Fourth stop: Fort Lauderdale!
I finally got the Florida weather I was hoping for! It was nothing but 70s while in the city.
Fort Lauderdale is beautiful. We stayed at this gorgeous hotel on Las Olas Blvd which was lined with so many shops, galleries, and restaurants. First, I'll talk about the gym.
The gym associated with the hotel was so lovely. There were weights, machines, medicine balls, bikes, ropes, etc.
The best part about this gym was the view. Looking out you could see all the boats on the river, a gorgeous sky, and so much to do.
Second, let's talk about the great things to do.
I did the Riverwalk, which was about a mile and a half walk around the river to learn about Fort Lauderdale. The city is a really beautiful place. There's artwork everywhere and that alone made me so happy. On the walk I saw 2 park gyms, beautiful artwork, and great historic items of the city:
Finally, let's talk about food. The food was so. good. There were so many options that I couldn't decide what to eat. On the ground floor of the hotel there were two places to eat, along with a Cheesecake Factory right next door. The night we got there I had some delicious Mexican food at El Camino. The best part of the meal was the elote (Mexican street corn which I get anywhere I go if it's on the menu). The next night I found a Jamaican spot called Jerk Machine that had an amazing pineapple ginger drink. The jerk chicken was so good, and the jerk sauce was top notch. There was heat, but you could taste all the flavors in the sauce which made it even more delicious.
Now, let's talk about my favorite place: Pane. Dolci. Bakery.
If you go to Ft. Lauderdale you have to try out a dessert from there. Their pastries are stunning and outrageously delicious. I went back twice for their tiramisu. Just look at it.
It was set on a chocolate plate which I didn't even realize until I got back to my room. The whole dessert is so beautiful inside and out. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good it was. Look at it sliced:
You think the pastries are it, but wait until you see the gelato. The presentation alone made me want each and every flavor.
How do people even come up with things like this? Presentation is everything and this very much nailed it. I had the hazelnut and caramel crunch and I could not stop eating it. You will not be disappointed.
We had our first three show day and I am so thankful I got to go on for the DC run or I would've been done for by the end of show #2. The show runs at about only 50 minutes but it is a 50-minute cardio session. The energy of the kids drives you even more, and once you are on, you don't stop until the final bow. You don't even realize you have worked out until you sit in the chair in the dressing room and your body tells you, "whew! Girl, you have worked yourself out!" It was another great venue, and because it was a Saturday, all the shows were public.
We walked back after shows, and I was again in awe of all the artwork intertwined into the city.
I enjoyed my time thoroughly in Ft. Lauderdale, and I look forward to being able to visit in the future. If you have the chance, visit. It's a really great place that won't leave you disappointed - especially the food.
Off to next stop!
Some more pictures: