FLORIDA

The Florida Keys are a top destination for fishing, boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling. This 120 mile string of islands has been a top travel destination since the original overseas highway was built in the early 1910’s. The climate of the Keys is more similar to that of the Caribbean than the rest of Florida, although the chain of islands weren’t erected through volcanoes. If you have the time, I highly suggest driving. The drive Is beautiful and there is plenty to do a long the way. The majority of the drive is over bridges, so just be aware if you are not a fan of driving across bridges. You get used to it quickly though, and feel very safe. If you drive you are also able to see the rest of the keys, seeing how Key West is the furthest key. Make sure that you are aware of the times that you are going to be driving down and back. The two nearest airports are Miami and Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale. If you were planning on driving over during “rush hour”, you may as well wait until a better time. There is only a way lane road connecting the islands, and the last thing you want is to be wasting your vacation sitting in traffic.

Our first stop was in Islamorada in order to feed the tarpon. This is way more fun than it sounds! Especially if you have never seen a tarpon before. They are these huge fish, that jump out of the water to try and grab the chum that you are throwing. We even had a few surprise visitors show up while feeding. Lemon sharks arrived in order to get in on the chum feast. This was my first time getting to see this kind os shark. So I was excited to check another one off of my list. We had an early flight down to Florida, so we opted to take a nap on the beach while we waited to be able to check in. I was surprised by the gorgeous quite white sand beaches that were appeared to be everywhere. Other than a few people walking their dogs past, we were the only ones on the beach. Bahia Honda State Park is a must stop. They have small changing stations, restrooms, and a little shop with all the tourist junk and food.

Fishing is HUGE down here. There is so many charters going out all day long. Even if you don’t like fishing, I still suggest taking a boat out. It’s such a fun way to see the islands, and the beauty of the ocean. We had the opportunity to keep all the fish that we caught, which made for a delicious couple of dinners. Since the weather wasn’t the best, unfortunately we didn’t have the opportunity to get in the ocean much. Oh well, just an excuse to take another trip down!

Expect to wait in line if you want to get a picture by the Most Southern Point Buoy. We waited in line for probably about 10 minutes. I know it would have been longer, but the weather was pretty shitty the day that we went. It was literally down pouring right before this photo. It’s interesting standing at that point and knowing that Cuba is the next closest piece of land.

If you are looking for some night life in Key West, definitely head down to Duval Street. The street is packed with bars restaurants and people. We ended up down here multiple times though out our stay. Expect to be on island time though, wherever you go. We waited quite awhile to get lunch one day, but we started to notice that is the norm everywhere we went. It’s easy to get to the area with an Uber or Lyft. After that you can literally just walk from place to place. Everything is extremely close. While we didn’t get to experience it, the bartender was telling us about Fantasy Fest. If you are like me and have never heard of this before, you are in for a treat. Essentially once a year they have a Festival that consists of crap ton of body paint and not much clothing… While this sounds like it could be fun (after a few drinks of course), maybe check to see when it is before bringing any kids down.

Sloppy Joe’s is probably the most famous bar in the area. The place is worth the hype. Expect to find it hard to get a table. The first time we tried to come here for lunch we couldn’t and end up just heading across the street to find a place. We came here at night, and they had some of the best live music I’ve heard playing cover songs at the bar. The bartender noted that they shell out some good cash in order to get better bands, and it definitely shows! The drinks were good and strong, and the bartender was on top of her game. Other than some key lime pie (a must in key west), I did not get the chance to try their food. Seeing how the place seemed constantly packed though, I’m sure it meets the hype. They even have live cameras playing on their website. So you can check it out, and see if the place interests you.

Lucky for you, I tend to CONSTANTLY see cheap flights to Fort Lauderdale. Most of them are though Spirit Airlines, since this location is their main hub (bummer, right?). Personally I am going to fly Delta any chance that I get, but it’s hard to pass up a round trip flight for less than a hundred bucks. The majority of car rental companies do have a store front right at the airport. Depending on the company and the time of day, you may have to be shuttled out. Which is always a hassle right after a flight. If you plan on staying in one certain area the whole trip, renting a car might not be worth the extra money. It seems like a lot of the beaches and bars are within walking distance. If you do rent a car, keep re-checking the price of car rentals. Even after you book it. The prices can significantly fluctuate, and it may save you some money.

Fort Lauderdale Beach is the main hotel and beach strip for the area. I’ve stayed at both hotels and rental properties. Like always, I strongly suggest renting an Air BNB. If you haven’t booked with AirBNB yet, use this line to receive $55 off your first rental https://www.airbnb.com/c/laurelp915?currency=USD. It’s hard to find a hotel right on the beach in this area, regardless. So either way you are going to have to do some walking to get to the beach. I also noticed that the hotels often charge some sort of “Resort Fee”. Just be aware of that when looking at prices, they may charge per person. The first time I stayed here, we rented a hotel at the B Ocean Resort Fort Lauderdale. The place was really modern, and was one of the few places located right on the beach. The Wreck bar is right inside the hotel, and is well known mermaid shows. We did not get the chance to see it, but I’ve read really good things. It’s on my list of things to do in Fort Lauderdale.

One of the times I stayed in Fort Lauderdale, we rented this giant two bedroom apartment. The apartment was technically through the W Fort Lauderdale which consists of two buildings. The staff were extremely helpful and helped us with anything that we needed. Our building was connected to the hotel, which was right across from the beach. It ended up being significantly cheaper per person. And we were all together in one place, with our own kitchen. We had gone fishing during the trip, so the kitchen made it easy to cook up some of the days catch. The farther away from the main beaches you rent, you can get “more bang for your buck”. Another time I was here, I stayed a bit north from Fort Lauderdale Beach. We had a group of ten, and were able to get a house right across the street from the beach. The place had its own pool, more room, and was cheaper. We did need to order Ubers/Lyft at the end of the nights though, which may have been the only negative. If you haven’t signed up for Uber yet, use this code to get a discount on your first few rides https://www.uber.com/invite/laurelp100ue !

Pompano Beach is definitely more of a family friendly area. I also thought that the beaches in general seemed cleaner. I think a lot of the apartment buildings and houses take better care of the beach area, since they actually live there. It may have just been the tide at the time, but there was basically no weeds floating around. At Fort Lauderdale Beach, you had to wade through five to ten feet of weeds, to be able to swim. You can tell when you get closer to the area, that it becomes a bit touristy. If you are coming with kids, I would suggest staying here. That way can stay away from any drunken “shenanigans”.

The Las Olas Boulevard is full of cute boutiques and restaurants. Other than briefly at night, I didn’t get to spend too much time in this area. Since I was with a group of guys each time, shopping was one of the last things they wanted to do. My local friend stated that the girls who come to visit, often enjoy this part of town.

The Water Taxi system is another thing that I still have not had the chance to do. We went through the canals on a larger boat while there. However you choose, I would recommend going through the canals at some point. We basically sat there in awe, pointing out all the different multi-million dollar homes. There were also a few sand bars along the way, which appeared to be the local “party spot”.

This was the first time that I have gone sport fishing out of Fort Lauderdale. I’ve fished of the shores before, but never anything like this. Bolo Fishing did an amazing job taking us out, and we caught so many fish! I have personally never seen such a cheap fishing trip for what we got. There current deal is only $99 dollars per person for 4 hours. You are never going to find a better deal on a fishing charter. Especially for what you get! We went home with loads of fish. We made a dinner for about 14 people one night! Even after this we still had enough for our entire group to bring home bags of fish. The Captain and deck hands are so knowledgeable and fun! Even if you aren’t interested in sport fishing, I would suggest going. It’s always nice to get out on a boat, and to see the area in a different way.

Within an hour of driving, you can be in Everglades National Park. My first time to Fort Lauderdale was coincidentally my first time being in Florida all together. Naturally, I wanted to see an Alligator in person. We choose to do an airboat tour through Everglades Holiday Park. Being on the airboat in general is really fun, if that is something you haven’t experienced.  They were fairly priced and on the outskirts of everglades, so the drive wasn’t as long as some places. The tour guide was really fun, and we did see a few alligators. After words, they do a show with some of the rehabilitating alligators.

If you like being in the water, but don’t want to go swimming. I highly recommend renting a kayak. There is different shops all over the area. Definitely search around a little, since some places charge a lot. I was lucky enough, that my local friend had one. Even if you are nervous bringing the kayak’s onto the ocean, I would still look into it. Kayaking up and down the canals can be a lot of fun. The waterways are usually extremely calm. We happened to take ours out onto the ocean while there. We swam about a mile out to the edge of the reef. Members of the group snorkeled and spear fished. We used the kayak for gear and a resting place.

I went parasailing for the first time in Fort Lauderdale! As someone who is extremely afraid of heights, I would do it again in a heart beat. I never once fell uncomfortable, or that I was in danger in any sort of way. It’s also a really awesome way to see the city. We found a fairly cheap company, right off of Fort Lauderdale Beach. They were cool with everyone bringing alcohol onto the boat, as long as they weren’t stupid about it. They will try to fit as many groups as possible onto the boat, in order to cut down on the amount of trips. Don’t be surprised if have to share the ride with other people.

Where To Eat

Coconuts– Every single time I’ve been to Fort Lauderdale, I have eaten at Coconuts. They have all different types of seafood that are freshly available. They seat you out on the patio, overlooking the canals.  Which is beautiful around sunset! I will say that the prices are a little pricier. But you pay for quality. Coconuts is within walking distance from the main hotels and Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Lona Cocina Tequileria– Beautiful restaurant, with a patio that overlooks the ocean! The first time I ate here, we were lucky enough to catch a group of dolphins swimming in the ocean. They serve Mexican style dishes, as well as a lot of seafood. Please experiment with all the different types of drinks they offer.  They like to make their drinks strong, so you’ll probably be feeling pretty good after just a couple! 

Bob Roth’s New River Groves– Located just to the west of Fort Lauderdale is Bob Roth’s New River Groves, a must stop for those passing by or in need of fresh made smoothie or Café con leche. Right off the Florida turnpike on Griffin road is “the Grove” as locals call it. Every time that we are in the area we swing by after a morning of fishing and load up on their fresh made empanadas, café con leche and fresh fruit smoothies. The staff are always friendly and willing to lend a suggestion for what the best fruit smoothie of the day is.

Tatts & Tacos Beer Garden– A few locals brought us here, and man it did not disappoint! Their drinks are strong, which is always a plus! Sadly they aren’t very big! The place has a really chill vibe with the majority of people sitting outside. Like the name suggests, they serve delicious Mexican styled food. I really enjoyed that the meals are kind of personalized. You can pic specific meats per the dish, as well as the sides. I opted for the Cochinita Pilli Tacos (pulled pork) and Elote on the side. If there is one thing you need to try here, it’s the queso! OH MY GOD. I love anything cheese. And this has been THE BEST queso I have ever had! It is so flavorful, and you can taste all the different cheeses.

2 George’s at the Cove– We stopped here after we spent the morning fishing. The restaurant is right next to the Bolo Fishing boats in the harbor. A beautiful place to stop, if you want somewhere right on the water. If you are looking for some good reasonably priced seafood, this is the place. I got the seafood mac n’ cheese, and it did not disappoint! The place overall is fairly large. They have a large indoor area as well as a permanent tent outside. The weather was perfect when we were there and opted to sit outside. There is another 2 George’s at the Cove in Boynton Beach. I’ve never been there though. They are owned by the same company. If you are located closer to Boynton Beach, you may want to check out that location instead.

 Lu Lu’s Bait Shack– Such a fun restaurant and bar. We somehow always find our way here, when in the area. It’s kind of that “typical tiki” bar you’d find in a lot of tourist areas. The food is average, but the atmosphere is what keeps us coming back! Tiki’s seems to always find really good cover bands. Check their website to see who might be playing. Their drinks area almost just as fun. They are known for their giant fishbowls! It took me and a couple of my girlfriends to finish this drink off. Nearby there is a lot of other bars and restaurants. So, it’s an easy destination if you want to bar hop. Its also located in the middle of most hotels on Fort Lauderdale beach!