Fort Lauderdale

Friday, we had a leisurely drive from Sugarloaf Key to our campground in Fort Lauderdale – Yacht Haven Park & Marina. Another depressing urban campsite …. At least the one WE are in. But we’re definitely on the “wrong side of the tracks” in this park. Farther in, there are sites that border the river and canal, with incredible yachts docked alongside. The CG is along a stretch of highway aptly named, “Marina Mile”. So the gate card we received on check-in makes sense; this is the first “gated campground” we’ve ever stayed in! Friday night, it was cold – down to the low 50s. For some reason, the furnace would not stay lit, so we got out the extra blankets. Early in the morning, we tried the furnace again and it worked fine.

Yesterday, we drove south on Route A1A along the coast. We walked around Miami Beach, had lunch there, and admired the Art Deco architecture. In the afternoon, we checked out Coral Gables and decided that if we had to live in the Miami area, that would definitely be our fir$t choice! But after a day of traffic and crowds, we agree that we don’t need a repeat visit.

Today we took A1A north to Palm Beach. We got caught in a marathon (foot race) along the Lauderdale beaches, so it was SLOW going. The drive from Boca Raton up to Palm Beach was gorgeous – beautiful homes and landscaping. Our destination was the Flagler Estate, Whitehall, built in 1902 in Palm Beach. Henry Flagler was a co-founder, with John D. Rockefeller, of Standard Oil and was responsible for much of the development of Florida, including the rail line, and subsequent roadway, to Key West. The home was a fabulous example of life in “The Gilded Age.” After an excellent tour, we head back south, stopping for a short walk and a bit of biking at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. How different that cypress swamp is from the “salt prairies” of the Everglades.