LauderBlog

Fort Lauderdale coined the term "beach chic" for its casual but upscale lifestyle. Now there's a place along the Fort Lauderdale beach offering what I might call "java chic." A small café that also is casual but upscale, a great spot with an appealing menu for breakfast or lunch. H2O Java Café sits next door to its sister restaurant, H2O Café. Funny how that works. But really, the main H2O has been open for more than a year and I love it. I've eaten there a number of times, including during staycations the past two summers and when out-of-town guests have visited me. It's situated overlooking the sea just south of Beach Place, with an unusually large menu of excellent food. H2O is lovely inside and out and the staff is friendly, attentive and often downright funny to chat with.

But until my close-to-home vacation at the beach earlier this month, I somehow never had tried the little H2O Java Café. Now I'm already a return customer. I wandered inside for the first time one sunny morning when staying at a hotel nearby, just looking for a nice iced coffee and some shade.

The place was hopping. The two easy chairs at the front of the shop were taken by a couple who was talking to some folks at another table. Other people were eating or ordering takeout breakfasts. I still wanted that iced coffee but now the fresh fruit looked inviting too: big slices of pineapple and watermelon laid out in the glass case. The guy at the register happily gave me only what I asked for - one slice of pineapple and one slice of watermelon rather than insisting I buy a big fruit plate off their menu. I thought that was nice. And it's an indication of the type of service that is typical at both the small and large H2O cafes. I found an empty table and just took my time, looking out the window at the ocean, striking up a conversation with another customer. It's a pleasant way to start the day. H2O Java Café has everything from omelet's and French toast to sandwiches and smoothies, along with salads and baked goods and fresh squeezed orange juice. Yum. They call this place a New Age java shop, which I can buy in the sense that there seems an emphasis on healthy, quality food and a relaxed environment. No crystals or pyramids around that I saw. Anyhow, H2O Java Café is open from 7am to 10pm daily so you can even pick up a light dinner if you want something for the beach. So far I've only been there during the morning sunshine but I'm sure the food's just as good in the moonlight.

One night I was on the fishing Pier with a few friends fishing for snook. We were using the typical live shrimp on trollrites casting out and reeling in slowly working both sides of the pier. No one was producing any strikes.

Vinny, who is a night time regular on the pier had his rod in his right hand holding the rod over the rail and walking one step at a time with the pier railing like he is on a tight rope for a circus act. Out of curiosity, we ask him what he is doing and he said, "I am walking the dog." Vinny loses 3 fish in a matter of 15 minutes and then catches his legal keeper. We caught on to the trick of getting some bites and then catching a few keepers ourselves.

It's a silly name for a fishing tactic but it is very effective. You use a basic sliding sinker rig, slide your line through a 1 ounce egg sinker and tie on your leader. Your leader will use a 14 to 16 inch piece of fluorocarbon 30lb or 40lb test. One end is tied on a small black barrel swivel and the other end to a small black or brown "size 1" hook. Not a 1/0 hook, "size 1."

You must use live shrimp because dead or cut baits will not be effective. Hook your shrimp through the head starting underneath the shrimp's head going out through the top by the horn. Make sure you do not stick the hook through the shrimp's dark spot which is the brain or you will kill the shrimp.

Let's start off in the middle to get a visual and then from point A to point B. When you look over the pier railing straight down at the water, look for pier pilings. Let's say you have a piling to the left and a piling to your right. We will start at the piling to the right and that will be point A. Drop your rig down on the bottom next to the piling on your right. When it hits the bottom you hold your rod over the rail in your right hand with the rod tip down. Place your index finger on your line and lift the rod tip up just a little. Imagine that you are lifting your sinker off the bottom just a few inches. Slowly walk one step at a time to the next piling with the shrimp as if you were trolling that shrimp at super slow speed just at the edge of the pier. Walk slowly from piling to piling. Once you get to the next piling point B; reel up, go to the other side of the piling or flip the rod to your left hand and walk back to point A.

Using this technique you can cover the whole pier. You can use the same technique using a ½ ounce trollrite with your shrimp. There are a lot of snook swimming under the pier in the dark looking out into the light waiting for prey to swim by. You're just walking the dog. That's exactly what it is. During this process, use one arm over the pier holding the rod in your hand. This may be used on both sides of the pier north and south. If you get hung up on the bottom just walk back the other way and gently pull up at an angle.

What I would do when using medium to large shrimp on a ½ ounce trollrite is start casting out and reeling in slowly working the surf area hard. If that doesn't produce any results, I would drop the trollrite with the shrimp next to the piling and start "walking the dog". If you take a shrimp and cast it under the pier and let it sit and wait for a fish to eat it, you'll be waiting all night. You will get better results by working the pier starting at the surf and working your way up toward the end. You try casting out the shrimp and if that doesn't work, quickly move on to "walking the dog". With these two tactics you can cover the outside and inside of a pier and catch redfish too.

When "walking the dog" and you get a bite; slowly raise the rod up. Don't jerk it hard. I remembered times when I would start at one piling and when I got to the next one; had to reel up. I would slowly raise my rod up and there would be a snook following the shrimp. I would drop my arm so the rod tip goes down and the shrimp would sink. The snook would turn and suck it. It's crazy to see them coming out from under the pier.

For more information on snook tactics on piers go to Johns website at http://www.snookonpier.com/.

By John Emil Montagnino

I wish I was still on my staycation. I'm not, as this nutty week seemed determined to keep reminding me. But I do have the luxury of those lovely post-vacation memories - thinking back on doing this or going there during a relatively stress-free break at the beach. It was a delightful time off. If you happen to be lucky enough to live in the Fort Lauderdale area, you're an excellent candidate to consider a nice staycation this year. I highly recommend it. It's easy and it's inexpensive and it's really fun. But there's another advantage to staycations that hadn't quite sunk into my head until I got thinking about all this during the past several days. I realized that these close-to-home vacations offer the chance to savor a break without making the commitments that a break usually requires. Because a staycation probably is as noncommittal as any holiday can be.

I mean that in a good way, obviously. Think about it. A vacation is a commitment you make to yourself and your partner or family or whoever you're planning to travel with. You've set in cement a day to go away and a day to come home, bought your airline tickets and probably reserved a hotel and rental car. That's a commitment, a wonderful guarantee that you will definitely create time in your life for a getaway.

But sometimes life makes such commitments difficult for one reason or another. Maybe you're swamped at work. Maybe money is tight. Maybe your new partner doesn't like flying. That's when the non-commitment commitment of a staycation becomes a terrific solution. If you're living in South Florida anyway. So you pack your bags and head off to a nearby hotel, which you can book at the last minute if you like. You don't worry about checking and re-checking your packing because, hey, you can always bop home to pick up that pair of cutoffs you forgot. And if you really need to put in some work time, you can. On recent staycations, I've allowed a couple of days to return to my home office so I could do some writing and answer my emails. Then I'm back to the beach. It's a great system and, quite honestly, working seems totally painless because I know I'll soon be sipping a mojito near the sea. Returning to my normal work routine is less exhausting after a staycation too because I didn't let everything slide for a week. No one ever has called me any kind of commitment-phobe, as far as I know. I guess two marriages prove some willingness to commit, huh? All the same, I've found that non-commitment has its place - at least when that place is on the Fort Lauderdale beach.

That phrase always makes me smile. "A real lulu." On the Fort Lauderdale beach, there is one of these. Lulu's Bait Shack is a funky, downhome restaurant and bar inside Beach Place, just a couple short blocks north of Las Olas. And, yeah, it is a real lulu if you want a spot with good food, low prices, nice people and a fabulous view. Quite a combination, eh? I had enjoyed drinks or lunch at Lulu's several times in the past. But during oceanside staycations last year and this year too, Gwendolyn and I really got into the place. Whether for Happy Hour margaritas with salsa and chips or for a relaxed, inexpensive dinner, we both felt Lulu's Bait Shack was just about perfect when we didn't feel like dressing up. Lulu's is definitely a come-as-you-are hangout.

Our staycation last week included two Lulu's dinners. I'll tell you about the food in a minute. But let me start with the atmosphere. And that view. Lulu's is a large open-air restaurant on the second floor of Beach Place and it's decked out like a Cajun shack. Situated in the front of the shopping complex, it offers a great vantage point to watch the beach action and the Atlantic Ocean.

We also really like the fun, comfortable feeling at Lulu's. The wait staff tends to be personable and helpful, the crowd tends to be ready to kick back and party. It attracts both locals and tourists, by the way, a mix that also adds to that good-time atmosphere. And the food is surprising. Meaning, surprisingly high quality. The first night, for instance, we split a bowl of their New England clam chowder just to sample it. Gwendolyn and I agreed that it was excellent. I only had a burger that evening, a generous and nicely cooked chunk of beef, and she got some salad as I recall. But for our second dinner, we each went Cajun. I ordered the jambalaya, she decided on the crawfish etoufee, then we shared. Mmmm, the etoufee had some real kick to it and reminded me of the taste found in high-end New Orleans restaurants. My jambalaya also was very good, full of chicken and sausage, though I did add Tabasco to fire it up some more. Each dish cost just $9.95. Hey, how can you beat that? Delicious food in laidback surroundings with a terrific sea view. I'm not entirely sure what a lulu is, but a restaurant with all that going for it seems like a real one to me. 

To me, that's one of the great things about any vacation. The chance to just do whatever. As in, "whatever I and my vacation companion happen to feel like." This week, I'm enjoying a staycation on the Fort Lauderdale beach, a very close-to-home vacation indeed. The hotel is all of 15 minutes from my condo. But as I've said during previous staycations, I feel a thousand miles away whenever I'm settled into a local hotel - a tourist in my own town. Yes, I'm popping into my office now and then for a bit of work. But it's no big deal, mostly because I know I'll be back at the beach soon. Tuesday and Wednesday, though, Gwendolyn and I decided not to worry about doing any work at all. These were both lovely "whatever" days for us.

On Tuesday, we stayed pretty close to the beach area. But on Wednesday, we wandered a bit farther afield. True, our breakfast on Wednesday was at a lovely oceanside café just a few steps from our hotel door. But then we hopped in my car and headed to the Museum of Discovery and Science, which sits near the New River just west of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Our visit there was a hoot.

The first thing you notice when walking toward the museum entrance is the delightful Great Gravity Clock, as it's called. This Rube Goldberg-like contraption tells the time using a wacky assortment of balls and pulleys and chutes and water and whatever else. Once inside the Discovery Museum, we headed upstairs and soon found our way to the flight simulators. Very cool. We hopped into cramped cockpits to fly simulated missions in both F-18A and F-22 jet fighters. As someone who's flown in a real military fighter jet, I found that the response of the stick felt very realistic to me, honestly. We also liked the museum's Mars Rover ride, a nine-minute exploration of the Red Planet. Then we checked out the Florida EcoScapes exhibits with their mini-landscapes of mangroves and swamps and forests. And their live creature collection, including baby alligators, sea turtles, scorpions, bats and lots more. The Discovery Museum really made a nice whatever-day thing to do. So did scarfing down a great dish of Kilwin's ice cream on Las Olas right after we left the museum. And savoring Happy Hour cocktails in our room and a wonderful late dinner at H2O and a very late swim and hot tub at the hotel. See what I mean? Not one of these things was planned more than 20 minutes before we did it. And really now, isn't that the whole point of a staycation anyway?

I'm in Day 3 of my Fort Lauderdale staycation. Having a swell time and wish you were here and I'm sure you wish you were here too. One of many things the beachside break already has given me is a fresh vantage point on this city. Literally. You see, when we checked in at our hotel we found all the oceanview rooms were taken. The place is that busy with tourists, which is cool. Except, well, I've always had an ocean view whenever I've done these close-to-home getaways by the sea. So, yes, I wanted my same inspiring ocean scenery, darn it. "Sorry, sir, but we just don't have anything available." We did the computer checking and re-checking routine but in the end the answer was just another polite "sorry sir." As it turned out, though, I'm really enjoying the other side of the coin. Er, building.

Gwendolyn and I are perched on the 11^th floor overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. It's a perspective of Fort Lauderdale I've never had before during any extended period. And it's beautiful. And just as inspiring as the sea view in its own different way.

This morning I woke up to an especially impressive scene. It was still early, around 7:30, and the sun had just risen high enough to cast its first beams of the day on the downtown skyscrapers. There was a low, broad smudge of violet clouds directly behind the buildings, a dramatic backdrop that lightened into a dome of bright blue sky. The skyscrapers were gleaming in the sunshine, their details intensely highlighted even at a distance of several miles. Gorgeous. But I've also been inspired by the lovely Intracoastal and the yachts and the boats and all the activity there. Our room looks down on the water from just north of the Las Olas drawbridge so Water Taxis drift by frequently along with fishing boats and cigarette boats and every other kind of boat. Then there are the grand multi-million dollar yachts that are so common around these parts. And since we're on the subject of how the other half lives, I might just mention that I also have a great view of five canals lined with massive mansions. Even when you're a Fort Lauderdale resident, you tend to forget how many wealthy folks there really are. At night, I can see the canals shimmering from the mansion lights all up and down their length. The city spreads out around me in light as well, streetlights and houselights and lights from those downtown skyscrapers. This may not be quite the perspective I'd expected when checking into our hotel. But it's amazing all the same.

Ever ride a banana? You can. Right in the Atlantic Ocean off the South Florida coast. It's still summer, of course, and the sea is still very warm and the beaches still are less crowded than later in the year. And a splash in the water often feels like just the thing to refresh yourself. I plan to do it next week during my staycation along the Fort Lauderdale beach. Splash in the ocean, that is. Not sure about the banana ride. Anyway, I digress ... Because I'm finally picking up on the thread I sewed into these blogs a few weeks ago now. I was talking then about the pleasures of parasailing, that fascinating combination of water skiing and parachuting or something like that. Basically, you're pulled aloft under a broad parachute by a speedboat. Lots of fun.

But there's other cool stuff to do in the water around here - during the summer or anytime really. That's the great thing about this part of Florida, where it's pretty warm most of the year. Because this means you can feel comfortable jumping in for that splash nearly any time of the year too.

So yes, uh, back to the topic at hand. Banana rides, right? And their cousin, jet skis. There are many shops that offer these activities, all up and down the Greater Fort Lauderdale coastline. Jet skis, of course, allow you and a friend to bomb over the waves at what feel like high speeds, as high as you'd want your speeds to be anyway. You also can take them into canals and rivers and on the Intracoastal Waterway. Locals like me see these things all the time buzzing around our waters. Then there's this banana ride deal I keep referring to. It's basically a big float that, yes indeed, is shaped like a banana. Designed to look like one, too. I'm not sure who came up with this bright idea but people seem to love it. You and several of your best buds can straddle your personal banana and get towed behind a speedboat for a teeth-rattling ride out on the sea. I've read that speeds go as high as 75 mph, which is pretty fast for a banana. All kidding aside, it looks like a good time to me. I've not had the chance to try this yet, but who knows? Maybe I'll feel the need for some speed during my staycation and, uhm, peel off toward the banana shop.

Next week, I begin my Fort Lauderdale beach staycation. Can't wait. I seriously need a bit of down time. And it occurs to me that I'll be staying in the very heart of some of South Florida's top spas, including many that are part of Lauderdale Spa Chic promo this month. Yes, I'm about to visit Spa Central. I figure just breathing the air around this part of town should feel relaxing, with all the aromatherapy incense and oils in the area. For those not yet familiar with Spa Chic, I'll remind you that it's a month of bargain spa treatments at some very high end places. These include the Bliss Fort Lauderdale at the trendy new W Fort Lauderdale on the beach. Nearby, you'll find spas at the Westin, The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale,  Harbor Beach Marriott, The Atlantic Hotel and Hyatt Pier 66 hotels. (Check out the full list of spas at http://sunny.org/spachic.

Most of those spots mentioned above are within a very short walk of my hotel for this coming week of close-to-home vacationing. I'm hoping I'll find the chance to enjoy my own spa treatment during the getaway. But one way or another, I'm already getting in the spa frame of mind.

Just yesterday, I was listening to a satellite radio station in my car tuned to a station named "Spa," appropriately enough. They play a steady stream of New Age music, space music, mellow acoustic tunes, even some Indian music now and again. It's relaxing stuff and worthy of the name "spa." Sometimes an announcer comes on softly between tracks, murmuring a wispy, "You're listening to Spa, a journey into tranquility." For a moment, I'm carried away when I hear her voice, which perhaps isn't the best thing while driving. But you see where I'm going with all this, right? Because a vacation of any sort is always relaxing to me, of course, including my annual staycations. I love them. But if I throw a spa visit into the mix, that vacation can become doubly useful for working out all those kinks in the system. A spa treatment isn't only physical, after all. It's mental too. After a great massage at some place like the Ritz, I'm aware of much more than relaxed muscles. I'm also aware of a relaxed mind that carries me comfortably through the rest of my day. And beyond. There really is something I might call a spa frame of mind and I'm nudging myself slowly toward it this week. I mean, it won't be long until I unpack a suitcase in my beachside Spa Central. Just four days now ... and counting.

There are good causes. Lots of them. Sometimes there's even a good causeway. To me, this means some thoroughfare filled with interesting stops along the way. Great views help too. Fort Lauderdale's 17^th Street Causeway offers all of that and more. I have been drawn to this area of the city as long as I've lived in South Florida. After first moving from New England to Plantation, I worked downtown and often found myself going to parties along 17^th Street - or doing dinners and happy hours there. Later, I lived around the corner, only two blocks away on the 15^th Street canal, and so naturally spent even more time eating and drinking and generally partying around the causeway. These days, I'm not far away from this area and continue to go there often for one reason or another.

That's especially been true this week. Later today I'm meeting a friend for a mid-afternoon break at the 17^th Street Starbucks. On both Monday and Tuesday, I spent some long hours at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where we were shooting a pretty cool original anti-bullying music video to help elementary school kids. Which in that case, I guess, was a good cause on a good causeway.

Anyway, the Art Institute is only one of the unexpected finds on the causeway. You'll come across stores that specialize in provisions for yachts. That's a natural for this Fort Lauderdale road, which passes by Port Everglades, the Intracoastal and the 15^th Street canal. There are restaurants and cafes that sit along the water too. And there's the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward Convention Center as well as some excellent hotels, including one of Fort Lauderdale's new Hiltons, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, and the venerable Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa. I've enjoyed two memorable staycations at Pier Sixty-Six, by the way. Great place for that. In addition to the many spots to stay or eat or drink or shoot music videos, the 17^th Street Causeway has at least one other major draw for me. Actually, it's a drawbridge. This tall expanse carries thousands of cars daily over the Intracoastal Waterway, giving really impressive views whether traveling east or west. To the north, you'll see mansions and a floating parade of boats. To the south lies Port Everglades, where you may spot as many as seven or eight huge cruise ships at once during peak months. If you happen to be heading east toward the Fort Lauderdale beach, there's a bonus tossed in for you - the Atlantic Ocean suddenly comes into view at the crest of the bridge. I think you'll find this is one causeway that's not merely a strip of pavement to get you from Point A to Point B. It's one of Fort Lauderdale's most vibrant, buzzing hubs.