An Evening in Fort Lauderdale
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| Hello Florida! |
With
the party spirit of Miami and the stretch that can give Palm Beach a run for
its money, Fort Lauderdale flaunts an amazing view of the Atlantic in a much
stylish way!
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| I ventured for the touristy Fort Lauderdale Beach! |
About
three weeks back, I had a taste of the sunny south of the USA and Fort
Lauderdale beach was my hangout point of choice. Having traveled to offbeat
corners for the first half of summer, I was ready for some party vibes, and
Fort Lauderdale seemed like the perfect start point. And guess what, even this
Party Crazy South Florida beach was ready to surprise me pleasantly.
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| The green and the blue, mini version - Parkland, Florida |
My
ride from Parkland to Fort Lauderdale reminded me of how harsh the tropical sun
could be. But at the same time the roads surrounded by palm trees and numerous
ponds not only calmed me but also got me all excited about getting to the
Beach.
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| This is why I chose Fort Lauderdale Beach! |
I had the choice of heading over to Deerfield Beach - quieter and cleaner sea-front
of the city, supposedly similar to Venice beach of Los Angeles, or to Fort
Lauderdale Beach – which was a pilgrimage of College Kids for spring breaks,
back in the days. I had had a glimpse of Fort Lauderdale Beach and the close-by
area from my flight the previous day and hence I just had to choose it over
Deerfield.
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| The first sight |
With
the city canals dotted with white boats and yachts, my drive to the beach told
me why Fort Lauderdale is called the Venice of America. An old-fashioned town
did appear but you could see it being engulfed by a modern, ostentatious
shopping gala. As I approached the beach and hunted for a parking spot, high
risers overshadowed what was left the quaint shopping district and the beautiful
old restaurants of Las Olas Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard and there it was –
the beautiful stretch of blue that we know as Atlantic Ocean!
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| Just enjoy the sunny evening... |
The
white sand ran for miles and everywhere I could see people, lot of people. It
surely was a crowded beach but for a reason! The waters were sun kissed and
shimmery blue, music and the crack of waves drowned the cacophony of vehicles
and people around. And my excitement of touching nine states in the US and Atlantic
Ocean made me forget all about my fears of the tropical sun.
I
had heard a lot about South Florida beaches being hubs for young binge drinking
crowd, but Fort Lauderdale Beach is a calmer version of its famous sister
beaches. I spend hours looking at kids frolicking in the water on that hot
summer day, sandcastles being made all around, some people (including me) busy
in capturing every moment possible with a camera and most just languidly
waiting for the sun to set.
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| The colours of Atlantic!!! |
I don’t even remember when I stopped clicking pictures and just soaked in the
moment. My trance was broken by some teenagers (I guessed) who seemed to be replaying
some 80’s spring scene in front of me. I headed back, all ready to leave, but not
without having dinner in one of the shacks right on the promenade.
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| Mangata.... |
Burrito,
loud music in sync with the constant cracking of waves, a chilled glass of
twisted pink lemonade, and a beautiful mangata seen from the dim-lit, palm
fringed promenade. It finally seemed like Florida done right! (Or at least Fort
Lauderdale.)
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| Dim Lit, Palm Fringed Promenade |
Best Time to Visit:
Fort
Lauderdale can be visited at any time of the year with 95% surety that your
visit won’t be ruined by rainfall. However, given it is in Florida, it is best
to avoid the place during the tropical storm season (August-October)
Where to Stay:
Fort
Lauderdale Beach, being a chic South Florida hub, has plenty of reasonable stay
options around the beach itself. Though I stayed with my cousin in Parkland, my
cousin suggested Westin (Luxury) and The Aqua (budget) for a good comfortable
stay near the beach.
Where to Eat:
The
Drunken Tacos and H2O Cafe for outdoor dine and drink experience and Casablanca
for the old and the new experience.
What else to do, other than the
Beach:
I
just did the beach because I literally had one day in Fort Lauderdale. But if
you are there for a longer period, head over to Deerfield and Hollywood Beach,
explore the history of the place and shop your heart’s fill in Las Olas Boulevard, Take a water
Taxi ride in the canals of the city and explore Everglades!
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| That is it for now! |
Wow, such a breadth taking view specially of the Atlantic colors! It looks so pretty during the day, I wonder,what this scene will look like at night. :)
ReplyDeleteWow such a beautiful pictures thanks for this beautiful and lovely pics
ReplyDeleteI love the cover picture, Vaisakhi. 'Burrito, loud music in sync with the constant cracking of waves', what better way to sum up your trip with a signature beach destination feel. When I read fort in the title, I thought you visited some fort.🙈
ReplyDeleteI've been to Florida, but not Fort Lauderdale. Was it affected by the recent hurricanes? I love your photos, they're so dreamy and makes me want to be on that beach!
ReplyDeleteFort Lauderdale is so beautiful and I hope that it can recover soon, since it was hit pretty hard by the hurricanes. Your pictures are impressive! Did you take a helicopter ride to get those awesome aerial shots? Love them!
ReplyDeleteCombination of blue and green in nature is my weakness. Fort Lauderdale is so beautiful with a nice fusion of modern architecture and nature. It is truly Venice of America. Lovely sights of white yachts with blue waters of Atlantic with palms all around.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, I do agree with what you think...Fort Lauderdale certainly is Florida done right! When did you go? The weather seems perfect from your pictures.
ReplyDeleteWow, I only heard about Fort Lauderdale but after seeing this post i can see it's an absolute gem. i love the pics, looks like a great summer getaway.
ReplyDeleteIt looks perfectly relaxing, and what a lovely way to spend an evening- on the beach in a tent and splashing about! I hope this beach still looks like same after Hurricane Irma. The weather usually looks perfect, I would love to bring my family here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place. At times, I love beaches more than the mountains. Burritos and lemonade by the sea side sound like my kind of thing. I didn’t know South of USA has so much to offer. Florida sure is on my mind now.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college, Fort Lauderdale was known for only one thing: spring break. Thus, I'm glad to hear it's cleaned up its act at least somewhat. This is a timely, or untimely, post, with the latest hurricane to hit Florida. Paradise is fragile.
ReplyDeleteWe are already awestruck with that first picture of Fort Lauderdale with that long stretch of beach. We are yet to visit the US and Florida is definitely on the list and now Fort Lauderdale. Beaches have always been a favorite place to sit back and relax and we can spend hours doing nothing but soaking up the aura. you seemed to have found a perfect abode of nature amidst those skyscrapers.
ReplyDeleteIf that's the view you get from the Fort Lauderdale, then climbing it is a definite must! Its just breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteIndeed look at the colors of the sea. So beautiful!!!
Btw, hope you're ok after the hurricane!
It is a lovely place and for me a day would be surely less here. I am myself a beach lover. Your all pictures are great but the colours of Atlantic Ocean picture goes to my favorite list.
ReplyDeleteAwesome stuff. It looks like I've got to make getting to Florida a big priority now based on these pictures. I haven't been since I was a kid, but I'd certainly like to go back!
ReplyDeleteThat is an especially good written article. i will be able to take care to marker it and come back to find out further of your helpful data. many thanks for the post. i will be able to actually come back.
ReplyDeleteWow! I want to visit Miami after reading this!
ReplyDelete