Delray Beach, City by the Sea

The highlight of our visit was staying in the historic Colony Hotel on Atlantic Avenue in the heart of the downtown area.

Quick Tips:

If you plan to visit here make sure it is for more than one night and one day - there is plenty to see and do.

Also Delray Beach is located halfway between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, which offer the visitor many other things to see and do.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around the downtown area is by foot or by bicycle.

Parking is almost non existent in the downtown area after 5 p.m. as all the parking is reserved for valet parking for the many restaurants that line Atlantic Avenue.

While we did not stay here this time, we will definitely stay here on our next visit to Delray Beach. The Marriott sits right across the street from the Atlantic Ocean and has oceanview rooms. It is within walking distance of downtown and 35 restaurants are reportedly also within walking distance. The hotel has five floors with 254 rooms, including 88 suites. There is an outdoor pool and also a health club with whirlpool. There is a poolside grill that is open for lunch and dinner, while O''Grady''s Lounge is open for dinner while the Seaside Grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Colony was built in 1926 and is now listed on the Register of Historic Places. Its Mediterranean Revival Architecture makes it easy to spot as one drives down Atlantic Avenue. The hotel is open only from November 1 through May 1, while its sister hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine is open during the summer months and closed during the winter months.

The huge front porch, which stretches across the entire front of the hotel, is a great place to sit and people watch. At night there is entertainment for your listening and dancing pleasure on the front porch.

The bar is conveniently located just off the porch. While the hotel is not located on the beach, it does have it''s own private, secluded heated salt water swimming pool, directly on the Atlantic Ocean, two miles from the hotel.

There is a complimentary scheduled shuttle to the Cabana Club daily. We had the Sea Grape suite, which is two rooms, which share a connecting bath, with one of the rooms having a queen bed and the other room has two twin beds. I have to be truthful and say that our cabin on the Grand Princess cruise ship was larger than our room at the Colony, although the Colony''s bath was larger than the Grand''s.

My wife did see one of the rooms with the King size bed (Royal Palm) and said it was fantastic. It was a corner room with windows on two sides of the room. All of the guestrooms have hardwood floors and antique furnishings and window unit air conditioners. The small television sets did have cable and remote control.

There was a very nice continental breakfast the next morning and from Jan 19 to May 1 a full breakfast is included in the room rate. The room we paid $85 for goes for $185 in the high season of mid-January to mid-March. I very much enjoyed my night at the Colony, although I think I would spring for the room with the King size bed the next time.

Boston's is actually two restaurants in one - there is also a restaurant downstairs, Boston's on the Beach.

We chose the Upper Deck primarily because it was quieter - there was a band playing in the downstairs restaurant and it was quite noisy. After being shown to our table on the outdoor terrace we were glad we had chosen to come upstairs.

Not only was it quieter but we had a great view of the Atlantic Ocean. I ordered the grilled mahi mahi, while my mother and wife opted for the pasta with shrimp and lobster.

Although my mahi mahi arrived blackened instead of grilled it was absolutely delicious and my wife and mother said theirs was also very delicious. The portions were so generous we had no room for dessert.

This restaurant was right down the street from our hotel and was recommended by the desk clerk. Since our rooms were not quite ready, we decided to eat lunch while we waited. You place your order at the counter and then make your way around to the cashier, where your order is waiting for you.

There was a great selection of salads, subs, soups, pastas, pizzas and be sure to save room for dessert. The Tiramisu was delicious. I had the everyday lunch special of a slice of pizza and a soft drink for $2.99. I chose the supreme pizza for my slice. My wife had the lunch special of soup, a side salad and a soft drink for $3.99. My mother had the same thing.

Since we were eating lunch rather late, I didn't want to fill up and not have room for dinner that night. But when we go back I am going to have the half sub with side salad and soft drink for $5.49. And the sub I am going to get is the Sausage and pepper, which is a savory Italian sausage smothered by the sweetest red and green bell peppers and sauteed onions.

Hey honey! How many days is it until we go back to Delray Beach?

This was our first choice for dinner in Delray Beach but being a Saturday night and not having made reservations we found ourselves searching for another restaurant.

Peter's is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Monday. The restaurant is located in the heart of Delray Beach and there is valet parking.

We wanted to eat stone crabs during our visit to Peter's but the restaurant also offers Maine lobster, along with amny other seafood, beal, chicken and pasta dishes.

While Peter's is a bit on the expensive side, early diners are rewarded with a reduction in price although the menu is limited for early diners. Next time we visit Delray Beach we will know to make a reservation.

Located just a couple of blocks from downtown Delray Beach, this historic old lumber company has been turned into a great shopping, dining and entertainment center. There are art galleries, boutiques and several restaurants for your dining pleasure.