Nothing could have been more crazy than leaving the endless COVID winter seclusion of Santa Fe, New Mexico for a cavalier South Florida. Did anyone tell these people there was a virous going on? Citizens of Santa Fe, where I live, were taking it pretty seriously, We rarely left the seclusion of our wintery adobe homes. And when we did we were masqued all up and unrecognizable to anyone, including ourselves. Now I found myself stepping into total wildness.
For three weeks beginning in April and ending May 15, soft air and enormous blue skies surrounded me. I was in Florida again. More than any other trip to Fort Lauderdale, I felt engulfed by the water. I was staying in a condominium overlooking the Inter Coastal Waterways and two blocks from the ocean, There was no escaping and I was glad of it. Even at night in the dark, as I watched the shadows of Royal Palms dance across the ceiling, I was conscious of the water outside my window.
This was a special trip. I was visiting my son, who was now recovered from a long illness. I was finally vaccinated and so was he. The long months of the virus and separation from people I love and the world at large due to the virus, at least for the moment, was over.
The Beaches of Ft. Lauderdale
The very next morning after arriving, (and pretty much every morning thereafter) I left to explore the neighborhood where I was staying. Long, glorious, walks! Many of those walks included walking over the bridge that took me to the other side of the Inner Coastal waterways and two blocks from the ocean beaches. I was now sitting on the sandy white beaches and taking walks with dips in the ocean. I was also mask free and temporally feeling totally liberated.
Yacht Capital of the World
The building where I was staying faced the Intracoastal Waterway and the Marina where yachts make home. The Intracoastal is a 3000 mile long in-land waterway along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. There are so many yachts that live in these Ft. Lauderdale waters that it is better known as “The Yacht Capital of the World”. Having warm weather and calm, clear water helps. (Well, for the most part they are calm and clear.) And because of the extensive rivers and canals it also has been given the name “Venice of America”.
IntraCoastal: Venice Of America
There are an infinite number of ways to enjoy the Intracoastal https://www.sunny.org/beaches-and-beyond/waterways/canal-cities-see-the-fort-lauderdale-area-from-the-flip-side-with-waterway-activities/.
Having lunch at the Riverside Hotel restaurant I couln’t help noticing bikini clad young women debarking from a rented yacht. They had been celebrating a bridal shower. We didn’t rent a yacht, though, to get around and explore. Our choice, on the two occasions when we went Intracoastal hopping was the Water Taxi. We called them and they picked us up at the Marina. Otherwise you can jump on (and off) at several different points. https://watertaxi.com/ You can download a map of all the stops here: https://secureservercdn.net/192.169.220.85/v4t.665.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Water-Taxi-Map-March-2021.pdf
Water Taxi
Plus a few other ways, among many, of enjoying the Intra Coastal Waterways.
Some Favorite Stops on the Intra Coastal
This has got to be one of our favorites! We have stopped off here so many times that I have lost count now. Called the Fifteenth Street Fisheries https://www.15streetfisheries.com/, you can drive your car up to the front or you can step off of the Water Taxi and enjoy some good food and a break. For a few dollars, you can also buy a little plastic bag of fish food for the bigger fish in the water. Kids young and old love the excitement of feeding the fish.
Feed the fish whie you wait for your own food to come. My favorite of the many fish sandwiches I have eaten while in Ft. Lauderdale is right here at the 15th Street Fisheries. Actually, you can just about count on everything to be good here.
We also love debarking at Riverside Hotel Restaurant: https://www.riversidehotel.com/eat-drink. Cross the street when you are done eating to come out on the other side of Riverside Hotel. You will be on Las Olas Boulevard, a mecca for boutiques, galleries and romantic evenings. This is where we found Ann’s Florist, Ann’s Florist http://annsfloristlasolas.com/ Buy some flowers and sip coffee with their pastries (so good!). I liked it so much I made a post about it. https://roadtosuchness.comanns-florist-coffee-among-the-flowers/
Greatful
So for almost three weeks I found myself between blue skies above, the ocean below. Or after a short walk, between the beaches and the waterways of the Intracoastal. After all that we have gone through in these past COVID months, I know I was so fortunate to have this. After all we are still going through with this virus, I would wish this trip for anyone. .
