Fort Lauderdale Travel Guide - Downtown & The Beaches
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00:00To be truly an elite vacation region, you have to have more than just great beaches,
00:07and Fort Lauderdale certainly has that.
00:10Today we continue up the Gold Coast to one of the nation's most popular and diverse
00:15tourist destinations.
00:20While only 25 miles north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale doesn't have that see-and-be-seen attitude
00:26of South Beach.
00:27It is a city surrounded by an extensive network of canals, the yachting capital of the world.
00:33Fort Lauderdale, once known as a spring break destination, with movies like Where the Boys
00:38Are, Caddyshack.
00:39However, in the 1980s it began a transformation into a year-round family-friendly retreat
00:45of beaches, palm trees, shopping, and relaxation.
00:51This South Florida city attracts international visitors with its large waterfront convention
00:56center, plenty of hotels and resorts, and third-largest cruise port in the world.
01:02This is our second of three videos of greater Fort Lauderdale.
01:06We will begin in downtown in the Arts and Entertainment District, follow the red brick
01:10paving of the riverfront, explore the cruises on the new river, from the dinner riverboats
01:15to the party boats, to the more intimate cruises.
01:19We then walk the dining, shopping, art district of Los Olos Boulevard, travel seven miles
01:24of golden shoreline along the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, drive, bike, and walk along
01:30the Strip, show you some of the restaurants, see the nature in Hugh Taylor Birch State
01:34Park.
01:38We will show you North Fort Lauderdale, and the more quaint Lauderdale by the Sea.
01:43There is something for everyone here.
01:48So put on your shades, like Frankie and Dobby, ready to enjoy a day at the beach.
01:54You do not need a luxury yacht to explore this city.
01:57Rollerblades, a skateboard, or a bike will do just fine.
02:01Or maybe just grab a drink and float down the new river in a tiki hut.
02:07Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
02:10We saved a chair for you, a really big chair.
02:13Bella has found some friends.
02:15Come with us as we rediscover Fort Lauderdale.
02:21Sunrise over Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.
02:38This area averages 246 days of sunshine per year, while the U.S. average is about 205
02:44days.
02:45An average high in the middle of summer is 90 degrees, while an average low in January
02:50is 59 degrees.
02:52Being in a tropical climate, this area does get some rain, but most of it is May through
02:57September.
03:01We stayed at the Hollywood Fort Lauderdale Airport La Quinta, near I-95, good location.
03:07Easy on and off the interstate.
03:13The airport very close to I-95, as the planes go right overhead very low.
03:18We take I-595 around the airport, and then Highway 1 into downtown Fort Lauderdale.
03:27You see colorful large chairs.
03:29Reminders, you are now in a city that is licensed to chill.
03:33We take the Kinney Tunnel under the new river, which runs through the center of downtown.
03:38When you come out, the Los Olos Walk, a brand new apartment community, a two bedroom, two
03:42bath apartment, goes for just over $3,100 a month.
03:46We're going to get some coffee at the Grand Forno Bakery in the Los Olos Boulevard, a
03:51dining shopping district.
03:54They have a variety of baked items here as well.
03:57Nice atmosphere, you can eat indoors or outside on Los Olos Boulevard.
04:04Bella wants a taste of my vanilla latte.
04:06We ran into Mary Jo and Debbie, visiting from Chicago.
04:09This is Debbie's seventh trip to Fort Lauderdale.
04:11She says the people are very friendly here.
04:13They love the dining in Fort Lauderdale.
04:15Mary Jo says she feels safe, a credit to the officers of the Fort Lauderdale Police.
04:21Like this officer, they do a great job working with the community to keep the residents and
04:25the tourists safe.
04:29Other places for coffee are Ann's Florist and Coffee.
04:35Or you can grab a cappuccino, gelato, or sweet, delicious, and fruity pastry at Pan E Dulce
04:41Italian Bakery.
04:46We will come back to Los Olos Boulevard later, but now let's go to the Riverwalk in the Arts
04:50and Entertainment District.
04:58In the Arts and Entertainment District, on the west side of the Riverwalk, is where you
05:02will find the Performing Arts Center, along with a few museums.
05:06The most popular museum in Florida is the Museum of Discovery and Science, where you
05:11can view a 3D movie in an IMAX theater, or take a simulated flight to Mars, or ride on
05:17a simulated airboat ride in the Everglades, as well as experience an airplane flight simulator.
05:22It is $24 for adults and $19 for children 2-12.
05:29Across the street is a large parking garage.
05:34Let's get on a bike and tour the Riverwalk, which begins at the Symphony Condos.
05:42All kinds of great dining along this walk, like Marty's New River Bistro on the left,
05:47which is part of the Huizinga Pavilion, which is all part of the Broward Center for Performing
05:52Arts.
05:53You see at the top of the screen, the Museum of Discovery and Science we just showed you.
05:57At Esplanade Park here, there are 16 of these Broward B-Cycle racks, where you can rent
06:02a bike and ride throughout the city, and just drop it off at any one of the bike racks.
06:09Entering an area where some of the first buildings built in the city, on the left here, the Riverhouse
06:14Restaurant Vegan Village, a good restaurant, but only open Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays
06:19after Vegan Village, is one of the first hotels in Fort Lauderdale, built in 1905, the New
06:25River Inn Museum of History, $15 for a one-hour tour.
06:31Next to the museum is Cycle Party, where you can take social tours, by land or by boat,
06:36with 6 to 16 people, peddle around the city to the bars and restaurants on a two-hour
06:41tour from $45.
06:43The Loggerhead Cycle Boats are $44 per person.
06:47As you sail up the Intracoastal Waterway, peddling is optional.
06:51You bring your own or buy your own drinks along the way.
06:54The boats are equipped with Bluetooth and a sound system, so you can listen to whatever
06:58music that floats your boat.
07:09The Wharf Fort Lauderdale, an open-air nautical-themed space with regular events, has 4 bars, 5 eateries,
07:15with live music Thursday through Sunday.
07:17See wharfftl.com.
07:25We cross under the South Andrews Avenue Bridge.
07:29Another excellent way to experience the city is with Segway Fort Lauderdale.
07:32A guided 4-mile, 1-hour tour is $63, or an 8-mile, 2-hour tour is $95.
07:39Near this colorful building here is where you will find Las Olas Gondola, where you
07:44can take a romantic tour on an authentic Venetian gondola.
07:52On the South River Walk, the Downtowner, a seafood restaurant and tavern, with a great
07:57view of the river.
07:58However, if you want an even better view while enjoying a drink, try Fort Lauderdale Tiki,
08:03with 1-3-hour private tours.
08:05The 2-hour tours are $428, includes up to 6 people, so that works out to about $71 per
08:11person.
08:12You bring the drinks and food, but a cooler ice and water is provided.
08:19Now let's look at the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
08:22A couple pondering why this yacht would be perfect for traveling back and forth to our
08:27summer home in Bermuda.
08:30You will find Fort Lauderdale is generally very dog-friendly.
08:34Many people live downtown here.
08:36Check out the Las Olas River House, a 42-story luxury condo, with an upper-deck outdoor bar,
08:42a golf putting green, spa facilities.
08:45Further down the river, we arrive at the Cary Bee, not to be confused with Cardi B. Unlike
08:52Cardi B, Cary Bee is family-friendly.
08:55A 90-minute fully narrated sightseeing cruise on the New River and Intracoastal Waterway.
09:00Three trips a day from Thursday through Monday, $25 for adults and $13 for children 3-12.
09:09The Jungle Queen, you board at the Bahia Mar Marina in Fort Lauderdale Beach.
09:13A 90-minute afternoon cruise is $23 for adults and $14 for children 3-12, or an evening dinner
09:19and show cruise is $60 for adults and $33 for children.
09:26The Salt 7, modern American fine dining steakhouse in a trendy upscale atmosphere.
09:38The Bow House Restaurant and Bar at Riverside Hotel, another favorite with Mediterranean
09:43food.
09:44The Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi, a day pass is $28 for adults and $14 for children 5-11,
09:52allows you to hop on and hop off with 11 stops along Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Fort
09:57Lauderdale Beach, including Birch State Park and the Galleria Ball, which we will show
10:01you later.
10:04The Riverside Hotel in the heart of the action, bordered by the eastern part of the River
10:09Walk in Los Olos Blvd.
10:13The Cuban Libra Restaurant and Rum Bar, with upbeat Latin music.
10:20Los Olos means the waves in Spanish.
10:23This boulevard goes from the Central District to the beach.
10:26Lui Bassi's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria with curbside patio seating.
10:31Cafe Europa, a modern style eatery and wine bar.
10:35We are going to eat at Cafe Sensei, a unique fusion Asian-Latin restaurant, a really cool
10:41dining area that is right on the canal.
10:44In a docking area for a riverfront gondola tour, I had their triple crown here, Tuna
10:49Salmon Whitefish Sushi, trying to teach Bella how to use chopsticks.
11:00These 90 minute riverfront gondola tours are very popular, it's $200 for the entire boat
11:05or $2.25 after 9pm, works out to about $34 per passenger if you have 6 people.
11:10You can also arrange a dinner on board with Cafe Sensei.
11:14Across the street from Cafe Sensei, another Asian restaurant and martini bar, Asian Bay.
11:24Check out some art at Abra Art Gallery.
11:27You know, life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you
11:32could miss it.
11:34The El Camino, a vibrant classic Mexican restaurant and bar.
11:42The Big City Tavern, another Fort Lauderdale favorite, with craft beer in a hopping rustic
11:46bar with patio seating, downtown Fort Lauderdale has really got it going on.
11:51From fashion boutiques, art galleries, to fine dining, sidewalk cafes, and bars.
11:56When the sun goes down on the beach, there is plenty of nightlife on Los Olas Boulevard.
12:01You will never get bored here, many other places we didn't even show.
12:12We take the 17th Street Bridge over the Stranahan River, Port Everglades in the distance, the
12:17third largest cruise port in the world.
12:30Fort Lauderdale Beach Park has a large parking lot, $4 per hour, but most of the time you
12:35can usually find parking here.
12:38This is the best part of the beach for a picnic, with tables and shade trees.
12:42Also a Broward B Cycle Rack.
12:48A fitness station, basketball and volleyball courts here.
13:13Across the street is Bahia Mar Marina, where much of the cruises and water sport fun is.
13:18There are two separate parts to the marina, one south of the Bahia Mar Resort, and one
13:23north of it.
13:24If you are taking a cruise, it's good to know which one of these marinas your cruise is
13:28in.
13:29The south lot has very limited parking, so you may want to park at Fort Lauderdale Beach
13:34Park and walk across A1A.
13:36We will start showing you the cruises docked on the south part of the marina.
13:40Next to the Jungle Boat is Fort Lauderdale Water Sports, with parasailing, jet ski and
13:46boat rentals.
13:47And they also have the Island Girl Party Boat, $750 for a half day, for up to 50 people.
13:54The Spirit of Lauderdale, a 3 hour tour on a catamaran, it is $65 for adults or children
14:00$30.
14:01Pets are allowed with prior permission by calling them.
14:05Intimate Waterway Tours, a 90 minute cruise, $215 for up to 6 people.
14:11Wine service available for $22 a bottle.
14:14Now to the marina on the north side of the Bahia Mar Resort.
14:17There is a much larger lot, the north parking, best place to park for cruises here.
14:23The Stay and Float Party Boat is here, next to the Bluefoot Pirate Ship, that we saw last
14:28week in our Hollywood video.
14:30A public cruise is $40, or a private charter $1,200 for up to 29 people.
14:38The Bluefoot Pirate Adventure, an hour and 15 minute interactive family cruise, is $28.
14:46Also a 2 hour booze cruise for $40 is available as well.
14:50The Breezy Tiki Party Boat, not docked here, you can catch 4 miles north on Highway 1.
14:56A 4 hour charter is $675 for up to 20 guests.
15:00Oh my, getting a little wild on that boat.
15:19Getting hungry now, looking for a good restaurant.
15:22There's Bubblegum Shrimp with Rooftop Dining.
15:27Bocachino Pizzeria, I'm in the mood for a Shrimp Quesadilla, from 411 South Bar & Grill.
15:40Belle's found some friends, Chara and Chet, visiting from Michigan.
15:46We now come to where Los Olos Blvd ends at the beach, on the corner of the famous Elbow
15:50Room, a beach bar popular with spring breakers, featured in the film Where the Boys Are.
15:56At the time of this filming, Miami Beach had a curfew due to unruly spring breakers,
16:00with 1,000 arrests.
16:02I was concerned they would all come up north to Fort Lauderdale, but Fort Lauderdale only
16:06had 2 arrests, and the spring breakers were pretty well behaved.
16:10Los Olos Park, across the street from the Elbow Room, hosts events, you often find free
16:14concerts here.
16:19Continuing north, The Rock Bar, a multi-level nightclub, with a beachfront patio.
16:27Old.
16:35Cafe Del Mar, a Mediterranean restaurant, with lots of outdoor seating.
16:40Beach Place, a multi-level shopping mall with restaurants, bars, a CVS, a Taco Bell Cantina,
16:46connected to Marriott's Beach Place Towers.
16:57In this part of the beach, several 5-star resorts.
17:10The Ritz-Carlton, the luxury boutique W Fort Lauderdale.
17:14The Terra Mar, a sophisticated seafood restaurant, part of the Conrad Resort.
17:37We approach Sunrise Boulevard, where the Galleria Mall is at, which we'll show you in a bit,
17:42but you'll want to check out Hugh Taylor Birch State Park first.
17:45The beach walk, as well as the beach itself, begins to get a little less crowded around
17:49here.
17:51Along this part of north Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, you can park along the street,
17:55and be pretty close to the beach so you don't have to walk very far.
17:59Of course, depending on the season and time of day, parking spaces can fill up quick.
18:04Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is a large, dog-friendly nature area in the middle of Fort Lauderdale
18:10Beach, bordered by the Intracoastal on one side and the beach on the other.
18:14There is a 1.9-mile paved road that cars, bikes, and pedestrians share.
18:19Nature trails with plenty of shade.
18:21This park allows you to see what Fort Lauderdale looked like before modern times.
18:26Native tropical hardwood hammock Florida with banyan trees.
18:31You can rent kayaks and canoes.
18:33The paved loop road also runs along the Intracoastal waterway, where you can watch the jet skis,
18:39yachts, and other boats sail by.
18:49This is also a stop for the water taxi.
18:57Now we head up Sunrise Boulevard towards the Galleria Mall.
19:00Near the bridge is the double-tree Galleria One Hotel with jet ski rentals.
19:05This resort has a lot of advantages.
19:07A Publix and Galleria Mall across the street.
19:10It is also a stop for the water taxi, so you can take the water taxi to Los Olos Boulevard,
19:14the beach, Birch Park, and shuttle to Port Everglades for $8.
19:19However, it is not pet-friendly.
19:26The Galleria Mall is great being close to the beach.
19:29Allows you to take an indoor break from the Florida heat or during an afternoon thundershower.
19:34And do some shopping.
19:37A body therapy shop to ease the aches and pains from a busy day at the beach.
19:42Or get some comfortable cotton clothing at Cotton Natural.
19:46Time to head back to the beach on Sunrise Boulevard.
19:51Someone asked me about a 7-Eleven earlier.
19:54Well, there it is.
19:58Back on North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard.
20:01The beach gets less crowded as you go into North Fort Lauderdale Beach.
20:07A look from the waterway side.
20:10The road starts to move slightly away from the shoreline here.
20:13Replaced by beach resorts, beginning with the Pelican Beach Resort.
20:17So, if you want a condo or resort that is literally on the beach,
20:21then you want to stay in North Fort Lauderdale Beach.
20:24North Fort Lauderdale Boulevard becomes North Ocean Boulevard at this point.
20:31A strip mall here with a laundromat, massage spa, a barber, grocery store for all your shopping needs,
20:37as well as several eateries.
20:54As you move from North Fort Lauderdale to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea,
20:57you will notice the high-rise condos disappear,
21:00as this quaint little beach town does not allow tall buildings along its shoreline.
21:05The center of this beach is Anglin's Pier.
21:08It is the longest pier in South Florida, although currently half of the pier is under construction.
21:13But it's still a great pier to visit.
21:18Lauderdale-by-the-Sea has a more small-town feel, slower-paced, relaxing environment.
21:23It is more old Florida.
21:28Mulligan's Beach House, with cozy street-side dining,
21:32on corner of Elmar Drive and Commercial Boulevard near the pier.
21:41The beach pavilion surrounded by eateries, people just enjoying the outdoors.
21:48The Village Grill with American fare, plus sushi.
21:54Anglin's Square at the end of Commercial Boulevard is a local treasure.
21:58Excellent for a stroll, comfortable chairs.
22:01Meet Frankie and his friend Dobby, enjoying a day at the beach.
22:05Frankie and Dobby's owners have been living in this area for over 30 years.
22:09They moved down from Minnesota.
22:11They said they love it here, the weather, the wildlife, not having to deal with snow, it's paradise.
22:17At the base of the pier is Anglin's Beach Cafe,
22:20an easy-going restaurant with seafood meals and panoramic ocean views.
22:25Also next to the pavilion is Aruba Beach Cafe, with Caribbean food, tropical drinks, live music.
22:34We're gonna get coffee at Gelato Go.
22:37They have great reviews, good coffee and pastries, ice cream, great service.
22:42North of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is Pompano Beach, which we will cover in another video.
22:57As the sun sets over the new river, the nightlights over the new and improved Los Olos Beach Park appear,
23:02with the amphitheater for live music.
23:06The park also now extends on the Intracoastal side, where this lighted parking garage is at.
23:12The strip heats up along A1A with nightclubs like the Rock Barn.
23:21As the city continues to evolve, you have to admit, Fort Lauderdale is doing something right.
23:27It now appeals to a wide variety of travelers, with much of the entertainment and fun being centrally located,
23:33not spread out like Miami.
23:35You can travel to most of the places of interest via a scenic ride on a water taxi,
23:40with Los Olos Boulevard, the Riverwalk and the beaches.
23:44It is no wonder why Fort Lauderdale has become one of the world's top tourist destinations.
23:51Visit Lauderdale is a great source of things to see in Greater Fort Lauderdale.
23:55We thought their paper brochure, Fort Lauderdale Visitor's Guide and Map was really good.
24:01See sunny.org
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24:23From Florida's Gold Coast, blessings to you, wherever you may be.
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