A guy in Fort Lauderdale had to find that out the hard way after he was snatched up by a wind gust, slammed to the ground, dragged over a busy highway and thrown into a wall. He's in critical condition at a local hospital, though he did manage to survive the ordeal. Uh... congrats?
With all these killer beaches, so much for a summer of frolicking in the sea, right? But Ft. Lauderdale is cleverly profiting from Florida tourists' shark-phobia by offering a ton of "beyond the beach" deals that won't leave you limbless.
Adventure-seekers can captain their own fishin' boat for a day with Best Boat Club. They're giving a full-day rental at a half-day rate, saving you $219 and giving you a few extra hours to hunt down Jaws' offspring. The tamer offers include a visit to Red Door's Lauderdale Spa for a "Signature Spa Break" massage and facial with bonus hair and makeup, which will have you feeling special when you and your date take a $99 2-for-1 cruise to Grand Bahama Island.
If you book one of the twofer tours now you'll also become the proud owner of a "Summer of Discovery" swag bag complete with beach towel and beach ball for use on your trip. Just make sure you don't use 'em too close to the water!
We had a connection last week in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (don't ask) and as we deplaned and made our way to the baggage claim in Terminal 3, we saw this public art sculpture. It was so strikingly weird that we snapped a picture right away.
Once we got back in front of a computer, we tracked down the meaning of this thing. Titled "Vendor with a Walkman" the piece was done by late sculptor Duane Hanson in 1990. Here is the official description from the Broward County Cultural Division:
Featuring a seated thirty-something male in a red T shirt and blue pants, listening to a walkman radio/cassette during a break. The installation accessories give additional clues to the narrative of the artwork: toy airplane, various signs and announcement for the shop, janitorial supplies... Hanson again presented a slice of Americana in the most unexpected locale.
Interestingly enough, the picture on the Broward County website shows the vendor with a Miller Lite hat. Our picture has the guy wearing some other sort of trucker hat. Looks like not much has changed since the 90s here. Oh well, we guess it's less shocking than sheep in formaldehyde.
Have your own travel snaps? Drop 'em in the Jaunted Flickr Pool, and we'll highlight the best.
How? Well for starters, The Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau took over a building in New York City's Union Square for a week (Jan 10 - 16) and turned it into coast(954), a pop-up tourism store selling trips, offering free massages, virtual fishing, a sand box and a volleyball net. The Bureau also hired some ambassadors to welcome visitors and bring to life what Florida is really about: beach bodies, from what we saw.
We noticed bikini clad Lauren sitting on her "virtual beach," a fenced-in installation of sand where a heat lamp played the role of the sun, and decided to liberate her from the monotony of oglers with a quick interview, letting her tell you directly why you should visit FLA, and more specifically Ft. Laud. Why should one visit Ft. Lauderdale and not arch-rival Miami? Because, as she points out, Miami has gangs while Ft. Lauderdale keeps it classy.
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by pbb
