At home, if it is Tuesday, that was Elephant Bar day. But they have closed permanently, and we can no longer find that wonderful Thai High salad they used to serve. As there don’t seem to be any of those restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale, our next best choice was Red Robin. Originally, our plans for today were to take the hotel shuttle at 10:30am to Sawgrass Mills. But that changed when we found the van inoperable out front. The driver said something had happened to the engine, and he was waiting for a replacement van. Just guessing, he said perhaps it might be around noon when that van arrived.
So we changed our plans, and decided to stay around this area today. There’s always tomorrow to go to the big mall.
The weather has stayed OK, but it can change in a second. The winds had picked up last night, and today it sure looked like rain. Felt like rain. If we wait until later this afternoon, the sky may be blue again. Anyone’s guess.
In going through some of the papers we brought from the ship, we came across some local information. It is obvious that folks on vacation like to come to Ft. Lauderdale for the abundant sunshine and beaches. Actually, it is not hard to believe that this area was once a swamp with a fort built on the land. This city is named after a series of forts that were built in 1838 by the US during the Second Seminole War. Major William Lauderdale was the commander of the detachment of soldiers that built the first fort. So there is the explanation for the city’s name.
Considered the “Venice of America”, this city has 300 miles of inter-coastal waterways. They are filled with cafes, bars, sports clubs, shopping, and beaches. There are more than 50 golf courses, art galleries, museums, and small boutiques. And many malls, which we have already discovered. And where else can you find a place like the Everglades where you can take a thrilling airboat ride to see alligators and many mangrove birds. We have done this at least three times, having fun every visit.
After lunch, we walked back to the hotel. If the weather was better, we would have spent some time on the roof, in the swimming pool. But it was still windy, and there was no sun at all. Better time to watch a movie, and catch up on some of the hunting shows. Been a long time since we had access to that feed.
The afternoon dissolved and it was time for either our room stash or grab a small meal in the hotel’s dining room. We chose the dining room for a shared Caesar salad, a 12 inch pizza, and one chocolate volcano cake with rich vanilla ice cream. All of it was very good.
We must be racking up the miles walking the immediate area, since by 10pm, we literally drop in our tracks, and spend a restful night in the comfortable king-size bed. One nice aspect of this suite is the fact we have two large TV’s with sliding doors to shut off the living room area. We can each watch different shows…..hunting in one room, and sit-coms in the living room. Doesn’t take much to make us happy…..
Bill & Mary Ann
