South Florida - Ft. Lauderdale & Environs

[BobbyBoomer]

Manatees are pretty common here in the Indian River Lagoon in St. Lucie county. We don't often see them though. We also have some river dolphins (separate breed from the ocean going ones) that we see more often.

If you get near a warm water source in the winter, you can see lots of manatees. They used to hang out at our old natural gas powered electric plant, but they dismantled that and hooked up to the grid - we have a nuke plant nearby but it's hard to get close enough to see the manatees due to security.

The American Croc used to range from the Everglades to New Orleans in salt water swamps (the alligator prefers fresh water). If you go down to Flamingo in March you should be able to see them - but like all wildlife, they don't show up on every visit. You can definitely tell the difference, as they have a very pointed snout and are a different color grey than the gators.

Have you seen the Roseate Spoonbills? Flamingo was named after them because the early settlers didn't know the difference.

I hope I'm not committing a netiquette infraction by posting on your thread. Please forgive me and let me know if I've erred. This was taken in the ENP this December at Eco Pond near Flamingo. I don't have any croc pictures, they are all on old fashioned 35mm slides. I need to take some new digital ones.

 

[BobbyBoomer]

Oops, I don't think the picture got posted anyway. If you like, I'll try again. This forum works a little differently from others and I still have some learning to do

 

[giradman]

Manatees are pretty common here in the Indian River Lagoon in St. Lucie county. We don't often see them though. We also have some river dolphins (separate breed from the ocean going ones) that we see more often.

If you get near a warm water source in the winter, you can see lots of manatees. They used to hang out at our old natural gas powered electric plant, but they dismantled that and hooked up to the grid - we have a nuke plant nearby but it's hard to get close enough to see the manatees due to security.

Hi again Bob - we've been around a power plant looking for manatees and could see them only from a distance. Also, my in-laws had a condo (4th floor level) right on the intracoastal waterway in Delray Beach - when the gardener's threw vegetation into the water, some manatees would pop up for a lunch (don't know but probably not legal) - that was a while ago; my FIL died in 2005 and MIL moved to Montauk, LI (have a separate thread on that area which we visit often).

The American Croc used to range from the Everglades to New Orleans in salt water swamps (the alligator prefers fresh water). If you go down to Flamingo in March you should be able to see them - but like all wildlife, they don't show up on every visit. You can definitely tell the difference, as they have a very pointed snout and are a different color grey than the gators.

Thanks for the information above on Flamingo - had to look it up on a map (attached a pic for those interested, including me!) - I've been up & down the FL Keys w/ a couple of stays in Key West, BUT not on the very southern tip of the main peninsula - will have to put that on our list for the next visit.

Have you seen the Roseate Spoonbills? Flamingo was named after them because the early settlers didn't know the difference.

YES, I've seen the Roseate Spoonbills multiple times - beautiful birds along w/ the Flamingos - probably the last time on a trip to Ft. Myers and a visit to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island - what a place to go for FL fauna & flora - we saw SO many different birds, dolphins, etc.!

I hope I'm not committing a netiquette infraction by posting on your thread. Please forgive me and let me know if I've erred. This was taken in the ENP this December at Eco Pond near Flamingo. I don't have any croc pictures, they are all on old fashioned 35mm slides. I need to take some new digital ones.

NO problem at all - I'm a retired academic radiologist and wrote a lot of papers, book chapters, and edited a number of books, so enjoy putting these together; also, another part of my goal is to try to stimulate travel of others to these areas - we have such a LARGE membership that some likely live near enough to visit. Thanks again for the input and please contribute, as desired - or even start your own thread in this forum! Dave


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[suenc]

NOW - location! Staying in these south Florida coastal towns can be tricky in selecting a hotel - do you want to be isolated, be near the main spots to visit such as restaurants, or be in a hectic area w/ a lot of nightlife and other activities? In our two other visits to Ft. Lauderdale, we stayed at the Marriott Hotel which is slightly off the A1A highway (an important road that goes up & down much of that coastal area and can be absolutely beautiful w/ ocean scenery, but annoying w/ the amount of traffic - flip a coin?).

This time I let Susan decide and she choose the Atlantic Hotel, which I linked in my first post - a 4 diamond resort w/ a wonderful spa (Susan went twice while I sweated in the fitness center - ) - we had a nice suite on the 5th floor level, the same location as the spa, fitness center, and outdoor pool - below some pics (some mine and several from the web - probably can guess which ones).

The first image from the web of the hotel taken from the beach (A1A is not shown); next 3 pics are mine showing the views from the 5th level of the hotel - really beautiful but notice that the highway separates the hotel from the beach, which is true for a number of miles along this road, so crossing the street can be an issue (especially for a bunch of drunk college students on spring break who are not even looking at the cars passing by!) - Susan was somewhat upset w/ this 'geography' but I was the chauffeur of the rental car and simply had to drive slowly and carefully - the last pic from the web shot high showing the outdoor pool and the beach & ocean sans highway.

SO, if you plan to go to any of these coastal Florida cities (and we've been to all of them multiple times), then carefully research location of your 'domicile' - I kind of liked the activity of the numerous college kids around (and the gals looked GREAT in their skimpy bathing outfits - ); Susan was less happy w/ the location; BUT overall, an excellent hotel and a great location to visit some of the sites I'll mentioned in future posts. Dave

P.S. OOPS! Notice the airplane in my 2nd photo w/ the trailing banner - these are constantly present going back & forth along the beach - always ads for places to visit (and spend your money) -
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Excellent description of the environs of the hotel. Next time I would pick a hotel off the beaten path, but there's always a trade-off.

 

[suenc]

Everglades - Nature - Air Boat Rides

Whenever Susan & I are in south Florida, regardless of the coast, we try to get out of the city and visit some of the natural beauty of the area - and going to the Everglades is one of the best experiences which is accessible from nearly all of the major towns in the area - we've taken air boat rides out of Orlando where the Everglades starts - a description below from a Wiki Article.

As shown on the map, there is an Everglades National Park (blue arrow; Ft. Lauderdale, red arrow) which occupies just a small southern portion of this vast area of wetlands and marshes; and having been on the fringes of most of the Everglades, the flora & fauna are quite variable. This time we visited the Sawgrass Recreation Park about a 45 minute drive from our hotel - there is a small animal habitat w/ examples of the animals in the vicinity, including a lot of alligators. The second image show the air boats ready for passengers - these are propelled by large airplane motors/propeller(s) and speed over the sawgrass marsh lands at speeds up to and over 30 mph - the noise is deafening, so ear plugs or other hearing protection is a must - we took a 30 minute ride and did spot an estimated 8-10 ft. alligator (head and snout showing in the second pic).

The American alligator is no longer a protected animal and can be hunted and eaten! The meat is in the huge tail, which can be prepared in numerous ways but often cut into pieces and sautéed or fried; cajun dishes that might include shrimp can be substituted w/ gator tail; NOW - not to fear, the meat is white and tastes like chewy chicken, so if you have a chance, give a gator offering a try!

Two years ago, we were on vacation in Naples, Florida and I drove further south to Everglades City (see map in my first post) - the next 3 images are from that trip - yes another air boat ride w/ some pelicans - the flora was more mangrove trees, which are fascinating, but the guide found a family of raccoons, which he lured close to us w/ some marshmallows. This area of Florida is famous for stone crabs (a favorite of mine - had twice in Lauderdale) and other 'swamp' creatures, which Susan enjoys. For lunch on that trip, we started w/ oysters - Susan had fried frogs legs, and I of course had stone crabs (last images). In addition to air boat rides, we have taken a boat tour which explained the stone crab industry - harvesting involves removing one or both claws and returning the animal to the Gulf of Mexico where the claw(s) regenerate - fascinating! (second quote below from another Wiki article).

In the next post, I'll discuss a boat ride we took in Ft. Lauderdale exploring the New River & the many canals - Dave




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Florida nature and food--can't beat 'em. Oysters every day!

Everglades - Nature - Air Boat Rides

Whenever Susan & I are in south Florida, regardless of the coast, we try to get out of the city and visit some of the natural beauty of the area - and going to the Everglades is one of the best experiences which is accessible from nearly all of the major towns in the area - we've taken air boat rides out of Orlando where the Everglades starts - a description below from a Wiki Article.

As shown on the map, there is an Everglades National Park (blue arrow; Ft. Lauderdale, red arrow) which occupies just a small southern portion of this vast area of wetlands and marshes; and having been on the fringes of most of the Everglades, the flora & fauna are quite variable. This time we visited the Sawgrass Recreation Park about a 45 minute drive from our hotel - there is a small animal habitat w/ examples of the animals in the vicinity, including a lot of alligators. The second image show the air boats ready for passengers - these are propelled by large airplane motors/propeller(s) and speed over the sawgrass marsh lands at speeds up to and over 30 mph - the noise is deafening, so ear plugs or other hearing protection is a must - we took a 30 minute ride and did spot an estimated 8-10 ft. alligator (head and snout showing in the second pic).

The American alligator is no longer a protected animal and can be hunted and eaten! The meat is in the huge tail, which can be prepared in numerous ways but often cut into pieces and sautéed or fried; cajun dishes that might include shrimp can be substituted w/ gator tail; NOW - not to fear, the meat is white and tastes like chewy chicken, so if you have a chance, give a gator offering a try!

Two years ago, we were on vacation in Naples, Florida and I drove further south to Everglades City (see map in my first post) - the next 3 images are from that trip - yes another air boat ride w/ some pelicans - the flora was more mangrove trees, which are fascinating, but the guide found a family of raccoons, which he lured close to us w/ some marshmallows. This area of Florida is famous for stone crabs (a favorite of mine - had twice in Lauderdale) and other 'swamp' creatures, which Susan enjoys. For lunch on that trip, we started w/ oysters - Susan had fried frogs legs, and I of course had stone crabs (last images). In addition to air boat rides, we have taken a boat tour which explained the stone crab industry - harvesting involves removing one or both claws and returning the animal to the Gulf of Mexico where the claw(s) regenerate - fascinating! (second quote below from another Wiki article).

In the next post, I'll discuss a boat ride we took in Ft. Lauderdale exploring the New River & the many canals - Dave




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[suenc]

Thanks again!

I would like to try alligator but I'm afraid it's a little hard to Come by in the middle of the Canadian prairies.

You could fly it in from New Orleans, but the international shipping would be far more than the cost of the alligator!

 

[scifan57]

You could fly it in from New Orleans, but the international shipping would be far more than the cost of the alligator!

Then there's the question of whether or not Canada Customs would allow it into the country.

 

[BobbyBoomer]

Ding Darling is great, so is Corkscrew Swamp near Ft Myers (and if you get there visit Edison's summer home). Shark valley in the ENP is good when the water is very low.

For those who don't know, the Everglades is a river about 50 miles wide and 2" deep. It flows from big lake in the middle of the state down to the bottom. It's only a fraction of what it once was but it's still pretty nice. We're fighting to save it but Big Sugar and the politicians are in bed with each other. If you want to see it, it is worth the trip.

Bob

 

[BobbyBoomer]

(Continued). In the dry season the river dries up except for the deepest spots ( sloughs). The fish get concentrated there and the land based wildlife follows. That makes for the best viewing.

I should figure out how to edit a post on this forum so I don't have to do add ons


I just found the edit link. It was hiding (in plain sight)

Bob

 

[giradman]

Ft. Lauderdale - Canals, Mansions, & Yachts - Part 1

Well, back to Ft. Lauderdale and the next MUST DO activity, i.e. views from the water!

There are three interconnected waterways in the city, the intracoastal waterway running north-south, the New River (which runs parallel to the downtown area), and numerous largely man-made canals (over 165 miles w/i the city limits, as stated earlier), which are residential. SO, some type of boat ride (or several) is mandatory to really appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of this city called the Venice of America.

Unless you own or are willing to rent a yacht, there are many commercial options: 1) Water taxi system (all day passes can be purchased and numerous stops are made); 2) Large tour boats, such as the Jungle Queen river boat; and 3) Smaller boats - we decided on the latter, i.e. an electric boat which could easily maneuver in the smaller canals; the first pic below is the boat we were on for the 2-hr tour w/ a great informative guide - there were just 4 passengers and the electric motor could hardly be heard.

Next two images from the web - first pic an aerial view of Lauderdale with the intracoastal waterway dominant and one of dozens of residential canals seen; the second showing the New River, which is the natural waterway with a number of docked yachts. The next two pics are mine from the electric boat - the last showing the harbor police who had stopped a small boat (not seen) - our guide felt the officer was writing a violation ticket because several small kids in the boat did not have life jackets (cannot remember the age law?) - the house w/ the white roof in the background was once owned by Lucille Ball (the actress and of course star of the TV series, the Lucy Show w/ Desi Arnaz); her good friend, Andy Griffith had the house next door (now demolished) - to be continued - Dave
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[giradman]

Ft. Lauderdale - Canals, Mansions, & Yachts - Part 2

The canals are magnificent to view from the water, many w/ boats (or yachts) of varying size - the houses and mansions also are quite variable in size & architecture, most of the 'smaller' homes start at least in the $1,000,000 - $2,000,000 range and go to 10X or more that price according to our guide - also, many of the largest and most expensive homes are usually unoccupied, i.e. probably used mainly as winter 'get-aways'. Below first few pics from the web and one of my own showing several of these houses - notice the parallel canals in the second image.

Docked next to many of these mansions are boats and large yachts - the bigger ones likely equal the cost of the house - the remaining pics are my own from the tour boat showing some of the larger yachts or 'ships' seen - the two named Wheels belongs to a famous NASCAR driver or promoter - cannot remember his name - he actually had four boats around his mansion. The older looking boat belongs to the actor Johnny Depp and was actually built in 2001 (quote below from HERE). The last pic is Steven Spielberg's ship (second quote below) which is nearly the length of an American football field and cost $200,000,000 - our guide stated that Spielberg rents the ship for one million dollars per day - any takers! Dave

P.S. These types of mansions & yachts are not unique to Ft. Lauderdale; Susan & I have take numerous boat rides in other south Florida cities (e.g. Ft. Myers, Naples, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Miami) and the same sites are seen!

Looking like some vintage, early 20th century classic, "Jack Sparrow's" private boat may not be from the era of the Black Pearl, but it is definitely a design with the kind of old-style class and elegance that seem to be missing from many modern yachts. They just don't build them like they used to, or do they? Johnny Depp's 156 foot Vajoliroja, with its squared, wood cabin, overhanging ends, smokestack and even a couple of stubby masts, looks like it might be carrying some robber baron tycoon, Viscount or Raj from 100 years ago, but it was really built in 2001!

At 282 feet long, it would soar 28 stories tall if set on end. Its cost: $200 million. It boasts luxury amenities for 12 guests, with a crew of 26. There is a large master stateroom with a study and private deck, a helipad, indoor cinema and an infinity pool with a 15-foot glass wall that converts to a movie screen so the director and his guests can take in a film while swimming.

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[BobbyBoomer]

When I was growing up they called that section of town, "The Venice Of America" because of all the canals and islands.

Many years ago, before I was born it was pretty swampy with much of it underwater at high tide. The solution was to dig canals and use the dirt to create the islands. It worked well. As you can see, the real estate is expensive (those boats cost more than I'll see in my lifetime, and they are just toys).

At spring tides parts of Las Olas Blvd still get flooded. It's a nice part of town though. There used to be (and probably still is) nice night-life there.

Another place to find huge boats should be at Pier 66 on the 17th street causeway. There are some islands back around there, including one you can't get on without an invitation, but it's been too long, I don't remember how to get in there.

The restaurant on the top of Pier 66 used to rotate. That was many years ago, I played that room. I don't know if it still spins, it seems after all these years things must have worn out

I make my living as a musician, and when I lived down there I played in a number of those homes (along with yacht clubs, country clubs, and commercial lounges). It's interesting to see inside. North of there on A-1-A between Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach is a stretch of beachfront called Hillsboro Mile (it's more than a mile). Some of the oceanfront homes dwarf those in that area of Ft.L. But you can't see many of them from the road.

I live North of there now, where the intracoastal waterway becomes 2 miles wide. It's less crowded than Ft.L and that suits me just fine. I don't miss the traffic.

Enjoy the area. I still consider it my home town and am glad you are having a good time.

And thanks for posting it, it's like old home week for me

Bob

 

[giradman]

Hi Bob - Thanks for the additional information; our guide on the electric boat tour was quite thorough in explaining the history of the canals - just a few more pics for those who have not visited the city - a map better showing the numerous network of canals, and an image along the New River w/ limestone rocks piled along the banks, a common site in many of the canals; of course the rocks & dirt came out of the canals to make the land in-between and also to build up the banks.

As I may have mentioned, my in-laws use to live in Delray Beach - we usually flew into either the Ft. Lauderdale or the West Palm Beach airports (convenient in the ole days w/ non-stop flights from our North Carolina airport which no longer exist) - BUT, could not wait to get on AIA - saw portions of mansions along the ocean and could only imagine their size - never invited to visit one -

Thanks again for your input to this thread - hope that we can encourage others to visit the Sunshine State! Well, we did a few other things while there, so have several more posts to put up. Dave
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[suenc]

Then there's the question of whether or not Canada Customs would allow it into the country.

You're right, of course.
Even if it's legal it's very expensive and time-consuming; To send a very small item to Canada I had to pay $23 and fill out a number of forms.

 

[giradman]

Well, I have a few more posts that can be added - there are some historic houses in Ft. Lauderdale - we decided to just visit one which was the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens - click the link for more information, but just a paragraph from their website quoted below. The house is named after the Bonnet Lily found in the ponds. Frederic Bartlett was a famous painter who received rather large commissions and his second wife, Evelyn Lilly was once married into the Lilly pharmaceutical fortune - the house and property (first image below a map; following pics the gardens and ponds - the latter w/ the foot bridge which led to a path and shortly to the ocean).

The house tour was excellent and covered the downstairs, inside and out, and also the gardens & ponds. Bartlett was an excellent and often whimsical artist - the two were also collectors (notice the wonderful giraffes in one of the pics below). His painting studio (just one wall) is also shown but one has to really be inside to appreciate the space. Several of the photos are mine, including the one of a portion of the outside desert garden and the small inside green house w/ numerous orchids, a hobby of Evelyn Bartlett - located adjacent was a small quaint bar area w/ a clock set permanently at 5 PM - when she offered her friends drinks before that time, they would say 'well, it's not 5 yet', and of course she would respond, 'it is at my bar'! The last pic is of the 2nd floor bedroom which is not part of the tour. As you can imagine, this is an extremely popular place for weddings w/ many picture opportunities but the ponds w/ the lilies seem to be the most used location. Dave

Bonnet House’s modern history began when Birch gave the Bonnet House property as a wedding gift to his daughter Helen and her husband, Chicago artist Frederic Clay Bartlett in 1919. The newlyweds began construction of Bonnet House in 1920, eager for a winter retreat where Frederic could pursue his artwork and Helen could compose music and poetry. Tragedy struck in 1925 when Helen died from breast cancer. Frederic’s visits to Bonnet House then became sporadic until 1931 when he married Evelyn Fortune Lilly. With this marriage, a renaissance occurred on the site as Frederic and Evelyn entered a prolific period of embellishing Bonnet House with the decorative elements that delight visitors to this day.

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