LauderBlog

Those two words don't seem to go together, do they? Urban. And nature. But of course they do. Trees, rocks, lakes, wild animals are part of any great urban environment, whether Central Park in New York or the Tuillerie Gardens in Paris. Cities and suburbs alike also must offer small, intimate parks of various kinds in addition to their sprawling green spaces. In Greater Fort Lauderdale we're lucky because we've got lots of options, many places where our urban lifestyle connects with natural sights and sounds and smells. The Everglades is a unique environment on the planet, nothing else like it anywhere - and we have the opportunity to enjoy its beauty just a half hour from downtown Fort Lauderdale. There are state parks and city parks spread all through Broward County as well, offering everything from tranquil seashores to lakeside picnic tables.

But sometimes small gems get overlooked, partly because we do have so many natural areas around here. Last weekend, I rediscovered one of them. In north Broward, there's an arboretum sitting smack beside busy Hillsboro Boulevard. If you're in the vicinity and looking for a breath of nature, it's worth a stop.

The Deerfield Beach Arboretum has some 325 species of palm trees, bamboo, exotic flowering and canopy trees, tropical fruit trees and more. The place is even nicknamed, "the Tree Zoo." Sitting on about nine acres, this "zoo" for plants is free and a pleasant spot to hang out for a while when you're passing by. On Memorial Day, I popped into the Tree Zoo with Gwendolyn for a quiet stroll, looking at trees from five continents including the lovely African Tulip Tree. The park has the feel of a place that's underused, quite honestly. I've been there just twice and found it nearly empty, even on the recent holiday. Some of the helpful signs identifying species are fairly worn and some of the grounds could use a bit of sprucing too. But despite these small niggles, I've really enjoyed myself both times I dropped in. There's a curving sidewalk that winds through this park, with benches and small gazebos for sitting and contemplating. The whole atmosphere is relaxed, an escape from the traffic and noise that's just beyond the dense barrier of foliage. I'm not aware of anything in South Florida exactly like it. For more info, check out http://www.treezoo.com/. Next time I'm in that part of town and need to exchange all this urban for a little bit of nature, I'll be back.

There's nothing like getting something for nothing. Or something like that. All I know is that the summer seems an especially appropriate time for travel bargains. Well, as it happens, I've learned about some excellent two-for-one specials available just a couple mouse clicks from this blog. If you're planning to visit Greater Fort Lauderdale in the next few months, or if you live here, you may want to check these out. Just navigate your way to the home page on www.sunny.org. Then look directly under the big word "chic" at the top and you'll find it: "greater fort lauderdale," it reads, "Double your pleasure, double your sun." I thought that was kinda cute - a reference to a famous commercial, for those of you old enough to remember.

All you've got to do is open the "Check out 2-for-1 offers now" and you'll see what I mean. You can click again to bring up a whole page of the free coupons you'll need to redeem this special at various businesses around town. You'll also find a long list of those businesses.

And I do mean a long list. I counted 30 participants from all over Broward County, including major tourist attractions, well-known spas and exciting diving trips out into the Atlantic. Let me show you what I'm talking about. The Mai-Kai, for instance, has a twofer admission to its wonderful Polynesian show. I've blogged recently about a night out at the Mai-Kai but, if you missed that, I can only say that this is the real deal for South Pacific enthusiasts. Then there's two-for-one admission to the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale and to such great spots as Butterfly World, Flamingo Gardens, the Bonnet House and IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame. Take a cruise on the Jungle Queen, snorkel among the tropical fish off the Florida coast or learn to ride one of those wacky segways with M. Cruz Rentals at Birch State Park. The bargains can get you and a friend an inexpensive de-stressing spa session at Planet Massage or a wind-whipped Everglades airboat ride at Sawgrass Recreation Park. At the end of the day, you can even snag two strawberry mojitos for the price of one at Fort Lauderdale's Westin Beach Resort. As I see it, there are much worse ways to spend this summer than saving money and having fun at the same time. That's my kind of twofer.

Ok, so where was I? Oh yes, the new W Hotel on the Fort Lauderdale beach. In the previous blog, I was telling you about my first visit to that new property. On Sunday, Gwendolyn and I dropped by to scope it out and enjoy a nice cocktail on a rainy afternoon. It was a delightful experience, mostly because the place vibrates with a very trendy atmosphere. Trendy in a good way, to my taste anyhow. I didn't feel like the W was trying too hard, as I often do with so, so hip spots. This seemed fun and edgy minus the overly self-conscious South Beach attitude.

All right, so back to our visit - which brought us next to the swimming pool. This is definitely a pool you've got to see for yourself. From the third floor lobby and bar area, you walk up a short flight of steps through what they call the "human aquarium." They're not kidding. You get to watch all the humans paddling around like fish because the sides are clear. So you're basically walking up through the center of the swimming pool. Very cool.

The lobby bar is wide open and spacious, with huge four-table booths and couch-beds for groups and a great wraparound patio with a fire pit. And the ocean views are ideal. We plunked down at the long bar and ordered something different for us both. Absinthe. I've spent a fair amount of time in Europe, including France, but never really thought about trying this drink before. We ordered it on the rocks - no sugar, no water, no mixer, no nothing. Turns out it's strong stuff, I can tell you. So we're sitting there, chatting with the lovely female bartenders and sipping pale-green absinthe and looking out at the heavy clouds hanging over the sea. And catching a good buzz from it all. The chill music in the background was loud enough to enjoy but not so loud that we couldn't talk comfortably, thumping away with a strong bassline under upbeat tunes. Not a bad place to hang on a weekend afternoon or almost any time, really. Clearly lots of others agreed with us, mostly young and mostly attractive people who kept the bartenders hopping. I can't wait to go back, honestly, though I suppose that's hardly surprising. After all, everyone knows that absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. (Sorry ... couldn't resist that one.)

That was my major reaction when I left Fort Lauderdale's brand new W Fort Lauderdale hotel this weekend. "Wow." I really was impressed. So I'm going to do two blogs about this important new addition to our area's growing list of high-end lodging options. I don't use that word lightly when it comes to hotels, by the way. "Impressed." I'm often not. For those who may be new to my blogs, just a bit of background: I'm a national travel writer and I've stayed in some of the finest hotels in the world. Perhaps as a result, I sometimes find that even the best known places leave something to be desired from my perspective. Well, I haven't had the chance to stay at a W yet. And this was my first time inside one of the chain's properties. But I can honestly say that, yes, so far I felt distinctly impressed.

The W joins such hotels as The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, the Atlantic Hotel and the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort for upscale accommodation choices in Fort Lauderdale. But the W brings something new to our town - an ultra-hip ambience. There's nothing else like it. And I must say that, for all my previous hotel experience, I've never been inside another property that resembles this one.

And that includes some famous South Beach hotels where I've been a visitor or guest over the years. When my girlfriend, Gwendolyn, and I arrived at Fort Lauderdale's W on Sunday afternoon, we were immediately taken with the entrance. A tranquil fountain in the Asian style was set among arrangements of orchids in tall, striking modern vases. We wandered over to the new restaurant, Steak 954, operated by Stephen Starr of New York's Buddakan. We checked out the pleasant restaurant bar, then glanced into the dining room. That was when we had our first wow moment. Because there's a 2,000 gallon jellyfish aquarium illuminated by black lights. "Those must be holograms," I said to Gwendolyn. "Look at the way they're all moving in a circle and spread out perfectly. It's like a design." But I was wrong. They're real jellyfish, given an otherworldly glow by the black lights. Don't ask me why they swim in circles. It's really amazing and all by itself worth a stop at the W. But there's a lot more inside this very cool, very chic hotel. Including a lobby bar that stocks authentic French absinthe. I tried that for the first time on Sunday too and I'll tell you more about it and the W later this week. Let's just say that both of them left me with a very nice buzz.

In South Florida, that's the summer question. I heard it for the first time during this new summery season just yesterday. I'd gone to Starbucks on Las Olas late in the afternoon for a lovely iced green tea lemonade. Ever had one, by the way? Quite tasty and refreshing. I recommend them. Anyway I was sitting there sipping my drink beside the Samba Room, which is a terrific restaurant and bar directly next door. I watched as a family arrived for what was apparently an early dinner - and that was when I heard it. The question. A young man looked at the group and asked, "Inside or outside?" Meaning, of course, "Shall we sit inside in the air conditioning or outside in the fresh air?"

People around these parts can become quite passionate about their answer. If you hear a quick, clipped reply from someone, you know they mean business. It's usually just one word, "Inside!" Or maybe it's "Outside!" And it is generally spoken with real conviction. When my former wife said "Inside!" in this way, her reply conveyed a clear message to me: "If you think I'm sitting outdoors after just paying for a new hair permanent, you're crazy." I knew better than to argue.

Though I often wanted to. Maybe that's why we're no longer married. With rare exceptions, I tend to be an outside kind of guy. Give me alfresco dining or drinking any day. I rarely mind the heat or humidity. I mean, hey, this is Florida in the summer. That's why I gravitate toward waterside restaurants from now through September or so. There's normally a pleasant breeze coming off the ocean or Intracoastal, river or canal. Outside dining at these places is a pleasure to me. It's a margarita on the rocks and a rumbling motorboat and conch chowder with Tabasco and palm fronds silhouetted by the moon, all of it combined into some warm, tropical sensory mixture. But as I suggested, the AC is always cranked on high this time of year for those who feel otherwise. Inside, it's perpetually cool and pleasant, a controlled climate for the many folks wanting their summertime heat in shorter doses. As for me, well, I live and work in air conditioning much of the time. Any chance to escape into the outdoors is welcome. And remember, I'm single now - which means I can answer "Outside!" with all the passion I want these days.

There's a famous song from the early 1960s about going downtown. Because downtown is an inviting place, the singer reminds us. Full of color and people and life. And fun. I might say the same about one of Fort Lauderdale's most established saloons. Called the Downtowner Saloon, this is a watering hole that sits directly beside the water - downtown, appropriately enough. Just take the Andrews Avenue drawbridge over the New River from Las Olas and hang your first left, then one more quick left and you'll see the parking lot. There's plenty of free parking and, yes, color and people and life. And fun. I have a real history with this place but, oddly enough, I hadn't been there in a few years until very recently. Now I'm finding myself meeting friends at the Downtowner a couple times a month.

When I was a reporter at the Sun Sentinel, my colleagues and I often walked over to this bar after work to drink and complain about our editors. Typical reporter stuff. A little later, when I left the paper to write on my own, I was in a band with three friends. We both rehearsed and performed our blues/rock tunes at the Downtowner for more than a year.

Several weeks ago, an old friend from the newspaper and I reconnected. We decided the Downtowner was the best place to meet. I felt as if I was discovering this great saloon all over again. The staff is friendly. The prices are very reasonable, especially for being located, well, downtown. And there's some enjoyable music, including a terrific blues musician named Graham Wood Drout who sometimes plays the Downtowner. On Friday, I met a close buddy for Happy Hour and we sat there for two hours just chatting and drinking and generally having a swell time. We didn't eat dinner but this is a bar that's always had good food. Judging by all the folks chowing down on Friday, that's apparently still true. Plus there's a lovely view of the city center, with the condos and the office towers and the park arrayed directly in front of you. The boats float by just a few yards from the outdoor tables and the breeze off the river helps keep you cool. It's a delightful place. And I'm very glad I've found it once more. It turns out the Downtowner is still a lot of fun for me - even without any newspaper editors to complain about.

Wasn't I just saying something about the sun? And sunscreen? Only a week ago, in my "SPF 30" blog, I wrote about all the brands and SPF varieties of sunscreen products you can find in both my home and car. To which I added one more brand only a few days ago, by the way. I now own six different kinds of sunscreen including the latest addition to my medicine cabinet, SPF 30 Coppertone. All this got me thinking. Because a good day in the sun requires more than simply protection against those intense South Florida rays. You need stuff - practical stuff and fun stuff. Practical stuff like, well, a good towel for instance. And some flip-flops to keep your soles smiling. And fun stuff like possibly a great beach ball. You know. Stuff.

Which brings me to my point. Since you're going to visit Greater Fort Lauderdale from wherever you are now (assuming you're not one of our many local blog readers), you'll need at least one more major item to go with your beach stuff. A good hotel. You'll require this as a storage space for your beach ball, if nothing else.

As it happens, I know some place where you can get all of this stuff at a great price. Right here. Yep, here on this very website at http://www.sunny.org/. I have been looking at the home page promotions a lot lately, as you may have noticed. For instance, I recently pointed out the cool quiz called, "what is your beach type?" The sunny.org redesign means there are a lot of new things to explore. So now I've been checking out another feature named "free beach starter kit." If you book your hotel through this site, you get all that stuff I mentioned earlier - and yes, it's really free. A nice beach towel, flip flops and, perhaps best of all, that beach ball. The hotel is not free. Sorry. But it's hassle free at least. Simply click on the home page link. This will take you to another page where you enter the arrival and departure dates. Another click-through brings up a long, long list of hotel choices at a wide range of prices. Couldn't be easier, really. You're likely to find just the right hotel room at just the right cost. But if you ask me, the beach ball is the best part. It's a blast on the sand, of course. And it also makes the perfect prop for those vacay pics you email your friends stuck back at the office. What could be better than that?

Kids aren't just immature versions of adults. They think differently. They feel differently. And they look at life through a special lens. In their world, a summer can seem to stretch out to the far horizons, filled with expanding days of long light. I remember when the period from June 1 through September 1 felt a great deal lengthier to me than a full year does now. I could look forward to travel with my family and neighborhood baseball games, corn on the cob and macaroni salad - and a version of freedom. As much freedom as I would sample for some time yet anyway, the luxurious sense that I could do more or less what I wanted, when I wanted. Well, kind of, within reason. There's real adventure that comes from being out of school for an extended block of time. That's what we're going to explore in this summer's edition of our kids blog.

This will be the third year in a row that we've offered this special series of brief stories for younger readers. From now through the end of August, we'll post a new one each Friday at this link: http://www.sunny.org/blog/index.cfm/Greater-Fort-LauderKIDS/. Please tell your kids and let your friends' kids know too. I think they'll enjoy it.

This year, we're bringing back the same cast as before. Isabella, the precocious blog writer who will turn 15 in July. And there's her bright BFF, Juliette, as well as Spencer, who's Juliette's pesky younger brother. They're a fun bunch and this time around they're going to really do up Fort Lauderdale right. It will all begin with scuba diving lessons for Isabella and Juliette, followed by their first ocean dive. As Isabella herself might write, "Gulp!" Sharks and sting rays and eels, oh my! They may try parasailing and surfing and a tour on one of those wacky Segway gadgets. But they'll also soak up long days on the beach and sample a little shopping on Las Olas. And there could well be a bit of teen romance in the mix. It will be an eventful, unforgettable summer for all three of our LauderKids. And we hope for our youthful readers. We say this blog is "Just4Kids," but we've learned that many adults also secretly check out each week's new installment. I hope you will too. As an author of 23 books for children as well as original programs on human values for the schools, I really love writing these fictional kids tales. There's something very appealing about trying to get inside the head of a teenager to see things through that special lens I mentioned earlier. It's a refreshing perspective for sure. Totally makes me want to, like, LOL! ;-)

I should own stock in Banana Boat products. Or Neutragena or Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. I have them all. If you were to look in both my medicine cabinet at home and my car's glove compartment, you'd find no fewer than five kinds of sunscreen in various SPF strengths. I sometimes feel like the "sun products" aisle at my local pharmacy. This is something new for me, I must admit. I'm old enough to remember when we didn't even use sunscreen - we lathered up in "suntan lotion." Yep, we put stuff on our bodies to help us absorb more of those powerful rays, not less. Later on in my life as a northerner, after sunscreen was common, I considered the sun such a precious visitor that I rarely bothered with any protection. I just burned - and enjoyed it.

But in South Florida, burning is not a practical approach to outdoor life. If I didn't wear sunscreen, I'd look like a red chili pepper. Balanced on two bright red legs. Yet despite all these years here, I confess it's still taken me a long time to realize I have to apply sunscreen even when going out for short excursions. Largely, this revelation dawned on me as the result of owning a convertible. I can put the top down for a mid-day drive and come home 30 minutes later with a two-tone complexion: every part of me that was exposed is one color, every part that wasn't exposed is another color. I suspect this is the fair-skinned curse of my Irish/English ancestry.

So I've finally learned my lesson and now slop on healthy quantities of sunscreen several times a week. Personally, I prefer SPF 15 because it's not so thick. But I know I need a good SPF 30 or more if I'm going out for any length of time or hanging around the ocean or swimming pool or something. I've even got one extra-thick lotion that makes me laugh when I smear some on and look in the mirror. There I am, staring back at myself in whiteface and the darned stuff just won't rub in completely. I always think I resemble Queen Elizabeth I. Or maybe Marcel Marceau - I have to resist an impulse to launch into his "Walking Against The Wind" routine. Hey, at least I know what to wear if I need a second career as a street mime. But seriously, sunscreen is a necessity in Fort Lauderdale, as most tourists very quickly discover. Those who don't discover this soon take on the appearance of, well, red chili peppers on legs. Perpetual sun is a wonderful thing and I sometimes wonder if I could live without it after all these years in Florida. The sunny skies make your days feel welcoming and joyful somehow. Still, it's important to have plenty of the old SPF 30 on hand and to "apply it often," as the sunscreen labels say. I can offer this advice without conflict of interest concerns as I have no stock in Banana Boat. Yet.