VIP treatment
Nestled between Miami and Palm Beach, Fla., bordered on the west by the Everglades, Greater Fort Lauderdale is a wonderland. There are beaches for every mood (eight unique shore communities along 24 glorious miles of ocean front), a city with a small-town feel yet filled with delights for foodies, art lovers, shoppers and night life junkies, and adventures in and on the sea and through the wild Everglades. And FYI — the weather is near perfect all year long.
This time of year, as the snowbirds head north and give visitors more room to breath and deals pop up constantly, is the best time to go.
May begins what Greater Fort Lauderdale calls “value season,” with two-for-one summer savings packages for most attractions and incredible room deals at a wide variety of accommodations with “Vacation Like a VIP” packages.
While one may think summer way south means hot, hot, hot, Greater Fort Lauderdale's year-round averages of high 70s and low 80s hold strong. The region
is blessed with cool ocean breezes that keep things temperate.
At the same time, the ocean water warms, making things like snorkeling, diving, surfing, paddle boarding and fishing even more fantastic. And while the crowds may slow down a bit, the fun does not. You'll still find free live music on the beach at the weekly “Friday Night Sound Wave.” There are bustling restaurants and shops — and this time of year, there's even more to enjoy.
Like the annual turtle nesting season, a nature experience worth witnessing. The turtles nest and lay eggs, with hatchling releases in July and August. The region has many ways for you to get up close to the experience (while keeping the turtles and their offspring safe). One excellent choice takes place nightly at the Anne Kolb Nature Center where, under darkness, you are led to see the turtles as hatchlings make
their way to the sea.
That ocean also beckons the visitor. With 24 miles of coastline plus 300 miles of waterways in the region, there are endless opportunities to snorkel (fish love the warmer water), scuba dive, kayak and paddle board. Surfing is popular too, and at Deerfield Beach, a beach town dotted with surf shops, you can take free lessons every Saturday morning. Deerfield has a great fishing pier as well, and you can find the gear you need to fish there.
You can also shift from posh to perfectly natural during your stay. For the posh, consider hotels such as the Ritz and Hilton — among others — that, as part of the summer Vacation Like a VIP program, will upgrade your room and offer things like free valet parking and more through Sept. 30. Posh also includes dining, since Greater Fort Lauderdale’s culinary scene is thriving. You’ll find local chefs who have embraced the bounty of the sea all their lives and world-famous chefs who have settled into the area and made their mark at spots like the Diplomat and Curo at the Hard Rock Cafe. There are arts and cultural districts — one in Hollywood and another in Fort Lauderdale — where you’ll find museums, art shows, performance art and more.
Then there is nature, and the history of this land from long, long ago. In the Everglades, you can ride out into a world untouched by man via airboat tours and swamp buggy tours. At the Seminole Heritage Museum, you can learn more about those who called this land home for centuries. For a truly special experience, you can spend the night (or nights) in a chickee hut, and live just as the Seminoles did. Out there, in your hut, far from the city, you’ll have no light pollution, and therefore a clearer view of the stars
than you could imagine. Rather than the sound of happy folks on the beach and bustling towns, you'll bask in the harmony of nature and wildlife around you.
Greater Fort Lauderdale offers something for everyone, in a setting that makes enjoying those things easy, lovely and comfortable. Every year, that beach calls out to the turtles to settle in and let the surroundings change their lives. The same goes for us humans. Warm water, white sand, the lush Everglades, great food, every kind of lodging one could want, music, history and relaxing fun.
Sounds like a reason to go.