Week in South Florida

We had the most fantastic dinner at the Himmarshee Bar and Grill on SW 2nd St, just a short walk from the Las Olas Riverfront. We dined outside on a Wednesday night during Downtown Live featuring live music performances on the street from 6-10pm. The restaurant was pricey, especially for the small portions, but the food was excellent, and if you buy the Entertainment book for the area, you can save the cost of an entree.

We took a day trip to South Beach--my boyfriend HAD to get to the topless beaches. Park in one of the public garages on Collins for all day. Skip the glitz and grab a hearty, inexpensive Cuban meal at Puerto Sagua on Collins.

Quick Tips:

Skip the glassbottom boat and snorkeling tour. You get the same tour on the water taxi, and in Hollywood you can ask the lifeguard for a diving flag and take a short swim to the reef.

Best Way To Get Around:

The water taxi is by far the best deal in Fort Lauderdale. For you get a narrated tour of the intercoastal waterway and the many mansions lining its shores. We used it to get to the nightspots at the Las Olas Riverfront. Bring your bikes! Parking is such a hassle, and Fort Lauderdale has a designated bike lane, and Hollywood has a boardwalk for biking along the beach. The many meters lining the streets make locking up your bikes easy.

Best Things Nearby:
right next to Beach Place, across A1A from the main beach, 2 blocks from a water taxi stop

Best Things About the Resort:
spacious accommodations, great location, friendly staff

Resort Experience:
I guess I described the most important features above...

The full kitchen was fully stocked, unlike others I've seen. We were a short drive from a full-service grocery store, so we were able to save money by eating a meal or two a day in our unit.

Don't alter your plans around the Monday lunchtime BBQ--it was just dogs, beans, and chips.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Portions were too small for leftovers, even with ordering an appetizer, but the food was excellent. My seared rare tuna was perfectly done, and yet it paled in comparison to my boyfriend's pork tenderloins. Next time I would skip the taquitos appetizer (tasty, but only 2) and save room for dessert.

Dine outside on a Wednesday evening and enjoy live music on the street from 6-10pm. Wednesdays are also ladies nights. If you're with a group of women, entrees are buy one get one free, and groups of 4 or more women receive a free spa treatment.

Bar hop afterwards and enjoy neighboring bars' drink specials. The night we went, ladies drank free at the neighboring Tarpon Bend.

(Cajun)

We stayed right next to Beach Place on Atlantic, and by far, Lulu's had the best food in Beach Place (skip Cafe Iguana, Hooters, Sloppy Joes). The chicken fingers (we got them Buffalo style) were made from quality, juicy chicken breasts, and the Mahi tacos were deliciously spicy. We enjoyed live music (classic rock) at Lulu's and took advantage of 2-for-1 drinks after midnight on a couple of different nights.

Authentic, delicious, home-cooked Cuban cuisine on a budget. Don't let the diner-like appearances and lack of ambiance deter you. We had salad, half a roasted chicken, lamb stew, rice, beans, and plantains for $14. And it was sooo good. My boyfriend said he could eat that chicken every night.

It was neat to swim through schools of fish, and we saw a few unique fish, but the reef wasn't much to see. We later learned that we could have gotten a dive flag from the lifeguard at Hollywood beach and taken our own snorkel, mask, and fins for a short 150-yard swim out to the reef for free.