25th Anniversary Florida Trip

We spent 2 days at golf school. It was great just being out in the sun after our winter, but we also learned lots and had fun. We saw a Red Sox game at Dodgers, Vero Beach, and took a convertible ride to Key Largo, with more sun, snorkeling, and sightseeing. Back in Fort Lauderdale, there was more golf and a sunset sailing cruise. There was lots of great food everywhere.

Quick Tips:

We used Tripadviser to search for deals and IgoUgo for ideas. We also used Travelocity for flights, the AAA website for the Key Largo Sheraton and our car rental, Tripadviser for the Fort Lauderdale Sheraton, and the Red Roof website for the hotel on our last night. Notes: A convertible Mustang was great for sun, but with golf clubs in the trunk, the luggage had to go on the back seat.

Best Way To Get Around:

Get a car rental.

The hotel was very clean and quiet, with large rooms. The complimentary breakfast was good. I just stayed here 2 nights while going to golf school. This was all we were looking for.

The restaurant is a little off the beaten path and next door to the Swimming Hall of Fame. It is all outdoors. They have a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway, and there are some nice boats tied up nearby. They are owned by the Shipyard Brewery of Maine, so they have some very good beers on tap. We were very surprised by how good their seafood was, however, and went back during the week. They have entertainment 5 nights a week, and both times we went it was good. The mango madness was the best frozen drink we had all week!

This is in a great location on the main street along the ocean. They serve very good drinks, especially the creative martinis. Try the Melontini. They have creative seafood also. I tried the grouper with peach salsa and black beans, which was different and spicy. My wife had baked stuffed shrimp, and she said it was very good. The peach soup appetizer was outstanding. Desserts are excellent - the key lime pie was as rich as cheesecake.

It is a great place to sit outside at and watch the people go by. I almost hate to say anything bad about this place, but it was our waiter’s first night and we had to wait for some things. I think they should have picked a less busy day than Saturday to train.

We went to a 2-day golf school at Bonaventure CC in Weston. They had excellent instruction - not just technical how-tos, but explanations of what causes our particular problems, easy swing keys to fix the problems, and drills to work on for the future. Both my wife and I feel that the lessons will stick with us because we have an understanding of our swings. There was one instructor and four students. The other couple had relative beginners, but we've been playing 10 years, so it works for a range of people. The only negative was that the courses were so busy, we could only play at 3pm, and the locals so rude that they gave us a hard time for having the newbie’s with us. We weren’t that slow, and there was no open hole ahead.