Florida: Planning a visit to Fort Lauderdale

Located on the Atlantic side of Florida, Fort Lauderdale is a great place to retire to and also a great place to visit. It has its own International Airport with regular flights from all over the country and even the world. Amtrak and Tri-Rail both service the train station in Fort Lauderdale. For people who want to drive to Fort Lauderdale, I-95, and I-595, as well as the Florida Turnpike, all lead to this part of Florida.



Where to Stay

Lots of rooms are available to stay at in Fort Lauderdale. One of them is the Granada Inn. The exterior is simple but once inside it is all about European luxury. Twelve rooms offer cable TV, plantation style furniture, and European soaps. Complimentary wireless Internet, continental breakfast by the pool and a mini fridge are part of what every guest can expect.

Many other options including most of the chain hotels such as Embassy Suites, Hilton, and Holiday Inn are offered in the city. If you are taking a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, Embassy Suites offers a shuttle bus to the port.

What to Do

If you are going to be in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday evening there is no better way to spend an hour than by taking the River Ghost Tour. Reservations are required. The tour is $25 per person and meets at 7:30 p.m. It includes a boat trip on the New River and a tour of the Stranahan House, one of Fort Lauderdale’s most historic buildings.

For more than 20 years, Broward Center for the Performing Arts has been bringing the arts to residents and visitors. Concerts of all sorts are offered. Make it an entire evening by booking dinner at Serenade, the upscale dining venue at the Center.

The Parker Playhouse is part of the Broward Performing Arts Center and has a 40 plus year history of providing a great venue for smaller productions. The Playhouse seats slightly more than 1,100 patrons.


Fort Lauderdale has a unique Antique Car Museum. It is dedicated to the Packard and has 22 of them that date from 1909 through 1947. In addition, there are other items collected by Arthur O. Stone.

From the IMAX Theatre to the child-friendly exhibits, the Museum of Discovery and Science is a place the entire family can and will enjoy. There is a newish permanent exhibit about the human body that adds a new dimension to the already jam-packed museum.


Every visitor to Fort Lauderdale should take a tour and what could be more fun than a paddle boat.

The Jungle Queen offers a three-hour sightseeing of the New River. It also offers a BBQ dinner at 6 p.m. in the evening. Dine on chicken, BBQ ribs and shrimp while enjoying a comedy revue. The boat provides a delicious and memorable evening’s entertainment.
Dining

When you are ready to eat, head to the Las Olas Riverfront area. This area has a wide selection of dining options including Big City Tavern, Yolo, Coconuts and Wild Sea just to name a few.


When you are planning a visit to Fort Lauderdale you will find lots of things to see and do. It is easy to get there and you will find plenty of places to stay and eat. You can spend an entire vacation getting to know the area. You can use this guide to help you plan the perfect trip.


More information:

http://www.granadainn.net

http://www.junglequeen.com

http://browardcenter.org/

http://www.mods.org

http://www.antiquecarmuseum.org/