March 11 - Ft Lauderdale

We had a late breakfast this morning. We had it outside on the dock. Almost the same menu as yesterday except Ann had oatmeal. Coffee, fresh berries, English muffins, etc. The couple sitting next to us were from Holland. They are going on the same cruise as we are. This is where we ate:

We needed some exercise, so we took a long walk over to the shopping/restaurant area along Las Olas Blvd. We crossed a couple of bridges and passed several waterways with nice houses and large yachts.

Coconut palms lined the road. Our goal was to walk far enough so that we would be hungry enough for lunch. Our secondary goal was to see as much as we could of this district which was touted as the best shopping and eating area of Ft Lauderdale. We were a bit disappointed. There were some nice shops and galleries. Ann even browsed one of the stores to see if she could get a fancy dress for gala nights on the cruise. No luck. We managed to get hungry, though. We stopped at a cafe where Ann had a good flatbread open-faced sandwich with sweet potato fries. I had half of a Cuban sandwich and a salad. Our lunch specials included a large and very tasty brownie.

We debated whether to take the bus back or to walk. We decided to retrace our route and walk back to the beach. Along the way, we crossed the same bridges as before. This time I took a photo of the control house for the drawbridge with a water taxi going underneath it.

 

Our route back to the hotel included a stop at CVS for a few supplies. Then we lazed around the pool until it was time for dinner.

 

We had an OK meal at the Quarterdeck. My blackened shrimp tacos were pretty good and the local mango IPA was tasty. Ann's turkey burger was blah and her margarita was weak. We ate outside on a slider table. (Ask when we get home). There were some tanked up obnoxious people around us and we'll as major traffic passing us. This was one of life's experiences.

Our walk back to the hotel was along the beach. The bars were active.

 

 

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March 10 - Ft Lauderdale

American Airlines got us from Oakland to Ft Lauderdale safely and comfortably late last night. We took a taxi to the Pillars Hotel. This is a small boutique hotel right on the intercostal waterway and two blocks from the ocean. Our room is small but comfortable.
This morning we had a very good breakfast - mixed fresh berries, granola with yoghurt, English muffins and coffee. We ate in the small dining room. Tomorrow we will have our breakfast on the "dock" watching the boats sail past.

So what do you do with time to burn in Ft Lauderdate? We decided to take a walk along the beach. The wind was blowing pretty hard but the sky was partly cloudy and the temperature was in the mid 70s. I wore sandals, a short sleeved shirt and shorts. The white sand beach was pretty but the surf was ugly - very rough. The early birds were starting their tanning routine and the older folks were on brisk walks. We were more leisurely.

We stopped at a beach wear store so that I could buy a more up-to-date bathing suit. There was a sale with everything discounted. In addition, you could buy two things and get another free. What a bargain! I now have a new swim suit, a new t-shirt and some new sunscreen. I am definitely ready for our cruise.

Back at the hotel, Ann took a swim in the pool. She said it was very warm. I researched for a restaurant for lunch.

Our lunch was at LuLu's Bait Shack. I had some killer coconut shrimp while Ann had some good ahi fish tacos. I helped her to finish them. We also had some beer and wine. This restaurant, along with most important other restaurants along the shore, are set up for the beach crown. LuLu's has a couple of u-shaped bars and lots of tables. The doors are open to the weather. We sat one of the bars. It was here that we realized that it is Spring Break. The place was jammed with college kids and a few liquor induced old men. It was fun.
As we walked back to the hotel, we couldn't help but notice how the crowd on the beach had multiplied. Hundreds of kids were milling around doing what kids do. Lots of posturing and posing. We are happy that we left that art of our lives 50+ years ago.

Back at the hotel we had some downtime sitting by the pool reading and napping. When it was time for dinner we took a short walk over the the Casablanca Cafe. I had grouper crusted with a pepper sauce with nicely prepared string beans and spinach. Ann had a spicy corn chowder and eggplant ravioli. When we told our waiter where we lived, he got all excited and told us that Berkeley was one of his favorite places. He is an actor and dancer and performed at Berkeley Rep. He loves Berkeley Rep and Berkeley Bowl.
It's now getting close to bedtime so I am signing off. Hopefully this post will go out tonight. Internet is a bit flakey here.

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