Things to Do in Ft. Lauderdale
There are endless activities to please just about everybody in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Whether you have tastes for shopping, outdoor exploring, sporting events, or just relaxing surfside, Ft. Lauderdale has just what you are looking for in recreational activities.

Ft. Lauderdale Wildlife
There are over 500,000 acres of Everglades included in the Greater Ft. Lauderdale area. One way to explore this area is to visit the Flamingo Gardens and Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary. The Everglades were formed by centuries of constant overflow from Lake Okeechobee after heavy rains. In this sanctuary, visitors can take a one and a half mile-long guided tour train tour through citrus groves and rain forests. The Gardens and Sanctuary also boasts a free-flight aviary in which visitors can study native birds more closely. Observation of flamingos, otters, and alligators is also possible on the Garden's grounds. Other highlights of this sanctuary include a birds of prey exhibit, various gift and garden shops, and a fresh fruit patio. There is even a restaurant, appropriately named the Gator Grill, on the premises for visitors' enjoyment.
There are many parks throughout Ft. Lauderdale in which to unwind and  enjoy the Great Outdoors. One of these is the 244-acre John U. Lloyd Beach State Recreation Area. This state facility has two and a half miles of sandy beaches. Providing amenities for snorkeling, fishing, picnicking, and canoeing, this recreation area is a popular destination for families. Other great Lauderdale recreation areas include Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, and Joseph C. Carter Park.

Ft. Lauderdale's Las Olas Boulevard

The New Wave of the World's Greatest Streets

GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (January 2003) -- Boulevard St. Germain in Paris, New York's Fifth Avenue, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills...Every great city has a particular place where the chic shop, fashion trends are set, strolling window shoppers chat in a dozen languages, and visitors young and old gather to please their palates, to be entertained and delighted.

So, make way for the latest place to be, the newest of the "great streets" -- Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Appropriately named (Las Olas means "the waves" in Spanish), this city's most charming street is suddenly at the forefront of everything from fashion boutiques and art galleries to world-class cuisine, sidewalk cafes and jazz houses.

Like many American neighborhoods undergoing a renaissance, Las Olas is not actually new; the elegant, newly expanded 220-room Riverside Hotel, a destination landmark, has been entertaining Broward County's movers and shakers since 1936 and Fort Lauderdale's old money still gathers there to be pampered with gracious hospitality. The hotel recently transformed its restaurants, to include an outdoor dining area and two new restaurants, Indigo, an Indonesian dining experience and The Grill Room.

Even older, the historic Stranahan House, just steps away from the Riverside Hotel, built in 1901 as a home and trading post by one of the region's pioneers, dates back to when much of South Florida was still uninhabited swamp. Here the Seminole trappers came to sell their pelts, spending the night sleeping under the stars on the porch that surrounds the house before trekking back into the wilds of the Everglades.

Here too, Frank Stranahan planted the seeds of a community that today boasts a population of 1.5 million. The Stranahan House is now a museum with exhibits and furnishings of the turn-of-the-century.

Running almost parallel to Fort Lauderdale's New River on its way to the Atlantic Ocean, Las Olas is a broad avenue divided by a wide, landscaped median of flowers and towering shade trees. To the east is Fort Lauderdale's famed beachfront with its $26-million promenade. Las Olas' western most point is anchored by the Museum of Art and gateway to a downtown area of cultural activity known as the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District featuring Las Olas Riverfront, Fort Lauderdale Historical Museum, the Museum of Discovery & Science/Blockbuster IMAX 3D Theater, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts plus many dining and nightlife establishments.

Along the way toward the ocean, one encounters the picturesque "finger islands," snug, block-long residential communities that harbor luxury homes and yachts. The visitor in the know will also find a selection of intimate, 50-room or less, owner-operated hotels --like the ten-room Banyan Marina on the Isle of Venice -- that belong to the destination's Superior Small Lodging program that offers, under the banner "guaranteed quality and personalized service," accommodations in distinctive settings.

On the main, Las Olas Boulevard presents the elegance of the area's glamorous origins; the architecture of its shops, restaurants and cafes are a rich reflection of South Florida's Spanish heritage. Horse-drawn carriages still transport sightseers and shoppers from one end of the boulevard to the other. But don't be fooled by Las Olas' historic charm; this center of entertainment, dining and shopping for Greater Fort Lauderdale is also on the cutting edge.

From morning until far past moonlight, young people, old people, visitors from the capitals of Europe as well as the small towns of America gather here to enjoy the sidewalk cafes and restaurants of Las Olas.

Given its weather, one might assume that dining and entertainment al fresco has been a fixture in South Florida. In fact, it has only been recently that locals and visitors in Fort Lauderdale have adopted a lifestyle that Europeans have thrived on for generations. O'Hara's Pub, with its nightly jazz entertainment, and Sidewalk Café began the trend on Las Olas. Shortly after, others followed suit, like Mangos which offers a perfect viewing spot to watch the parade of shoppers, window watchers and boulevard strollers.

Indoors or out, Las Olas Boulevard has a restaurant to treat any taste and a cuisine to please any palate. The boulevard is the home of Mark's Las Olas, featuring the trendsetting 'Floribbean' cuisine of award-winning South Florida chef Mark Militello. Contributing to the continental ambiance are Brasserie, Jackson's, Le Café de Paris, Las Olas Café, La Bonne Crepe Café and The French Quarter, while Timpano satisfies the appetites of diners yearning for Italian and Samba Room specializes in Latin dishes. For those with a yen for Japanese cuisine -- raw or cooked -- the Japanese Village offers a variety of fine dishes just like Mama-san used to make. Man does not live by vinegared rice alone, so for a meal with a taste a little closer to home, Cheeburger, Cheeburger offers that most American of sandwiches along with a selection of traditional accompaniments like fries, onion rings and milk shakes. Or stop into Café Europa for a refreshing iced cappuccino and dessert.

From classy thrift shops to designer fashions, the shopping scene is another major reason Las Olas has become South Florida's newest old place to be. While many of the "shops of Las Olas" offer the very latest in men's and women's fashions, such as Moda Mario for men and Zola Keller for women, the boulevard also offers antique shops that feature everything from collectibles to investment-quality pieces; art galleries, including the New River Gallery, Call of Africa, and Shades of Light Gallery, feature subjects ranging from wildlife to one-of-a-kind lamps to fine examples of Haitian and African art.

The shopping enthusiast should find a myriad of ways to spend money in Ft. Lauderdale. The Aventura Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the region, houses over 200 stores and restaurants, as well as four retail outlets. Bal Harbour Shops is another goldmine for Lauderdale shoppers. Unique for its lush garden settings, this collection of exclusive shops and boutiques is an open-air shopping area. The pinnacle of shopping in Ft. Lauderdale, however, is Sawgrass Mills. Being the world's largest discount mall, Sawgrass Mills is sure to provide just the right bauble for the die-hard shopper.

Sporting Excitement in Ft. Lauderdale
For sporting excitement in Ft. Lauderdale, one can choose from football,  baseball, greyhound racing, or jai alai. Both the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins call Lauderdale's Joe Robbie Stadium home. For greyhound racing, visit the second-oldest track in the world at Biscayne Greyhound Track. This four-story facility can hold up to 12,000 spectators. Or for something entirely Floridian, try taking in a game of jai alai at the Dania Jai Alai center. Operating five nights a week, the center has three levels, including a restaurant and cafeteria.