FT. LAUDERDALE

 

 (Written By Steve - January 5, 2004)

We pulled into Ft. Lauderdale around 8:30 am and grabbed a cab to the south side of the beach around 10:30am; it’s only a $10 cab ride from the ship.

Long known as the party capital for spring break bad behavior, Ft. Lauderdale has rid itself of that reputation since the late 1980’s. This place is a very busy cruise ship port and tons of huge incredible yachts. The beach strip has numerous bars, restaurants and shops. The strip is far more sophisticated than its spring break image, with its huge homes and high-rise hotels. The beach itself is wide, combed with hard packed sand, and the surf appears to be a little to rough for swimming. Most of the people are doing exactly what we are, sun tanning, playing and just relaxing. Yes, you heard me right. I am actually relaxing! The wide roads along side the beach are popular with joggers and inline skaters. You can take a boat trip along the intra coastal waterway, where large homes, mansions and manicured lawns line the waters edge. After a few hours on the beach, some lunch and after hitting a couple of shops to pick up a few things, we headed back to the ship.

 

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Info below retrieved from internet - webmaster

Ft. Lauderdale is often called the "Venice of America" because of its 270 miles of natural and artificial waterways. The city was founded by Major William Lauderdale during the Seminole War of 1837-1838. The city grew rapidly during the land boom in Florida during the 1920s. Ft. Lauderdale has continued to grow, and its metro area now has over 4.5 million residents.

Port Everglades is an artificial harbor that got off to a somewhat inauspicious start.  A developer named Joseph Young purchased 1440 acres in the 1920s for the Hollywood Harbor Development Company. President Calvin Coolidge was brought to Ft. Lauderdale on February 28, 1927, and asked to press the explosion detonator to open the harbor.  Thousands gathered to watch the show. Unfortunately, he pushed the detonator and nothing happened! The harbor was unceremoniously opened later that day, and the new seaport was named Port Everglades in 1930 after a naming contest was held.

http://cruises.about.com/library/misc/blradmariner27.htm