Day 62 - Fort Lauderdale - A Cruise up the New River

We woke to a few clouds but they disappeared and it turned into another beautiful, warm day with temperatures reaching into the 80s.  A great day for a dinghy cruise up the “New River” which leads to downtown Fort Lauderdale.  More large and luxurious homes lined the shores of the river and canals until we got close to the city center.  Then the scene changed to hotels, condominiums, a few office buildings, a couple small marinas, and a few restaurants.  The Museum of Discovery and Science is here, next to a memorial to the Merchant Marines who lost their lives in wars since 1775.

Several bridges connect the 2 sides of the river and they need to be raised for the larger boats.  Each one has tile artwork on the stanchions.  There are several charter boats and water taxis available along the River Walk, including a paddleboat, cruise boats, and fishing boats. 

 

On the way back, we pulled the dinghy up to the docks at the Bahia Cabana for a bite to eat.  This is a waterfront restaurant near our marina, just south of the Bahia Mar resort where the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show is held in October.  As a side note, we first saw Kristin Says (named Sondra D Too at the time) at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in October 2009.  Captain Randy believes it was in a slip at Hall of Fame Marina, near where we are now docked.

 

After returning from Bahia Cabana, we puttered and relaxed on the boat for the rest of the afternoon.  A mega-yacht, about 150 feet long, docked directly behind us on the T-head of that pier.  The yacht’s name was Horizons II and it took up the entire T-head.  We watched the crew tie up and later start bringing food into the cabin.  I wondered who was on board and if they were the owners.  Later, it looked like a house was being pushed down the channel between us and Horizons II – it came so close that the mega-yacht put out fenders.  Turns out it was one of the floating “dealer showrooms” from the Miami Boat Show. 

 

For dinner, we walked to Coconuts, a seafood restaurant just north of our marina, and were told it was an hour wait.  Right next door is G & B Oyster Bar and we sat at the bar and ordered drinks.  The Coconut’s pager belonging to another couple seated beside us soon lit up.  They asked us if we were waiting for a table and we told them yes.  “Take our place,” they said, “we ate here at the bar.”  How about that for luck?  We hastily paid for the drinks and were led to a great outside table overlooking the water at the restaurant.   We ate shrimp, lobster roll, and mahi-mahi.  The seafood in Florida can’t be beat!