Mother, Sister, CeeCee and I are jetting off to Ft Lauderdale in a few days for some fun in the sun!!!!
We will be right in the Las Olas area for three days and would LOVE to know if y’all have recommendations for must eats and must shops!! As of now, we have NO plans and a lot of time to fill with girly fun. It’s our first family girls trip and I seriously cannot wait.
Let’s hear it, y’all!
xoxo
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My grandmother lived there for many years. She use to shop at the Pink Lady, a Catholic Thrift store that was actually, looking back, a hidden gem. It may in fact be where a vintage Chanel bag came from….but don’t tell my cousins. We use to go to Jaxsons. But, I think it may be a bit touristy now. That is the only draw back. I think of Fort Lauderdale thru the eyes of Golden Girls. LOL Now it’s very trendy! Mai Kai though…..old school. I was 8 before I realized that wasn’t Disney Polynesian. Not kidding!
American Social perfect for a quick bite, or a long visit of drinks and bites. I am not schooled in Fort Lauderdale any longer. But, just make sure you have a game plan so that you don’t feel like you are just on a Jersey shore tour. My mom had that comment about her last visit there. Sometimes things can be spread a part and I think you can end up in the car more than you want to be. And from what I remember taxi drivers are insane there.
We went back in August. Lots of food, shopping and fun at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Bubba Gump’s by the beach was great seafood. Also ate seafood right on the river – there are boat rides that go up and down the river. Did a day at the beaches there in Ft. Lauderdale, umbrella and chairs for rent at a high price but the water/beach was great. Las Olas shopping was just OK to me.
Drove down to South Beach in Miami for that experience- VERY hard to find a parking spot but there is a garage behind CVS. Lots of interesting buildings and some decent shopping to walk along that area which is next to beach.
Hope you have a wonderful time!
I like the jungle queen boat ride in the day. Great tour and fun for adults and kids 5 and up. Beautiful homes on the water to view.
Must do Jungle Queen boat ride, water taxi, Aruba’s with a walk on the pier, Hard Rock has shoppes and Restaurants, close by is Sawgrass Outlet Mall for many upscale outlet shops and restaurants like Grand Luxe Cafe, on Las Olas Big City Tavern, you would like the Bonnet House Museum by the beach, and the beaches are ALL good. May want to do paddleboarding or parasailing!
And there are shows at the Broward Center for Performing Arts. Saw the Rockettes and the Nut Cracker there a few times. Also…google First Baptist Church of Ft. Lauderdale. Their emmy award winning Christmas Pageant has live animals and is a must see. Breathtaking.
I grew up in that area and lived there for many years…things change so much through the years, but always loved dining in restaurants with an ocean view…one of them was the 15th Street Fishery….Have fun!!!
And there are shows at the Broward Center for Performing Arts. Saw the Rockettes and the Nut Cracker there a few times. Also…google First Baptist Church of Ft. Lauderdale. Their emmy award winning Christmas Pageant has live animals and is a must see. Breathtaking. 15th Street Fishery is always a good place for tourists. You may be able to take the water taxi
I have been visiting here for the past ten years, ever since my Mom retired down here!
Favorite places to eat along las Olas- Cafe de Paris- very good French cuisine. Also Le Bonne Crepe, a delicious crepe style cafe. If you are in the mood for delicious french pastries, you must hit up Croissant Time on Federal Highway. For really good, fresh seafood, 15th Street Fisheries is a favorite. Hope you enjoy your time in Ft Lauderdale, it’s a fun town to visit!
Marshall’s University Blvd. Plantation FL. One of the largest
Water Ways Marina. Excellent Argentine Resturant
Lester’s Diner. Best Breakfast and Coffee. Great Chicken Salad
Boat cruise! Delray is also great for more shopping & tons of restaurants if you run out of things to do in Las Olas – probably about 30 minutes away.
I live in the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale and am so caught up in the day-to-day sports with my boys that we don’t go to the city itself as often as I’d like…. but if you like seafood you HAVE to eat at 15th Street Fisheries. It’s the best. There’s a dock outside where you can feed the tarpon that’s fun too. Casablanca Cafe is wonderful and has a beach view. Riverside Market and Foxy Brown have great food too. Right on Las Olas there’s American Social, Caffe Europa and The Floridian that are really good too. Rocco’s Tacos is also there, it’s a chain so you might have them in GA but their guacamole is amazing. Weekend nights can be a little much at Rocco’s with kids, so maybe lunch or a stop for apps and drinks.
Depending what’s on your agenda and where you’re planning to go, there’s a water taxi that can take you around that’s fun and convenient too.
If CeeCee likes piratey things there’s a great tour called Bluefoot Pirate Adventures that goes from the Bahia Mar marina. There’s pirate stories and dress up opportunities for the kids and they get to shoot water canons at the bad guy pirate who’s trying to take the treasure. It’s not long, maybe about an hour and a half, but it’s very cute and a good way to see some gorgeous homes along the water.
Enjoy your girls trip! Hope you have a great time and some fun in the sun! I can’t wait to read about your trip – I’m sure you’ll find some great places that I’ll want to check out. :)
I second the vote for Casablanca Restaurant. We liked it so much we ate there two nights in a row.
I lived in Fort Lauderdale for eighteen years. The shops and restaurants on Las Olas are wonderful. Try Le Cafe De Paris for dinner, a Las Olas landmark. I would also go to the Galleria Mall on Sunrise Boulevard. Hot Dog Heaven made it to the number one spot of hot dog places in the US – and boy are they ever good! They are Chicago-style and unforgettable.
Not far from Hot Dog Heaven and the Galleria is Antiques Row in Dania Beach (near the airport). It is noted for its antiques and I own many that came from those shops. I would definitely shop there.
Calico Corners in Boca is wonderful for fabrics and there are lots of little shops in Boca that are worthwhile. “Schmatta Row” in Hallandale is a mecca for bargain shoppers looking for deals on handbags, shoes, etc. I would check to make sure that the latter is still in existence as I heard that there were plans to update that area into a more “artsy” district.
Another fun adventure is a boat trip (albeit short) to Caps for dinner. Very rustic seafood restaurant in Lighthouse Point with the best hearts of palm salad! I would also recommend the water taxi trips along the intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale. You will get to see the homes on the intracoastal and be entertained by the driver with information that is very interesting. I could go on but this is good for starters. Have fun!
My grandparents lived Gulfstream on the beach. Take a drive on North Ocean Blvd. There are the most beautiful estates located on North Ocean. Go to Patio Delray for drinks & lunch. It is a classic.
My husband and I were just there 3 weeks ago (without our 3 kids) it was so fun!! We loved S3 beachfront at the Hilton–they had wonderful small plates and yummy drinks. On Las Olas we dined at Tuscan Grill and were very pleased with the food and the service. There are lots of lovely galleries on Las Olas! We also dined at Grill 401 it was just okay food wise but the service was nice. Just be aware of you get on a water taxi it is NOT going to take you straight to your destination, it is like a bus with many stops. Also, beware if you get on at night or even early evening there are sometimes unruly drunk people on board who may say or do things not appropriate for children’s eyes and ears (or mine for that matter). Trust me when I say we learned that lesson the hard way!!!
I currently live in Ft Lauderdale. There are many great places to explore on Las Olas. We love The Royal Pig. Rocco’s Tacos is my least fave but they do have great drinks and guac. I also second Foxy Brown for brunch. Las Olas is very family friendly at least before dark so you’ll find plenty of restaurants and shops to explore. If you have a car I would also recommend Tap 42 and I would spend an afternoon exploring Lauderdale by the Sea (take Federal Hwy north about 15 minutes to Commercial then Commercial east to the beach 5 minutes) and explore the shoppes and restaurants. You can also enjoy a nice walk on the beach. If you go during the day there is a cute area for Ceecee to play under the pavilion. You can also walk out on the pier. Our favorite restaurant is Ocean 101 but Aruba and Village Grille are also good. You must finish off the afternoon with ice cream at Kilwin’s or Sloane’s and then stop in Diamonds and Doggies. A store that sells both jewelry and puppies. The science center is also downtown and would be fun for Ceecee.
Sounds great- enjoy!
We live in Fort Lauderdale currently with our three children.
Restaurants: Kaluz, Shooters, Myapapaya, Cafe Vico, D’Angelos Tapas, Kitchenetta, Gran Forno, Louie Bossi
Things to do: Jungle Queen Cruise, mermaid swim at Sheraton Hotel on the beach, water taxi during the day, walk along Las Olas shops,
shopping: Lauderdale by the Sea, Galleria Mall, Cactus Flower,
I grew up going to Ft. lauderdale a few times a year to visit my grandparents, and still go every year for the Fourth of July. We stay in lauderdale-by-the-sea. We absolutely love the beachside village resort. We also love all the little restaurants right there. We love breakfast at country ham and eggs and the village grille. We also love 101 ocean. Arubas is fun for a drink or just to experience the atmosphere (the food isn’t great). You can get the best sandwich ever at LaSpadas hoagies. It isn’t anything healthy but it is a true Ft. Lauderdale landmark. Take a day in palm beach! It is just such a fun trip! Enjoy!
My cousin lives just a short walk from Las Olas Blvd. She and her husband recommend the all day water taxi $24. She recommends the historic Bonnet House, Ft. Lauderdale Art Museum and Anne Kolb Nature Center in Dania. The beaches are beautiful. Be sure to get CeeCee a mask because she will see coral and tropical fish that you don’t get to see in Tybee Island.
There’s also the Mermaid Room at Neiman Marcus and the restaurant at the Marriott in Ft. Lauderdale Marina has gorgeous views!