My extended family all fly / drive in to my grandparent%26#39;s house on the islands in Ft. Lauderdale every Christmas (and sometimes summer) as a sort of regular family reunion. We are three different families, between us there are seven kids (five boys 10, 11, 14, and 14) and two girls (13 and 17). The parents are in their 40%26#39;s and 50鈥檚. We%26#39;ve been having our ';reunions'; for years now, and I think this time it would be cool to have a few day-trips to do rather than the usual walk to the beach or boating down the canals (you know you%26#39;re in bliss when those things are the usual). :)
What would you recommend for things to do in and around Ft. Lauderdale for our group? Not all of us would have to go on each outing, so a variety of ideas would be nice. Is the Bonnet House a good idea? Thanks in advance.
Blue
Things to do in and around Ft. Laud
The best thing I can suggest for you is to get a book called ';One Tank Trips'; by Bill Murphy. I believe there are three in the series, about $10 each when I bought the first one. The books describe day trips within Florida, to places you don%26#39;t normally hear about. There should be some places around Ft. Lauderdale. Go to one of the big bookstores like Barnes %26amp; Noble and have a read of one of the books. I think you will like what you read.
I agree with you about the bliss part. LOL.
Things to do in and around Ft. Laud
The Broward county area ideas. Bonnet House is excellent. BUT CHECK SITE for summer hours. Also, since I copied this from many posts, check before you go.
(I know you didn%26#39;t want a New River tour, but the Carrie B is listed, but isn%26#39;t running in FT Laud now....its in Norfolk. I will also post places I%26#39;ve been that are just S in Dade and N in Palm Beach...but those lists will follow, and will be very short:
Gulfstream Park: Horse Racing %26amp; Casino complex, includes video cards. Last time I was there, NO SMOKING....so, you can breathe. Brand new facility. Free parking all over until racing starts again.
Posted payback is 91%. About 3/4 mile from Avenura Mall in Dade.
See restaurant rev under Hallandale, Fl forums. State mandates 85% payback required (but not on the races) (State Controlled)
http://www.gulfstreampark.com/
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Hollywood Track, Mardi Gras Casino. (Also under Hallandale, since it is in Hallandale). Same rules as Gulfstream. 85% payback required.
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Hollywood Art Museum (Kinda small)
http://www.artandculturecenter.org/
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West Lake Anne Kolbe Rec center ICW boat %26amp; canoe rentals (best prices)
sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/wlak/index.html
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Hollywood North Beach Park Fully guarded %26amp; showers, no services without a long walk S on the B鈥橶alk (bring cooler with stuff) (non commercial)
:
southflorida.com/attracti...,1307965.venue
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Hollywood by the Sea Beach Commercial areas: Article relates the Mom %26amp; Pop Atlantic Sands is over $100 a nite, but I鈥檝e seen as low as $89....espically if you are a vet, a police, fire, military . Owner is an ex Rockette ( Russell Markert dance troup) from the 1950s.
palmbeachpost.com/search/...nticsands.html
www.atlanticsandsfl.com
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O鈥橦ara Jazz Club in both Hollywood %26amp; Ft Lauderdale:
http://www.oharasjazzcafe.com/
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Boat %26amp; rec rentals located in the Nikki Marina area of the Westin Hollywood Diplomat beachfront resort:
http://www.atlanticbeachclubs.com/
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Hard Rock Casino of Hollywood (Seminole): (Note, the Seminols have 2 casinos on their reservation in central Hollywood. One is very old...but the other is in the new in the Hard Rock Hotel %26amp; Casino. Free perking just N of intersection of Sterling and State Rt 7 (441). Machines here are bingo type. They say 25 cents, but many wany more than 25 cents to play. Payback is estimated at 55%, and smoking IS allowed. Pool is great. Hard Rock Cafe is the best one I%26#39;ve ever been to (better than Orlando, Atlantic City %26amp; so on)
www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/
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Hollywood Track Mardi Gras Casino ( state controlled)
http://www.playmardigras.com/info_history.php
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Weightlessness in Space. This is a real jet from FLL that takes you training in a weightless envirenment. It cost a lot more than a week at Disney World with four kids:
http://www.nogravity.com
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Six Flags died here several years ago.....but there is a big old rollercoaster right in the area:
www.xcoaster.com
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International (Game) Fishing Museum (next to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World %26amp; Islamorida Fish Restaurant
http://www.igfa.org/
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Dania Jai Alai Fronton (Also has slots %26amp; Poker About 3 minutes from FLL. (State Controlled)
http://www.dania-jai-alai.com/
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Flamingo Gardens Coupons on website. Down Flamingo Road from Sawgrass Mills (go south)
www.flamingogardens.org/
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Broward Center for Pref Arts. Will include the info on the 5 live theaters and the operas playing in Broward :
http://www.browardcenter.org/
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Sawgrass Recreation Park (Everglades tours %26amp; Museum). Coupons in papers %26amp; on website
evergladestours.com
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Seminole Enterprises: Billie Swamp Safarii (one of the best everglade tours) and other related including casinos
http://www.seminoletribe.com/
Central Broward:
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Marriott BP Ocean Cam
http://www.sunny.org/webcam/camapp.cfm
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Ft Lauderdale Museum of Art:
via watertaxi
http://www.moafl.org
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Bonnet House Mansion %26amp; Grounds (beachfront home at Sunrise Blvd %26amp; Birch Rd. Art featured via watertaxi
http://www.bonnethouse.org/
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Las Olas Blvd area in Ft Laud: (Gondola rides at Storks (not in Wilton Manors bakery) via watertaxi
http://www.lasolasboulevard.com
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Largest outlet center (with non outlet stores, too. Excellent coupons on the website:
http://www.sawgrassmillsmall.com
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Museum of Discovery and Science and IMAX 3D Theater (via www.watertaxi.com )
http://www.mods.org
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International Swimming Hall of Fame (Beachfront just S of Las Olas) Very small not expensive: Via water taxi
http://www.ishof.org
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Stranahan House (Coupon on website- next to Cheesecake Factory on Las Olas :))
http://www.stranahanhouse.com
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MV CarrieB leaves from behind the Cheesecake Factory on Las Olas. Coupon on site for a few $$: (CLOSED THIS SUMMER)
A better on is found in the Thur or Fri Sun Sentinal for one free with one. Only runs in season: via watertaxi
www.carriebcruises.com
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Ft Lauderdale Water Taxi (BUS). Entire route will take about 4 hours. Also taxi to SoBe Miami via ICW %26amp; Ft Laud %26amp; Hollywood Diplomat Yacht Club. All day tix is now $11.00....check site for specials:
www.watertaxi.com then click Ft Lauderdale. Also check routes and TIMES.
SIZE=';4';]
North Broward:[/size]
Festival Flea Market (Pompano Area)- not a favorite...don鈥檛 think prices are good...esp after Sawgrass....wife likes it sometimes. Look for $5.00 coupons to be used on every $25.00 you spend.
**
http://www.festivalfleamarket.com
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Tradewinds Park (Holiday Fantasy of Lights during Nov %26amp; Dec)
www.broward.org/parks/hfol.htm
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Pompano Harness Track %26amp; Casino (State Controlled)
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Butterfly World (Coupon)
www.butterflyworld.com
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Miami/Dade North:
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Go Miami Card (Some trip advisor posters don%26#39;t think it is worth it, but you read %26amp; decide:
http://www.gomiamicard.com/
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Jackie Gleason Pref Arts Center
http://www.gleasontheater.com/
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SoBe Colony Theatre (Lincoln Road)
http://www.miamibeach411.com/arts/colony.html
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The Wolfsonian
http://www.wolfsonian.org
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Island Queen Cruises (ICW %26amp; Fisher Island boat tours) (Coupon )
http://www.islandqueencruises.com/indexf.htm
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Holocaust Memorial
http://www.holocaustmmb.org
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Bass Museum of Art
http://www.bassmuseum.org
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Sanford L. Ziff Jewish Museum
http://www.jewishmuseum.com/
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Art Deco - Lincoln Rpad - Collins Ave walking tours
www.mdpl.org/
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Miami City Ballet
http://www.miamicityballet.org
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Parrot Jungle Island
http://www.parrotjungle.com
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Doral Resort - Blue Monster Golf Course (%26amp; Marriot T/S units...not on beach)
http://www.doralgolf.com/
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Bayside Marketplace
http://www.baysidemarketplace.com
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Miami Children%26#39;s Museum (Across Macarthur Causeway from Parrott Jungle:
http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/
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Miami Art Museum
http://www.miamiartmuseum.org
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Gusman Center for the Performing Arts
http://gusmancenter.org/
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Calder Race Course (Miami/Dade voted against casinos in Dade county. Closest casino track would be Gulfstream Park a few miles toward to ocean in Broward:
www.calderracecourse.com
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Cloisters of the Monastery of Saint Bernard de Clairvaux
http://www.spanishmonastery.com
OK..they need a volunteer to help manage their site. Some info there, but doesn%26#39;t seem to link correctly. Try here:
miamibeach411.com/article...monestery.html
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Miami Duck Tours:
www.ducktoursmiami.com
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Flagler Dog Track %26amp; Sports Entertainment Center (no casino)
www.flaglerdogs.com
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Aventura Mall Largest enclosed (Full priced () mall on the East Coast. About 1/2 mile from Gulfstream Park Track %26amp; Casino. Drop him off, then SHOP
http://www.shopaventuramall.com
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Museum of Contemporary Art
http://www.mocanomi.org
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Orange Bowl
www.orangebowlstadium.com
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PALM BEACH AREA:
Art Lover check out the Norton Museum of Art
http://www.norton.org/
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Henry Flaglers Summer Cottage. (Next to Breakers Golf Course)
http://www.flaglermuseum.us/
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The Breakers TOUR (Usually on Wednesdays... fee now charged) Visit the Keenan Oil (%26amp; P%26amp;O Shipping) summer cottage where Standard Oil presidents, LIRR, %26amp; FCLRR (Florida Coast Line), met with JP Morgan over dollar issues. Nice historic hotel now...
www.thebreakers.com
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John D. MacArthur Park -
www.macarthurbeach.org
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City Place -
www.cityplace.com
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Clematis Street -
www.westpalmbeachdda.com
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Jupiter Light House - the oldest structure in Palm Beach County. First lighted July 10th, 1860. During the Civil War Confederate Loyalists stole and hid the Light House Light mechanism.
www.lrhs.org
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Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
www.kravis.org
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Lion Country Safari
www.lioncountrysafari.com
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Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
www.palmbeachzoo.org
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Roger Dean Stadium - Jupiter Hammerheads %26amp; Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League (A) make their home from April to August. Also Spring Training home of the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals
www.rogerdeanstadium.com
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Palm Beach Water Taxi -
watertaxi.homestead.com/shuttleservice.html
For Water Taxi Narrated Sightseeing Tours go their home page:
http://watertaxi.homestead.com
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For Getting Around the City of West Palm Beach:
www.cityofwpb.com/around/around.htm
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the Gardens Mall
http://www.thegardensmall.com/index.cfm
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Boca Raton Museum of Art -
www.bocamuseum.org
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Gumbo Limbo Nature Center -
www.gumbolimbo.org
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Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge -
http://loxahatchee.fws.gov
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Morikami Museum %26amp; Japenese Gardens -
www.morikami.org
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Okeeheelee Park - More than 900 acres - Free Park Admission, lots of things for outdoors enthusiasts - Fishing Pier, Water skiing courses, Boat ramps, bicycle track, sports fields (baseball, softball, football, soccer), 27-hole golf course, volleyball courts, tennis courts, nature center, exercise trail, picnic pavilions, canoe, kayak and other watercraft rentals
co.palm-beach.fl.us/parks...okeeheelee.htm
**
South Florida Science Museum - Planetarium, Laser shows, aquariams with fish from all over the world, Egyptian Gallery with a mummy, Space Gallery, Gift Shop -
www.sfsm.org
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Palm Beach Worth Avenue Shopping check out
http://snipurl.com/p8dg
%26amp;
http://www.worth-avenue.com/
If you want a list of the fshing %26amp; charter boats web sites, put request here (I only have those in the Ft Laud/ Hollywood area)
KenK鈥?Thanks for the list. Unfortunately, all of the options were either casinos or things we%26#39;d already done (kid%26#39;s museum, art museum, and butterfly world). I don%26#39;t think that anyone would want to drive all the way to Miami or Palm Beach just for an activity, either. So, unless I missed something, the only thing that would apply to us would be the Bonnet house.
Chuts鈥?I鈥檒l drop in Barnes %26amp; Nobles sometime and look for those guidebooks; they seem to be exactly what I鈥檓 looking for (especially the off-the-beaten-path part).
Thanks for the replies!
KenK - don%26#39;t despair - My family is in ft. lauderdale right now . . . . I got tons of info from your post. Thanks!
Hello my friend from Chattanooga. I have tried the really exciting boat ride the Bayside Blaster which goes out from the Bayside Market Place in Miami on Saturdays and Sundays - really fast and exciting. I haven%26#39;t visited Bonnet House but intend to. I understand that it was once owned by a couple of excentric artists and there are displays of their unusual and ';off the wall'; works. I don%26#39;t think it is what you would normally expect of a grand old house but worth a visit if you like the unusual probably worth a visit - I don%26#39;t think it is very expensive to enter.
I think the Bonnet House charges $20 for adults, $16 for students for a tour.
If you haven%26#39;t already, you should visit sunny.org for lots of information for visitors.
We were members of Bonnet House, and have done many tours there, espically when the last owner was alive. Since we retired, and the membership rates were raised so much after she died, we no longer are members.
This is (was) one house of many for the owners. As my brain gets older, I may not be 100% accurate, but what we were told during a few tours ( many years ago) the husbands family was in Hardware, and is now known as part of True Value. Wife was in the Eli Lilly family. So...this house was one of many for the families.
Both were artists, and the house is very folk arty (?). It was built in a big rectangle with the interior a large garden and an outside walkway (inside the rectangle) to access many of the rooms.
The grounds are also beautiful, with a walkway under A1A to the beach (that may be gated off)
The grounds have monkeys that escaped the house....and some of them used to be able to get off the grounds. The VRI (timeshare) Ft LAuderdale Beach Resort) when named Sunterra, had barbed wire fencing trying to keep the monkeys away from the patios and apartments.
The grounds extend fromthe intracoastal to the A1A (beach).
The art is mostly folk. I wonder if I can find any coupons for that place.
Take a trip out to Everglades National Park for an airboat ride. Bang a couple dozen garlic crabs w/ a wooden mallet on newspaper at The Rustic Inn.
The Bonnet House looks really great. I%26#39;ll see if we can do that when my family goes down next week. Is there a dock near the house? It would be nice to boat over there if possible.
The Blaster looks fun, although it%26#39;s probably too far away. We never go to the Everglades, so an airboat ride would be something new. Summer would probably make a trip down there too hot and miserable, but we could try it out this Christmas when at three families will be at the house.
Looking at Sunny.org (great web site), it looks like we%26#39;ve already done most of the attractions in the area. I probably should have explained clearer in my first post that we%26#39;ve been coming down for years and have already done most of the first thing you%26#39;d think of like the science and art museum and Butterfly World. Do any locals or others have insights for things off the beaten path?
Re
Bonnet House
Yes, there are a few connecting structures that could house several boats. There is deep water docking, but that area is closed to outside water craft.
Rustic Inn:
I agree with Pizza- Try to hit the Rustic Inn. I know you all think I must be pretty cheap....but the place has real good lunch specials....and dinner is a lot more....(some here think it might be too much cost for the places ambiance....but we really like the food, and Freddie had helped me lose a lot of weight serving his lunch specials..
Rustic Inn is on the W side of FLL. Easy to get to via Griffin Rd W ( from Rt 1 or I 95 and go W on Griffin...when you cross RR tracks (%26amp; go under I 95 ) turn R onto Anglers Road (Ravenswood). Go over little bridge (Dania Cut Off Canal), and be ready to turn L.
Go to website for coupons %26amp; menu.
www.rusticinn.com (I think)
I want to ask Pizza what they think of Anthony%26#39;s Coal Fired Pizza?
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