PETER GREENBERG
Peter Greenberg is the
multiple–Emmy Award–
winning travel editor
for CBS News and host
of The Travel Detective
on public television
( petergreenberg.com).
MORE IN ARCHIVES
At costcoconnection.com,
search “Travel Connection.”
TRAVELCONNECTION
IN MY COLLEGE years, I avoided Fort Lauderdale, as it was ground zero for spring breakers.
But now, Venice-style waterways, great parks
and a thriving museum, art and food scene combine to make Fort Lauderdale my south Florida
destination of choice.
The beaches
There are great beaches in Fort Lauderdale,
but if you’re looking for a special, uncrowded
one, these two parks are my picks.
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is a Fort
Lauderdale must-see, especially Park & Ocean,
a new restaurant and bar that opened inside
the park this year. Its farm-to-table menu has
options such as green smoothies and acai bowls
for health-conscious travelers, as well as burgers
and brisket grilled cheese for those who want to
indulge. The park also offers a variety of activities, such as art classes and Segway tours. If
you happen to be in Fort Lauderdale during a
full moon, sign up for a full-moon kayak tour,
which lets you paddle down Coastal Dune Lake
at night.
Riverwalk, the ;.;-mile park that spans the
bank of the New River, has always been a great
way to see Fort Lauderdale by foot, but now
there’s the Riverwalk Connection, a project ;;
years in the making that links Las Olas and the
historic district to uptown Fort Lauderdale.
With this new addition, taking a stroll toward
the Broward Center on the Riverwalk means
you can check out the Stranahan House, King
Cromartie House and Shippey House on your
way. You’ll also find free drop-in yoga classes and
Sunday Jazz Brunch concerts.
Many locals use the water taxi as a practical
way to get around. But smart travelers use it as a
great way to see and experience Fort Lauderdale’s
hidden gems. The ;;-stop route goes by several
celebrity mansions and yachts, and you can hop
on and off along the way.
Most visitors never get to Fern Forest, a
nature center that’s a ;;-minute drive from
Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free to this
;;;-acre gem, complete with hiking trails,
restored wetlands, armadillos, owls and even
a gopher tortoise.
The cuisine
There is no shortage of coffee shops in Fort
Lauderdale, but Brew Urban Café in FAT Village
is also a recording studio and library, and deep
inside there’s a secret bar. The coffee shop is
connected to a warehouse turned studio called
Next Door at C&I Studios, a versatile space with
a bookcase that doubles as a secret door. The
“secret door” through the bookcase is normally
kept open for people to freely walk through to see
the performance space on the other side. During
the day, you can grab a coffee from Brew, a book
from the café’s library and make yourself comfortable. At night, stop by Next Door’s secret bar
and take in a concert, karaoke or open mic night.
Next, head to Hot & Soul—a great destination
for international comfort food—located in an
unassuming shopping center off North Federal
Highway (U.S. Highway ;). This is where local
chefs go to eat on their days off.
Hot & Soul’s menu includes dishes from
Louisiana to Japan and everywhere in between,
with curried chickpeas, gumbo, soba noodles
and even oxtail gnocchi. Try to go on Sunday, for
their crawfish boil. And save room for my favorite dish (which is usually followed by a nap!):
their dulce de leche bread pudding.
For excellent West Indian cuisine, Shalama’s
Halal Roti Shop is located in a strip mall, in
this case in Margate, north of Fort Lauderdale.
Though it’s far from the typical tourist locales
in Fort Lauderdale, the Indian-Caribbean
food is well worth the drive. For anyone new to
Trinidadian cuisine, Shalama’s bara (fried flatbread) with chana (curried chickpeas) is a delicious introduction. Add to that its daily pelau
(rice and peas with chicken). Don’t look for style
points here; Shalama’s is a hole in the wall. Just
good food, locals and great conversation. C
T
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O W Lauding Fort Lauderdale
It’s not just for spring break anymore
COSTCOCONNECTION
Costco Travel offers packages
to a variety of destinations in
Florida, including Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Costco
Executive members can now
earn a 2% Reward when they
book vacation packages,
cruises and rental cars through
Costco Travel. To learn more,
click “Travel” at Costco.com or
call 1-877-849-2730.
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