Life's A Beach ~ Really !

Sometimes the best therapy is a day at the beach! With miles and miles to choose from, South Florida beaches are a perfect day getaway! Bring an umbrella and chair, and that book you've been meaning to read, and pick a secluded spot to let the waves relax away that stress. Have children? A bucket and shovel will keep them occupied for hours! Don't forget the sunscreen! Best of all, besides some minimal parking fees, its all free! I like to bring a small cooler of water, and some snacks for the kids. I also bring a mask and bag for shells. Here are some of my favorite spots below!

Ft. Lauderdale Beach (photo by author)

 

Fort Lauderdale

The southern end of the beach, south of Las Olas Boulevard, has basketball courts, volleyball nets, grills and picnic tables. At the northern end (Sunrise Boulevard), just across A1A, sits Birch State Park with canoe rentals, playgrounds and nature trails (popular with skaters and cyclists). Just south of the park, nestled in lush surroundings west of A1A, sits the colorful, art-filled Bonnet House, formerly a private home now open to the public. Birch sate park has been a favorite of my children, because it borders the intercoastal waterway on the west side and has some great picnic tables to view the boats cruising up and down!

Kite surfer on Ft. Lauderdale Beach (photo by author)

Hollywood Beach and the Broadwalk

HOLLYWOOD BEACH  Sun-Sentinel photo

Hollywood is a little bit of Old Florida and definitely a family vacation place.Take a stroll, eat some Italian water ice, catch the free concerts at the beachfront bandshell. In Hollywood, unlike Fort Lauderdale to the north, restaurants and shops run along what's called the Broadwalk, a wide 2-mile long paved path on the beach. (You can rent bikes and other pedaled vehicles to travel its length).

Ocean Alley has a great live WEB CAM  , and great food as well! Check out their WEB SITE .

Visit Florida.org  is also another great source for events and activities along the Hollywood Beach!

A few miles north is Dania Beach in John U. Lloyd State Park. Which has deep roots in South Florida's efforts in racial equality. Before its purchase by Florida state, in 1973, it was known as "colored beach" as described in Beaches For All .

(Sources: Tom Swick, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)