One of the perks of being a blogger is having an excuse to take lots pictures of where I travel, what I eat and then blog about it! Sounds pretty cool huh? Well it is and the best part about traveling even if it is just around Florida is meeting so many wonderful people along the way, and this trip was no exception!
Lisa and I traveled 3 hours down the eastern coast of Florida to Fort Lauderdale and to say we were impressed would be an understatement. As we drove along the beach admiring the miles of pristine shores we both decided we could live there easily and it looked like many folks our age had made the same decision.
We had been invited to enjoy the Winterfest Christmas Boat Parade by the owners of the Manhattan Tower Apartment Hotel from the docks of their property which is located on the east bank of the Intercoastal Waterway just a few blocks from the beach. And we couldn’t have asked for better hosts for the event than owners Russel and Joe!
Manhattan Tower is part of the group Superior Small Lodging which boasts 180 unique boutique hotels, darling seaside cottages, and romantic inns and bed and breakfasts. And for my money its the only way to travel!
You couldn’t ask for better surroundings than the boat dock at Manhattan Tower, its a great place to enjoy a breakfast, a drink or just to relax and enjoy the scenery. In fact the water taxi’s will stop to pick you up and take you into town, stopping at a lot of the tourist destinations along the way.
This is the bar area just on the way to the dock.
The picture of Bogie and Bacall was resuced from a home, by cutting out the enire section of the wall, installed at Manhattan Tower and then restored by one of the area’s premier artists.
The best part of the evening was the Winterfest Christmas Boat Parade that started in Ft. Lauderdale and worked its way up the Intercoastal Waterway where we had a perfect view of all the decorated boats that went by. Talk about a prime location! But it wasn’t just the boats that made the evening special, it was all of the wonderful guests that Russel and Joe had invited to enjoy the parade and partake in the delicious meal that they had prepared for their guests!
We also got a little beach time in on the last day of our stay in Fort Lauderdale and it was a gorgeous day with water temps in the mid 70’s. Not too bad for the middle of December!
There are so many things to see and do on the Atlantic Coast of Florida, as we traveled back up the coast we stopped at Lauderdale by the Sea.
With miles of pristine beaches, piers, and boardwalks the Fort Lauderdale area is the perfect vacation spot, close enough to Miami if you feel so inclined but far enough away to be casual and relaxed.
Check out our video with an interview with one of our hosts Russel Dion, and testimonials from a few of the Hotel guests.
anna@icyvioletskitchen
gorgeous! you lucky guy!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Anna, we did have a great time!
james
Hi,
great Blog. Love beeing in Miami especially in Lauderdale. I was born in Austria,Europe but during the year I always spend my holidays in Miami. I had luck to get a condo from riva-condo in Lauderdale. I hope that this summer will be another awesome one too.
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed my creations! Happy New Year my friend!
Dorothy Watson
My contribution to Christmas dinner was the most delicious Tiramisu ever made. It was my first time to attempt a recipe of Tiramisu. Finding the mascarpone so close to Christmas was a challenge. I finally found it at “WalMart”! When all had eaten and opened their gifts, desserts were offered. Needless to say I left with only a small dish to take home! Thank you so very much for the recipe. It will not be the last time I use it. Happy 2005.
anne
Beautiful shots , Chef Dennis , and such an interesting place to visit ! I’m pretty sure you had a great time with your wife 🙂
Wishing you and your family all the best in 2015 !!!!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Anne, We had such a good time there, and can’t wait to go back. Happy New Year!