Ft. Lauderdale - Broward A
to ZA
Airport
(Ft. Lauderdale - Hollywood International) - very
busy but pleasant airport, it is constantly
expanding. However, it does not have any
scheduled flights from Europe.
Alligators - thriving
in SE Florida, they are particularly dangerous
during mating season in May and July. However,
there are still less than ten deaths by them in
the last ten years in Florida. Nevertheless, DO
NOT try to feed them! To view them, go on one of
the Everglades tours or to an alligator reserve.
Alligator Alley (State Road
75) - a highway connecting Ft.
Lauderdale with Naples on the West coast. The
journey time between the two coastlines is about
two hours.
Alligator Alley - the most
popular blues club in Broward, it is now in Oakland Park. Often a venue for
top-class acts.
Arboretum - in
Deerfield Beach, lovely botanical gardens that
are worth visiting.
B
Beaches - glorious, sandy and
well-kept. Five Broward beaches received the
prestigious Blue Wave Award..
Bookstores - there are
countless great bookstores in the area, all of
them incredibly relaxing! Choose your reading
material and settle down in one of the comfy
armchairs or have a latte in the cafe! Or attend
one of the free talks by authors. We like the
Borders near Galleria Mall.
Broadwalk - on Hollywood Beach, it
is a 2.2 mile long pathway for walking, cycling
and rollerblading and runs right alongside the
beach.
Butterfly
World - tropical
garden with butterflies and hummingbirds.
C
Car rental - it is
best to reserve, book and pay in your home
country as you are sure to get a better deal.
D
Dania
Beach - a town
between Hollywood and Ft. Lauderdale, it was
originally established by Danish tomato farmers.
Now the antiques capital of south Florida.
Deerfield
Beach - a town
just before Boca Raton.
Driving - stick to
the main roads. If lost, stop at a gas/petrol
station and ask for directions.
E
Eco-heritage tours - the best
known one is operated by the Seminole
tribe on the Big Cypress reservation,
some 45 miles west of Ft. Lauderdale.
Everglades - an
amazing river of grass, unfortunately in decline
because of human interference. See it while you
still can!
F
Farmer's Markets - a very
good way to buy inexpensive fresh food. Many are seasonal, running
from January to April.
Fishing - the best
location is from piers as you do not need to
obtain a fishing license to fish from them, and
therefore only need to pay an entrance fee. You
can also hire out a boat for deep ocean fishing.
Flamingo
Gardens - large
tropical forest and botanical gardens with an
Aviary and Bird of Prey Exhibit. An electric tram
ride takes you through the gardens. Not far from
Pembroke Lakes Mall.
G
Gambling - take one of the numerous casino
ships which take you outside the 3-mile limit. We
like the Sun Cruz from Hollywood Beach. There are also some
casinos run by the a Seminole Indian tribe.
Golf - numerous
public and private courses, SE Florida is a
paradise for golfers.
Gray
Bus Tours - the best
way to visit the area sights in a short period of
time (say half a day).
H
Harley
Davidson - classic
American bike, admired by many. You will see them
often in SE Florida. There are some bikers' bars
where they gather and show off their lovingly
cared for bikes.
Hiassen,
Carl - our
favourite Florida writer. Spent his teenage years
in Plantation. Please get one of his books,
you'll definitely enjoy them! Also read his
weekly comments on local life in the Miami
Herald.
High season - from a
week or so before Christmas to one week after
Easter. SE Florida becomes especially crowded!
Hurricanes - the hurricane seasons
starts in June and goes on until the end of
November. The worst one ever to have hit the
region was Hurricane Andrew in June 1992.
I
Internet cafes - the are
only a few left as can now use public libraries for free
Internet access. There is sometimes a queue and normally you are
limited to only 45 minutes.
J
Jai-Alai -
Basque-originated, apparently the fastest game in
the world. Popular in SE Florida.
Jogging - as you
can imagine, lovely alongside the beach. There
are many joggers on Ft. Lauderdale Beach.
Jungle
Queen -
well-known river boat with entertainment and good
food, it provides an excellent way to see the Ft.
Lauderdale canals.
K
Kayaking - there are
many places to rent Kayaks, but the best is
probably Florida Bay
Outfitters on Key Largo.
L
Las Olas Blvd. - a trendy
section of downtown Ft. Lauderdale with good
restaurants, bars and clubs.
Lovebugs - small insects that stick to
your car and make it tacky and hard to clean.
Low season - from one week after
Easter to the beginning of December. Many hotels
charge half price during this period.
M
Malls - numerous!
Don't miss Sawgrass
Mills Mall, the largest outlet mall
in the US. Also check out the upmarket Galleria
Mall in Ft. Lauderdale.
Miccosukee Indians - a part of
the Seminole tribe. Visit their village and take
an airboat trip in the Everglades.
N
Newspapers - the Sun
Sentinel is the Broward daily, with many
local editions. See the Friday edition for a
useful weekly events guide. There is also the
free City Link newspaper,
which is well worth a look.
O
Ocean's Eleven Lounge - right on
Hollywood Beach, this bar also opens up at 8am
and is a perfect choice for breakfast.
Orlando - the home
of Disney World and many other attractions, the
city is about a three and a half hour drive away.
Take the Turnpike.
P
Police - very
helpful to tourists. They patrol many beach areas
on rollerblades and bicycles.
Port
Everglades - Broward's
port, well-known for commerical traffic and
cruise ships.
Portuguese Man Of War -
jellyfish-like sea creature with long, stinging
tentacles. If stung, see the lifeguard for
advice. Also look out for flags flying on beaches
indicating their presence.
Publix - the local
supermarket chain, essential to all those staying
in an apartment. See their lovely deli counters!
Q
Queue - in
Florida you don't queue, you stand in line!
R
Rollerblading -
definitely something to do, although a little
tricky because of the number of pedestrians.
Great on Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, as proven by
the number that rollerblade there!
Rogers,
Neil - well known but
controversial local radio personality. Listen to him on WQAM
560AM.
S
Seafood - available
at many restaurants all over Broward. One of the
best in the county is Sunfish Grill.
Sharks - plentiful in the tropics,
but very few accidents occur.
Snow birds - visitors from North USA
and Canada who spend who spend the whole winter
in Florida. Lucky them!
Sports
Authority - one of
the best sporting goods stores for all your
sporting needs.
T
Tri-Rail - an
inexpensive way to travel from Miami Airport all
the way to Palm Beach.
Turnpike -
motorway/highway between Miami and Orlando (and
beyond). There is a charge for using it ($7-8)
but you are in Orlando in less than four hours.
U
Undertow -
particularly dangerous current of water (cause by
winds) which can sweep you away from the shallow
part of the sea and drag you 50-60 metres away.
Do not swim if there are signs on the beaches
warning you about it.
V
Value added tax - is called
sales tax in Florida and is 6% on all your
purchases.
Vegetarian restaurants - there
aren't too many of them in the Broward area, but
for the best in vegetarian food, go to Terrace
Oceanside Restaurant, 1960 South Ocean Drive,
Hallandale Beach.
W
Weather - the best
is from November to Easter, when it is not too
hot and humid.
X
for marking Florida
Lottery tickets! - the odds
of winning are low, even worse than in Europe, as
you have to get a winning combination from 53
numbers.
Y
Young Circle - the
centre of downtown Hollywood, it was named after
the founder of the city.
Your trip - you're bound to have a
great time! Please send us reports on your trip
and we'll post them on this website.
Z
Zzzzz - have a
good night's sleep, listening to the ocean waves.
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