February 1-11: Our Trip to Ecuador Part 1 (Jeffie's Visit)
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This year, we planned to head down to Florida a few days after Christmas so we could spend New Year's with Ron and Jay, so we left Dallas on December 29th.

Getting to Fort Lauderdale

If you've been through more than a year or two of this photo album, you are undoubtedly familiar with our route to Florida. Years ago we used to fly, but that has gotten to be such a hassle (and a good deal more expensive) that now we drive. On most trips, this allows us to take all kinds of things with us- including our two youngest cats, Bob and Cole. Now that our trips to Ecuador won't be from Fort Lauderdale, we have brought them again this time.

The trip is routine; we stop at the same places to eat and to stay- almost without exception. And it's an easy route, too. Getting out of Dallas is easy if a bit congested, sometimes. We usually leave about nine-thirty, and by ten or so are on I-20 heading east towards Shreveport. We usually turn southeast on I-49 about one in the afternoon. We used to go all the way to Lafayette to pick up I-10 east, but we have had so many slowdowns on that road leading up to and over the Mississippi River bridge, that we now go a different way.

About twenty miles north of Lafayette, at Opelousas, we take US 190 east. Although there are some small towns and a few lights along this route, we can still move pretty quickly. There is never a delay crossing the Mississippi River on the US 190 bridge, the US 190 bridge, and once we get across we just continue on US 190 until it meets up with I-12 east. Now I will admit that this stretch, a four-lane major urban thorofare can have some traffic, but it is no worse, and usually better, than what we used to encounter on I-10 from the Mississippi River to about ten miles east on I-12.

So we think that on days where there are no delays on I-10, this route takes about as long. But we no longer have to roll the dice on I-10, where backups can (and have) delay us for 30-45 minutes.

From where we get onto I-12, it is 90 minutes or so to Mississippi, an hour across that state and Alabama (passing under Mobile Bay in the bridge/tunnel), and another few minutes to just inside Florida where we usually stop for dinner at Pensacola- usually between 7:30 and 8 pm. After dinner, we have now developed the habit of continuing on to Tallahassee, ariving there about midnight.

I must say that both cats seem to be good travelers. It's true that usually, maybe a few hours into the first day's driving, Bob tends to spit up, he only does it once, and only on the first day. We're prepared for it, and ready to do a "clean-up on aisle 6". Most of the time, both cats can be found sitting or sleeping in their carriers, although both of them will come out every so often, come up front to see what's going on, maybe stay for a little while, and then go right back to their cozy spaces. They hardly eat or drink at all in the car, usually waiting until we get to our motel.

We usually get away from the hotel in Tallahassee about nine or so for the 150-mile drive to Jacksonville, which we usually reach about noon. Then we take I-295 around Jacksonville to the south, going through Orange Park. This 14-mile stretch is kind of neat, mostly because of the long bridge that crosses the St. Johns River as it opens out into a large lake southwest of the city. (It narrows as it approaches and flows around downtown Jacksonville to eventually empty into the Atlantic.) I-295 connects up with I-95 south of the city and we simply take that south for another boring stretch of 300 miles down to Fort Lauderdale. We usually get to the condo around 5PM, depending on traffic in Fort Lauderdale on I-95 (which can be horrendous).

We unloaded everything at the condo and the laptops all set up, and then retired to the dock for a celebratory frozen drink. Then, as is our custom, we headed down to the Floridian Restaurant for dinner. I wish we had transporter technology, but the drive is not a hard one- although sections of it can be boring.

We have been here to Florida so many times that we have pretty much photographed everything worthwhile anywhere nearby. The pictures we take now are just candid shots around the condo, at the dock or perhaps at an Art Fair or other event that occurs while we are here. So I've begun the practice of just grouping the pictures for these Florida trips by topic.

At Riverview Gardens

Of course we spend a lot of time around the condo at Riverview Gardens, but we've taken so many pictures over the years that there isn't much new to photograph. We almost always have a cat or two with us, and this time we again have Bob and Cole:

Cole

Cole and Bob

The only other picture taken this time at Riverview Gardens was a week or so before we left for home, and the Christmas decorations were still up:

Riverview Gardens Decorated for Christmas

On the New River

During every trip to Florida, we take at least a few pictures of the New River that runs by the condo, or the boat traffic on it. Heaven only knows how many pictures of boats on the river you may already have seen in this album. This time, I just have two pictures of note:

This is the Jungle Queen heading upriver just after dark for the barbecue dinner and show that it does most evenings.

There's all kinds of traffic on the river, from huge mega-yachts down to individual kayaks like these.

The other two pictures we took on the river this time were one evening while we were having our frozen drinks on the dock, and there was a particularly beautiful sunset.

Christmas Decoration Over-Achievers

On New Year's Day, we went over to Ron and Jay's house for supper, and on the way, passed a house in their neighborhood that is traditionally over-the-top decorated for Christmas. You've probably seen it before in these album pages. We stopped when we got to the house so I could take a couple of pictures:

But the display isn't static. The lights change and flash in time to music- like some of the videos you've probably seen on YouTube in years past. This house is the same. But of course, playing loud music all evening outside your house is not something the neighbors would probably like, so these homeowners have decided to broadcast on the radio the music to which the decorations are timed, and a small sign out front tells passersby what frequency to tune to to hear it over their car radios or phones. So people can appreciate the musical background without bothering neighbors. We stopped, tuned to the specified channel, and watched and listened for a while. I made a movie while we were sitting in the car, and you can use the player below to watch it.

(Mouseover Image if Video Controls Not Visible)

While we were listening, a couple of guys came up to Fred's side of the car; they turned out to be the homeowners who'd been out for a walk. We chatted with them for a while, complimented them on their yearly display, and then headed on to Ron and Jay's house.

On the Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk

One activity that we engage in almost every time we are here is to walk from Riverview Gardens west along Southeast 4th Street to the beginning of the Riverwalk (which officially begins at Laura Ward Park over the Kinney Tunnel, but which can be accessed a few hundred feet earlier). Then we just stroll this amazing city feature- usually all the way to its western terminus near the Symphony Condominiums just past the Broward Performing Arts Center at River Bend. Here's an aerial view of the Riverwalk:

The Extent of the Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk

As always, we usually take some pictures along these walks (and we walked along the Riverwalk three or four times during this stay in Florida). Here are a few pictures taken on our first walk on January 2.

(Picture at left) Just past the Icon Las Olas, near the beginning of the Riverwalk, is the highrise known as the Las Olas Grand. Fred happened to notice its Christmas decorations, so we stopped and used my selfie stick to take a picture for our 2024 Christmas Card. None of them turned out well, so I asked a passerby to take a couple of pictures of us, and the best one is at left.       (Picture at right) Just around a curve in the Riverwalk is the first downtown bridge over the river- the 3rd Avenue bridge. And just east of this bridge, and just north of the river, yet another new highrise condo is going up. We've seen it in progress for a year now, but only now is it ascending rapidly. Purportedly, at 48 stories, it will become Fort Lauderdale's tallest building when it tops out. This may not last long, as a 50-story mixed-use building has recently been approved by the City.

This picture was taken just west of the 3rd Avenue Bridge. In it you can see some of the condo developments on the south side of the river, the river itself with the boat slips along both sides, and here, on the north side, some of the pedestrian traffic on the Riverwalk itself.near Old Fort Lauderdale, and looks back east down the New River.

The Riverwalk is second only to the beach itself, Fort Lauderdale's top tourist attraction. It extends westward to Sailboat Bend and the esplanade in front of the Science Museum and Performing Arts Center, ending by the Symphony Condominiums. The view above was taken from the esplanade looking back east along the Riverwalk.

Until 2010 or so, almost all of the new downtown construction was north of the river. But the downtown core by the river is pretty much all built out, and so development has jumped to the south side of the river.

For example, at left are two views of a new complex being developed on the south side of the river. This one is called Regatta at New River.

This new complex is located in the neighborhood of Tarpon River. The website for this development is predictably glowing about the possibilities that the complex will offer: "Regatta at New River Apartments will have luxurious interiors, exciting amenities, and spacious layouts. The complex is conveniently located, and the apartments are a walker's paradise, boasting a Walk Score of 91 points. So come claim your place and bring your furry friends along we're pet-friendly!" NOTE: This is the first time I have heard of a "Walk Score"- here in Fort Lauderdale, or anywhere, for that matter. I suppose it is some qualitiative estimate of how much of what the average person might need is within walking distance.

The enticing narrative continues:

"Take your pick from our studio, one, two, and three-bedroom homes and start living the upscale life you deserve. Regardless of your layout, you'll be surrounded by all things luxury, like kitchens with stainless steel appliances, breakfast islands, and quartz or granite countertops. The bathrooms are equally enticing, with soaking tubs or walk-in showers. Some of our apartments also come with expansive private terraces, spacious walk-in closets, and ocean and riverfront panoramic views.

There are so many more surprises on our premises, too. From a resort-inspired pool, a spa treatment room & sauna, and a clubroom with a pool table to the serene rooftop lounge with a fireplace. We leave nothing to chance regarding your lifestyle, so we added a 24/7 state-of-the-art fitness center to test your strength and a co-working space perfect for finishing projects without distractions. The impressive location of these Waterfront apartments in Fort Lauderdale is an amenity. So, restock your pantry at Publix Supermarket, grab a drink at Wells Coffee Tarpon River, reconnect with nature at Florence C Hardy Park, or dine at Phat Boy Sushi, Kitchen & Bar. Best part? They're all within a 15-minute walk away."

NOTE: I'm not sure about the value of the last couple of sentences. Actually, all of downtown Fort Lauderdale is within a 15-minute walk radius from this complex. Riverview Gardens is just about 15 minutes away. So all of Las Olas, Broward Boulevard, much of Federal Highway, and many other attractions are within that same radius.

The Tunnel Top Park

The Tunnel Top Park (apparently the now-official name) encompasses the previously existing Laura Ward Park, the area between the Riverside Hotel and the Icon Las Olas south of Las Olas, and the area north of Las Olas over the Kinney Tunnel. Essentially, a "roof" was put over the tunnel access, and that "roof" had to be sloped upward to the north so as to preserve the vertical clearance as Federal Highway descends into the tunnel itself.

On previous pages for our Florida trips, I've shown you pictures of this park under construction. While Laura Ward Park has existed for many years, the area by the Riverside Hotel was reengineered and renovated, and the cantilevered part of the park north of Las Olas was constructed anew. But now, the project is essentially completed, and the biggest change is the new cantilevered section that extends north from Las Olas over the north tunnel entry.

This is a view looking north showing Fred standing in the middle of this raised, cantilevered section of Tunnel Top Park. Behind Fred is the new Veneto apartment building- currently the tallest building in Fort Lauderdale.

In this view, I am standing near where Fred was and I am looking southeast from the park to a new mural on one of the buildings on the north side of Las Olas that borders on the park. The green building is the Riverside Hotel.

Standing from as far back as I could get, here is a panoramic view that spans from the southeast at the left to the north at the right:

Here are a couple more views from the middle of the park:

Here I am with the new mural in the background. This mural has replaced an earlier one, which we actually liked better. Perhaps there was something about it that wasn't "family friendly".

Here, we are looking west down Las Olas and the "new" downtown Fort Lauderdale. None of what you see in this picture was here when we first started coming down here in 1988.

Me with the new Veneto in the background

Fort Lauderdale's tallest building (at the moment)

The Riverside Hotel and Cheesecake Factory southeast of the park.

Again, the new Veneto apartments

The complete transformation that the skyline of downtown Fort Lauderdale has undergone over the years since we've been coming here is pretty amazing. There is now a downtown "canyon" with a river running through it, and development is proceeding north, south, and east. The railroad tracks to the west are a boundary of sorts, but sooner or later development will leapfrog them and continue westward. Until Fort Lauderdale (and South Florida) runs short of water, that is.

Lunch with Lynne

Lynne's Lunch

Our friend Lynne has again come down to South Florida to visit her good friend Osama in Miami, and, as she did last time, has taken the Brightline up to Fort Lauderdale so she, Ron, Fred, and I could have lunch together.

Also as we did last time, we have come to Bokampers Bar and Grill for that lunch. It's a nice place, right on the Intracoastal Waterway just north of Oakland Park Boulevard.

The Trip Home

Our trip home with Bob and Cole was uneventful- just as boring as it always is. Still waiting for transporter technology. The only pictures we took were of the incredible sunset as we approached the Florida state line:

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	February 1-11: Our Trip to Ecuador Part 1 (Jeffie's Visit)
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