We went to Fort Lauderdale last March and had a wonderful time! I was initially worried about “Spring Break”, but it ended up not being an issue for us. We stayed at a Doubletree right on the intracoastal waterway. It was super convenient for walking down to the beach or taking the water taxi. It was also farther away from where college students were having parties (which we very much appreciated!). We used the pool every day and had a very comfortable stay overall.
Fort Lauderdale Beach
We spent our very first afternoon at Fort Lauderdale beach, straight down Sunrise Blvd. The water was amazing and we found tons of little shells. The kids had fun playing in the calm water and building sandcastles. We also got to meet up with a couple family members. It was a great introduction to Florida for all of us!
Bonnet House
The next day, we checked out Bonnet House, an historic house from the 1920’s. It was walking distance from our hotel and a great place to take a rest from the sun. We did a self guided tour around the house and the grounds. One of my favorite spots was the Shell Room, an entire room dedicated to seashells found on the family owned beach. The courtyard was also beautiful. The entire house had a fun Great Gatsby vibe to it- I loved all the bright colors! On our way out, we also saw a family of raccoons (definitely the highlight for our kids).
Water Taxi
For our third day in Fort Lauderdale, we got a water taxi day pass and used it off an on all day. It offers several stops to beaches, restaurants, and even a state park. We got picked up right outside our hotel and then took it over to stop #5 first. This dropped us off at a beach with a playground. The kids played for a bit and then we headed down to the water. When we were ready, we hopped back on a water taxi and rode it as far south as we could and then back to our hotel. The water taxi is also like a sight seeing tour- the drivers give information about each area and stop, along with history about the city itself. In the evening, we used a water taxi again to take us to dinner. We ate at Lona Cocina Tequileria and really enjoyed it!
Hugh Taylor Birch State Beach
We loved that this state park was walking distance from our hotel! We wandered through the park and played at one of the playgrounds and then walked down to the beach. The kids got a Florida Parks Jr. Ranger badge and had a ton of fun. At one point it started raining on us, but we were able to get cover at The Grove (and grab lunch while we were at it). Once the rain passed, we went back down to the beach for a little longer before heading back to our hotel for the day.
Everglades Holiday Park
We really wanted to see the Everglades while we were in Florida, but didn’t have a car. We talked to some family members who had been before and also looked around a bit online and saw that Everglades Holiday Park would come pick us up at our hotel as part of our tour. We enjoyed an alligator show with The Gator Boys and then went out on an airboat to see a few alligators in the wild. The boats are super loud – Our younger two kids didn’t care for the noise and covered their ears whenever the boat got moving really fast. Luckily our tour guide warned our group every time he was going to speed up (which makes the fan louder) and only went super fast a few times. It was also rather crowded, but we still had a good time and saw a few alligators. Overall, I would still recommend it, especially if you don’t have a car. Next time, it would be fun to drive into the actual National Park part of the Everglades.
We had a great time in Florida and would love to go back again someday to see more of the state!
Daley Family Travels 