You would think that a southern Florida vacation would be unbearable making you feel like a dripping candle in the sun. My recent discovery
of a
quaint area to relax, Lauderdale by the Sea, and a boutique
hotel located on the beach, The Plunge
Beach Hotel, changed my
perspective. LBTS, just 7 miles
north of Fort Lauderdale, is a perfect mature playground where you can relax, eat
well, and snorkel or dive on it’s off shore coral reefs and a nearby ship wreck (SS Copenhagen). The town
square invites you to rest in a rainbow colored Adirondack chair and is lined
with charming restaurants that do not disappoint the taste buds. Everything in
this playground is within walking distance in a 2.5 mile stretch!
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| View from Plunge Beach Hotel |
Reflection
Florida during the off season offers less
crowds, better hotel prices with airline flights from Pittsburgh that
will not break your piggy bank. Spirit Airways offers direct 2.5 hour flights and, with some planning, you can find flights for less
than $100 each way, even with the luggage fee.
The summer rays are bearable with the cool breeze
off the ocean, the distraction of the rolling waves, fish diving pelicans, and
the ability to intermittently splash in a pool-so why not try it!
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| Plunge Beach Hotel offers beach service and bikes |
LBTS is like traveling to the beach in your childhood
memories (see live web came here). It has a small town charm in the absence of towering hotels along El Mar Drive (directly on the beach) or on Ocean Drive
(across the street) because of the area’s four story or less hotel rule.
Although there are a variety of reasonably priced establishments on both drives, I still
gravitated to the artsy Plunge Beach Hotel (see Day Day 289) located directly on the beach.
The Plunge is private because it is the last hotel before the residential condos. Each day Howard or
Livingston (who worked there since it opened)
smiled and seemed to remember something about each guest as they set up beach umbrellas and chairs. The
pool bar served everything from burgers to fish tacos and even ceviche
and injected occasional lunch time entertainment. I pedaled the complementary bikes in the
mornings to explore shops and new places for my wake-up coffee or
breakfast. There is a daily service fee
of $30 for all this convenience. I would have prefered coffee to be provided in the room but overall
this place has everything contained to "plunge" into play.
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| Creamy "to die for" Gelato |
As an 80's girl, there was a comfort level when most of the bar/restaurants filled the scene with live or
piped 80’s music- the spring break music in my' day. It was cool enough for an evening walk to find a new place for dinner each night. Enticed by
the sweet vanilla smell that lingered near the town square, I joined
others in the Adirondack chairs for an after dinner gelato from my favorite, Pan'E Dolci Italian Bakery, or one of the
2 ice-cream establishments (Sloans or Kilwins).
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| Diner By The Sea |
Many of the restaurants' staff charmed us with an eagerness to converse making you feel welcome. Diner By The Sea even offers weekend complementary breakfast Mimosas and the place felt like I was eating at the 1980’s diner from the
sitcom Alice. I loved my spunky waitress with the beehive hair up-do who
at 76, recently moved to LBTS. Ocenas 101 had great food and their big draw is a hardy poured daily happy hour with ½ price on all drinks (even top shelf drinks). Like Cheers, there seemed to be a group of
regulars where, “everyone knows your name and they are always glad you came”.
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| Frenchy Table |
We visited the French Rivera at Frenchy Table enjoying a
4 course authentic dinner. At least it seemed authentic owned by a women with a French accent. Either way, my escargot,
red snapper and desert sampler with
cream burette was delicious. I also discovered a fantastic culinary experience at Delacaseas Cafe and learned that our food was created by their frequent guest chef who was featured on the show “Top Chef”. On the first Monday of every month, Delacaseas
Cafe also offers a special 5 course meal paired with 5 different wines.
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| Delacaseas Cafe |
Whether you’re sunning,
swimming, eating, biking, or just relaxing with some gelato, LBTS gives you a lot of ways to enjoy this mature playground. Next is an exploration
of their off shore coral reefs and ship wreck.
