If you want to show your kids how the rich live, then take them to Fort Lauderdale. It’s known as the “Venice of America.”
It gets its nickname due to its numerous canals, mansions and all of the fancy cars riding around. The opulence is unreal.
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The best way to take it all in is by boat. It’s one of the many things to do in Fort Lauderdale with kids.
That’s why we linked up with Southern Pontoon Charters. They hosted us for a two hour boat ride along the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway.
We passed by way too many fabulous mansions to count, including one owned by the owner of the Miami Dolphins, according to our boat captain, Patty. We passed by the biggest yachts I’ve ever seen. And we got to see the Riverwalk with all of its restaurants near Las Olas Boulevard.
I loved riding in the pontoon boat because it’s a smooth ride and it’s spacious. It can fit up to 12 people and they have Bluetooth so you can play your favorite songs and dance down the river. You can also just rent the boat or rent it with a captain.
We were a little worried about how our toddler would do. He’s active so we didn’t know if he’d try to jump overboard. To our surprise, he kept his life jacket on and was very calm. He loved the breeze and after about 30 minutes, he decided it was the perfect place to take a nap. Wow, what a surprise.
Overall, it was a relaxing ride that just made me wonder, where do these folks get all of this money. Fort Lauderdale is definitely a vibe.
Here’s some other things to do with your kids:
- Museum of Discovery and Science: It has more than 200 hands-on exhibits and a five-story IMAX 3D Theater . It’s open daily, Mon-Sat from 10am-5pm, and on Sundays from noon to 5 PM. Kids under 2 are free. Children’s tickets are $16 and adult tickets are $19.
- The beach: You can never go wrong with coming to Florida and stopping by the beach.
- Go swimming at one of the luxury hotel pools through Resort Pass. The Conrad, Westin and Hilton all have options for you to buy a day pass to their hotel amenities, and the Pelican Grand Beach Resort has a lazy river.
- Butterfly World: Located in Coconut Creek about 30 minutes north of Fort Lauderdale, Butterfly World is known as the world’s largest butterfly park. You’ll see more than 20,000 butterflies from every corner of the globe. It’s open Mon-Sat from 9am-5pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm. Be sure to get there before 4 PM. Adult tickets are $32.50, children from ages 3-11 cost $22.50, and children under 3 years old are free.
- African American Research Library and Cultural Center: If you want kids to be well versed on black history, stop by here. It’s a 60,000-square-foot public library with an extraordinary amount of rare books focused on Black history and culture, and books written by Black authors. There’s more than 85,000 items in the Special Collections, including rare books, artifacts, artwork, and manuscripts. It’s open Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 8 pm and all other days from 10-6 pm.
Where to stay:
We stayed in this incredible loft in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale near Las Olas Blvd. It had luxury decor, a fully-stocked kitchen and lots of space with two full baths. It was perfect for small families and couples. We turned the gigantic closet into a nursery.
Where to eat:
We love trying new restaurants when we travel, preferably locally-owned. We loved Foxy Brown for lunch. Their maple bacon chicken wings were delicious and my husband loved the patty melt. Foxy Brown also has a popular brunch but make sure you make a reservation.
We enjoyed fine dining at Bistró Mezzoluna, an Italian restaurant with great steaks and a large outdoor covered patio with a water fountain. The ribeye was quite delicious along with their spinach, bread, and shrimp cocktails.
Our favorite new fast food restaurant that we visited was Spatch Chicken. They sell Peri Peri chicken which is a popular dish in Mozambique and South Africa. It’s roasted chicken with a special sauce and it was quite good along with their beans and rice and vegetable medley. If you like the sauce, you can buy a bottle.
Overall, Fort Lauderdale is filled with opulence. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many Bentleys and Rolls Royces in my life!
If you’ve been to Fort Lauderdale with the kids, what did you enjoy doing?
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