Day One: Water Taxi/bus Tour in Fort Lauderdale
Tuesday it was too chilly for the beach (mid 60s) so after breakfast we decided to go on the water taxi. It takes you all around the waterways of Fort Lauderdale for $10 all day and night and you can get on & off as much as you want. They also have a tour guide who gives an educational interesting/gossipy/historical talk the whole time.
we decided to drive to Riverwalk to start the water taxi. Here we got stopped by a bridge that went up. This is very common in Fort Lauderdale, aka "venice of america." Jami's car is in front of us:
Here is Jami and I on the water taxi...
Manny and Skyler who is enjoying the view:
Fake snow Christmas display on Millionaire's Row- this was maybe 1/10 of the display- this was 1/10th of the house, it looked really nice later at night and the figures all moved:
We stopped for lunch looking for the place where you sit on swings while you eat (later found out its called the Oasis), but instead found a trendy cute Italian place where we sat in the outdoor cafe part, right across from the beach (see photo below for our gorgeous view from our table). It was right next door to the famous "Elbo Room" which is from the movie "Where the Boys Are" about spring break. Turned out the food was really good, and they had this funky live art piece with moving red squares. Right next to it is an alleyway, which leads to a great little Italian Gelato shop and a REALLY cool looking Pirate shop and restaurant/bar, it also had pirates at both entrances to the alley. This is also on the beach area with the red sidewalk meant for jogging/biking/rollerblading. See photo below- with the white wall. Every so often where there is an opening to walk through to the beach the white wall morphs into a funky spiral design, they use this in all the official fort Lauderdale brochures. I wanted to stop later for posed pics at this wall spot, but we never got to do that, as this time after lunch we had to rush back to the water taxi to make the next pick up. In the future I plan to go to this part of the beach- aka the walled part (goes a few miles) and there is a nice little boat playground on the beach about a mile from here.
After getting back on the water taxi going back towards where we came from originally, we got off at stop #9 for SHOPPING on Los Olas Blvd. (this is the only stop I remember the number for!). It was now getting later and dark so we mainly browsed, checking out a few cool art galleries and funky artsy shops, here is the window of one with funky teapots. Jami got a pair of hard to find "seven" jeans. we went to a candy shop and then stopped at the crepe place sidewalk cafe for crepes before making our way back to the parking garage. 
Christmas time in Florida: I loved the palm trees all lit up for the holidays. The photo did not come out, but you get the idea. We love the idea of christmas in Florida and enjoying the holidays without being COLD! Everywhere you go, the palm trees are lit up. another cool thing: in the airport they decorate, and even the luggage carousel is decorated (nothing to do with florida, just airports in general). 
After leaving Los Olas, we went back to the beach shops across from the beach for some basic nessessities we did not bring: beach toys, beach bag, pool float for Skyler etc.
On the ride from the beach area to the shopping stop, there were 2 German girls. When one took out her camera, Skyler said "cheese!" (he always says cheese if he sees a camera) and then she took his picture! another thing I liked about South Florida and the keys: it attracts a lot of foreign visitors, esp. Europeans. besides the obvious, expsoure to the Spanish language and culture, I think it will be culturally enriching for the kids to meet people from other countries and attempt to communicate. I am teaching them how if you know a 2nd language, even if they speak a 3rd language you don't know, you can communicate to them in YOUR second language (ie you meet an Italian who does not speak English but does speak Spanish or French, voila you can now communicate). or even how just knowing a few words can help you communicate.
we were wanting to know which way the beach was in south beach Miami and encountered a man who only spoke spanish. so I said "playa?" and he pointed. Shayna later said of course I know how to say "beach" in every language.....!!!
we decided to drive to Riverwalk to start the water taxi. Here we got stopped by a bridge that went up. This is very common in Fort Lauderdale, aka "venice of america." Jami's car is in front of us:
Here is Jami and I on the water taxi...
Manny and Skyler who is enjoying the view:
Fake snow Christmas display on Millionaire's Row- this was maybe 1/10 of the display- this was 1/10th of the house, it looked really nice later at night and the figures all moved:
We stopped for lunch looking for the place where you sit on swings while you eat (later found out its called the Oasis), but instead found a trendy cute Italian place where we sat in the outdoor cafe part, right across from the beach (see photo below for our gorgeous view from our table). It was right next door to the famous "Elbo Room" which is from the movie "Where the Boys Are" about spring break. Turned out the food was really good, and they had this funky live art piece with moving red squares. Right next to it is an alleyway, which leads to a great little Italian Gelato shop and a REALLY cool looking Pirate shop and restaurant/bar, it also had pirates at both entrances to the alley. This is also on the beach area with the red sidewalk meant for jogging/biking/rollerblading. See photo below- with the white wall. Every so often where there is an opening to walk through to the beach the white wall morphs into a funky spiral design, they use this in all the official fort Lauderdale brochures. I wanted to stop later for posed pics at this wall spot, but we never got to do that, as this time after lunch we had to rush back to the water taxi to make the next pick up. In the future I plan to go to this part of the beach- aka the walled part (goes a few miles) and there is a nice little boat playground on the beach about a mile from here.
After getting back on the water taxi going back towards where we came from originally, we got off at stop #9 for SHOPPING on Los Olas Blvd. (this is the only stop I remember the number for!). It was now getting later and dark so we mainly browsed, checking out a few cool art galleries and funky artsy shops, here is the window of one with funky teapots. Jami got a pair of hard to find "seven" jeans. we went to a candy shop and then stopped at the crepe place sidewalk cafe for crepes before making our way back to the parking garage. 
Christmas time in Florida: I loved the palm trees all lit up for the holidays. The photo did not come out, but you get the idea. We love the idea of christmas in Florida and enjoying the holidays without being COLD! Everywhere you go, the palm trees are lit up. another cool thing: in the airport they decorate, and even the luggage carousel is decorated (nothing to do with florida, just airports in general). 
After leaving Los Olas, we went back to the beach shops across from the beach for some basic nessessities we did not bring: beach toys, beach bag, pool float for Skyler etc.
On the ride from the beach area to the shopping stop, there were 2 German girls. When one took out her camera, Skyler said "cheese!" (he always says cheese if he sees a camera) and then she took his picture! another thing I liked about South Florida and the keys: it attracts a lot of foreign visitors, esp. Europeans. besides the obvious, expsoure to the Spanish language and culture, I think it will be culturally enriching for the kids to meet people from other countries and attempt to communicate. I am teaching them how if you know a 2nd language, even if they speak a 3rd language you don't know, you can communicate to them in YOUR second language (ie you meet an Italian who does not speak English but does speak Spanish or French, voila you can now communicate). or even how just knowing a few words can help you communicate.
we were wanting to know which way the beach was in south beach Miami and encountered a man who only spoke spanish. so I said "playa?" and he pointed. Shayna later said of course I know how to say "beach" in every language.....!!!
posted by shoshanamom @ 7:05 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home