Pompano Paradise

Best Things Nearby:
Sparkling, warm ocean water, restaurants, churches, grocery stores, diving.

Best Things About the Resort:
Kind, helpful management, everything squeaky clean and ship-shape. It''s right smack dab on a beautiful beach.

Resort Experience:
To limit this review to 500 words is going to be a little tough since the memories are so wonderful that they make me wax poetic.

We arrived two hours early, and Mike at the front desk opened his arms, and upon finding us on the list, said, "Welcome, welcome, welcome, Thompson family!" In all our years of timesharing, we''ve never had such a warm welcome. Mike helped us out many times during the week with directions and excellent suggestions. We were allowed to check in two hours early, also a rarity in timesharing!

The ocean was 82 degrees, and the water as clear as any we''ve encountered in the Caribbean. Lounge chairs are available free of charge. Beach towels are given at check-in, but may not be exchanged during the week. There are gas grills, a small pool, and a lovely jacuzzi. The pool and jacuzzi were locked every night around 9PM.

The unit was the perfect size for a couple. The kitchen was well equipped, the king size bed ultra comfortable, the bathroom not at all worn looking. In fact, the furniture seemed relatively new.

Usually the term "motel conversion" strikes fear in the heart of any seasoned timesharer. Not here. The building has been converted into units that are not only comfortable, but spacious and well-designed. There is only one two-bedroom unit here, and the rest are evenly distributed between one-bedroom 4/4 and one-bedroom 6/4. The 6/4s have two bathrooms and have about 2/3 more room than the 4/4s.

We had a view that was nothing short of breath-taking out both the living room and the BR. TVs in both rooms. Sliders out of both to the balcony, which was very pleasant for enjoying breakfast.

The first night, our air conditioner failed. The next day, a Sunday, the resident fix-it man and jack-of-all-trades, Jesse, repaired it so it was as good as new.

We made a delightful discovery this time. Although we''ve been to the area many times, we never tried the scuba diving before. We''ve been diving all over the world, for the past 13 years, and the reef here is pristine, the marine life abundant. We went out with Scubatyme, which can be engaged through any dive shop in the area. This boat is highly recommended for seasoned divers.

There are no organized activities at this resort, which suited us just fine. We had our hands full between swimming in the crystalline ocean, diving, enjoying the meals we cooked on the gas grills, and relaxing in the jacuzzi. Our daughter is in grad school nearby, so we spent several evenings with her, whenever her schedule permitted. So our dance card was all full . . .

The best way I can tell you how we feel about this resort is that as soon as we returned home, we confirmed another week at the Native Sun for August of 2004.

Now THAT''s a resounding recommendation!

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The first thing you notice when you walk into any Carrabba''s is the open kitchen. The pace is lively, the motions efficient. It''s entertainment all unto itself to watch the chefs move and shake as they keep this popular restaurant up to tempo. Everything comes together in perfect harmony. If it sounds like I''m describing a symphony, it''s because I am . . .

We were seated immediately in a comfortable booth. As we perused the menu, our server brought a basket of crusty, warm rolls and filled the bottom of a dish with lovely extra virgin olive oil for dipping.

Although making a choice was difficult, we opted for the veal piccata, the eggplant Parmigiana, and the chicken Alfredo. We chose to start with a plate of the excellent calamari served with marina sauce to be shared among the three of us.

The calamari arrived almost immediately, along with salads. We had no trouble scarfing up the squid, a mix of rings and tentacles, all cooked to tender perfection. The marinara is very subtle. The spices are in the background, pointing up the gentle sweetness of the tomatoes.

Salads are always a treat here. They are an imaginative mix of greens with tomato, onion, cucumber. Everything is immaculately fresh and the house vinaigrette, a blend of aged balsamic vineger and extra virgin olive oil, bathes the greens lovingly in complex flavors.

The piccata was superb. The veal was fork-tender and enrobed in the caper-punctuated, lemon/white wine ambrosia. The eggplant Parmigiana was perhaps the best I have ever had (and this Italian gal has made it through a LOT of eggplant in her day!) It consisted of two sliver-thin slices of eggplant, each one dressed with its own slice of mozzerella, then combined for a tasty packet. There were two of these, and it was served with a side of angel hair pasta dressed, again, with the excellent house marinara sauce. The chicken Alfredo consisted of pieces of breast meat combined with penne, all swathed in a sumptuous Alfredo sauce. The chicken had a very woodsy taste to it, indicating that it had been first grilled over a fire.

Our server was delightful. Somehow, she seemed to know just when to appear, when something was needed. She kept the water glasses filled. She could answer any question put to her about the preparation of any dish on the menu. Apparently, Carrabba''s devotes time and effort in training its waitstaff, like every restaurant should, but rarely does.

Since the open kitchen theme is extended to a very open dining room, sometimes the sound level is a tad excessive, making this a somewhat unsuitable choice for a romantic dinner. However, it''s wonderful for a fun, boisterous party or get-together.

For Italian food that is both delicious and imaginative, don''t pass up Carrabba''s!

The dive operators in the Pompano Beach area have a unique arrangement. They all contract out to the same boats that go out from the Atlantic Avenue pier, so you can rent a spot on most any boat at any dive shop.

We chose Fill Express because after careful research, I had found Fill Express'' owner Mark to be so enthusiastic about his classes. He was perfect for teaching this physics-challenged gal a course in Nitrox. "No one fails my course" was his declaration, and then he spent 45 minutes explaining over the phone in detail why that is.

And pass, we did, although I required several hours of tutelage. He never lost his patience with me, and got me reasonably operational in the physics aspect of Enriched Air Nitrox. After passing our written test, he booked us onto the boat ScubaTyme for our two certification dives on 40% Nitrox.

Well, we never suspected the diving could be so fabulous there! Our first dive was on the wreck of the Sea Emperor. Now, understand that my husband and I are not fond of wreck dives. This one was also a snore, but we did see some remarkable things. One was a behemoth free-swimming, chartreuse green moray (seeing them free-swimming is very unusual. They like to take up residence in holes or small caves and never come out!) and a free-swimming stingray that swam in and out of between the two of us.

The next was a reef dive and was populated by an abundance of the usual tropical suspects, plus a nice size reef shark. We saw a nudibranch and a juvenile spotted drum. The corals are in excellent shape, and very colorful.

Two days later, we again chartered a spot on the Scubatyme and they were going to a wreck, which we didn''t want. So they dropped us off all by ourselves onto the reef with a dive buoy. We had a superb dive exploring the lush reef once again and saw abundant marine life. Also encountered a remora, and at the end of the dive, found out where he came from. A HUGE bull shark swam about 8'' beneath us while we were on the surface! The boat drove up to pick us up after about three minutes on the surface, fortunately. Bull sharks are one of the most aggressive and unpredictable of all shark species, so he had spent the time in the surface with his mask in the water, watching in case the shark returned.

The crew is cordial, helps set up your gear. There are plenty of sodas and juices in the cooler, plus crackers and pineapple.

The boat has a full marine head and back platform, plus plenty of shade. The next time in the area, we will definitely charter Scubatyme through Fill Express once again.

If you want some complete peace with a little delight served up on the side, a visit to Butterfly World is definitely in order.

To call it a butterfly conservatory would be like calling nachos and cheese an entree. No, Butterfly World is like no other place on earth.

Various screened environments that are favorable to the proliferation of butterflies have been created here. Among these is a simulated tropical rain forest, a flower garden, and a forest. There is an outside section that is planted liberally with flowers that naturally attract the insects.

An informative display notes the life cycle of this remarkable insect, the length of their lives, what they eat, and other information of interest. It shows the pupa in various stages before their emerging.

The butterflies flit around you the whole time, and the rainforest is a particularly restful place, punctuated with the delicate sounds of a gently babbling stream.

Outside of this is a hummingbird aviary with examples of this species that are indigenous to various areas of the world, such as the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Africa. There are varieties with 8" long tails attached to their tiny, pulsating bodies.

We also had a blast at the lorikeet aviary. The brilliantly colored birds are very social and if you purchase some of the nectar sold for $2 by the attendants, they will walk on your shoulders, down your arms, and on your head. The attendant will be happy to snap your picture as you commune with the neon red/green/yellow birds. Beware, however, as one of my friends discovered. They might decide it's time to leave a little "gift" on you. If that will ruin your day, best to pass on feeding them and watch others do it.

There is a small cafe, sitting area, and gift shop as you leave the premises. The merchandise is original and unique. We have purchased butterfly T-shirts and a lime green tie, dotted with various species of butterflies for my husband. Everytime he wears it, I it conjures memories of our joyful experience at Butterfly World.

Be sure to bring plenty of water as drinking fountains are infrequently encountered, and the sun beating down through the dark-colored screens can be very warm.

Be sure to watch the little ones as they get very excited about the butterflies landing on or near them. Their delight is infectious. You'll leave, feeling renewed and awed.

Be sure to check the website here, as they often have printable coupons.

Until we went to Florida, I had never seen a real alligator up-close-and-personal. However, after taking a tour of the Everglades via airboat, I can now say that I have.

I never knew that they regenerate teeth that are knocked out. I never knew the inside of their mouths and their tongues are a creamy shade of off-white. I never knew that pulling them by the tail will render them unaggressive.

After buying your ticket at the office, you make your way down to the dock to wait for the boat to leave. When the tour guide comes to take your ticket, you find a seat, and you're off!

It was very exciting to swoosh over the Everglade vegetation that populates the water. It's high speed so that the wind makes you feel very cooled.

It looked like we were being taken down "roads", where the vegetation is thinner than in other areas. This is because there are channels that have been cut by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Our first stop was at a tiny island where they sell cheesy souvenirs and deep fried alligator meat (tastes like chicken!) We opted to skip. Just when I thought this was going to be completely tacky, we were hustled to a fenced-in pen, where a guy with very few teeth and lots of tattoos showed us several alligators. He showed us various biological aspects of the critter. Then, he wrestled it and even put his head in its open mouth. Talk about a leap of faith!

We got back on the boat and were taken to several sites where we were shown alligators in the wild. Everyone's heart skipped a beat or two when one approached the boat and actually jumped up on the side, mouth agape! And naturally, it was our side of the boat . . .

We were shown several of the indigenous birds, and could see some nests with eggs. There are species that are only found in the Everglades, and we saw a few of them. They were colorful examples, and a delight to see.

We were then whisked back to the dock. The entire tour lasted about 1-1/2 hours. Our guide was very informative, and knew right where to look to find wildlife examples to show us. He was knowledgeable about several aspects of each species. He captures injured alligators to bring them to medical help. He returns to the wild ones that are caught in residential areas. The afternoon was fascinating, as well as fun.

Boats are available for rent, and you can hire a fishing guide and/or tackle at the office. There is a bait shop onsite.

If you are staying at the Vacation Village at Bonaventure or Weston, they give half-price coupons upon check-in. It only cost $8 per person, the price of taking in a movie. Unlike movies, however, this is a sure bet to please everyone in your party, young or old.