the Sunday Jazz Brunch series. These free outdoor concerts offer a chance to stroll by the water and hang out with the crowd and catch some quality live music. I definitely got into the group playing at one of the riverside gazebos. Called the Jazz Survivors, this quartet features some talented musicians including a top-notch trumpet player from Hungary. Very cool stuff indeed. Music seemed to be all around Fort Lauderdale the past couple of days - and it will continue right through the holiday season.

Some friends were heading to the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday night to take in the annual Christmas Pageant extravaganza. I've never been but it's a huge show and, so I'm told, it's impressive. I've heard only very good comments over the years about this production.

Then some other friends this weekend had tickets for the Broward Center for the Performing Arts to hear the Messiah. There's variety for you - from "Angel Eyes" to "Silent Night" to the "Hallelujah Chorus," all performed within the space of a couple of city blocks. I glanced at the Broward Center's schedule for the next few weeks and noticed more jazz coming to town. On Wednesday, December 9, the well-known jazz pianist Dick Hyman plays a tribute concert to Eddie Higgins, another fine jazz pianist who passed away recently in Fort Lauderdale. There's Brazilian music soon too, and great ballet music and dance with the Nutcracker, and the Phantom of the Opera returns to the Broward Center just before the New Year for a three-week run. Lots to do, lots to listen to. Honestly, I'm a sucker for holiday music this time of year. I can't hear too many versions of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" or "Christmastime Is Here" for my taste. Of course, it's even more fun to combine that seasonal listening with holiday light displays and yachts and thousands of your closest personal friends. Later this week I'll blog a little preview of the Winterfest Boat Parade, which will float through downtown Fort Lauderdale next Saturday. I always love this event, a great way to get your holiday on. I hope to make it again next weekend. And if one of the twinkling yachts happens to boom out a recorded rendition of "Christmastime Is Here" as they motor past, that will be just fine with me too.

There's lots happening in the South Florida art world just now. One important event is right in my own backyard. Several minutes from my home, the Museum of Art | in Fort Lauderdale is hosting a well-reviewed retrospective of Norman Rockwell's work. I haven't seen this quite yet, but I hope to check it out soon. Called "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell," the exhibit includes some of the artist's best-known paintings. The museum even has all 323 cover illustrations that Rockwell created for the Saturday Evening Post. What interests me more than anything else about this showing, though, is that it comes at a time when Rockwell's reputation is undergoing a reassessment. Gee, maybe these aren't such silly, whitebread paintings after all.

As a writer, I'm sympathetic to anyone who tackles the hard work of trying to make something that aspires to real art. But I confess I've been among those who snickered and shrugged at Rockwell in the past. From what I've read about this show, I can tell already that I'm likely to change my tune. I already have, really.

I've seen photos of some paintings in the Fort Lauderdale show. Some of these reveal very powerful works with a distinct social message. I had no idea Rockwell was an early member of the NAACP. He was. And I had no idea he'd created pieces such as "The Problem We All Live With," a 1963 illustration for Look magazine. It shows an adorable African-American child in a white dress and sneakers, carrying books and other school supplies. In front of and behind her, four men walk stiffly, their heads invisible. On his arm each man wears a yellow band that says, "Deputy U.S. Marshal." Compelling, honest stuff. Another Rockwell magazine illustration focuses on the 1964 murder of civil rights activists in Mississippi. I can see why the art world finally is coming around to the view that this was a serious artist. I'm coming to that realization with them. This show runs until February 7 and is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the Museum of Art. Those who go, of course, also will find some of Rockwell's better-known paintings of Americana. Of these, he famously said that he painted "life as I would like it to be." But clearly Norman Rockwell also could see life as it really was in his own time. For that, and for his sincere efforts as an artist, he certainly has my respect.