January 21-23, 2025: A Trip to San Antonio
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After an enjoyable Christmas, we got things cleaned up, moved the litterboxes downstairs to the front bathroom to make it easier on Lynne, and got ready to head down to Florida on December 29th.

Getting to Fort Lauderdale

Since we drove Fred's new hybrid Sonata last fall when we came to Florida, it was my turn to drive my own car. I like my car, but I will admit I miss the "heads-up" display.

If you've been through more than a year or two of this photo album, you are undoubtedly familiar with our route to Florida. Years ago we used to fly, but that has gotten to be such a hassle (and a good deal more expensive) that now we drive. On most trips, this allows us to take all kinds of things with us- including our two youngest cats, Bob and Cole. Now that our trips to Ecuador won't be from Fort Lauderdale, we have brought them again this time.

The trip is routine; we stop at the same places to eat and to stay- almost without exception. And it's an easy route, too. Getting out of Dallas is easy if a bit congested, sometimes. We usually leave about nine-thirty, and by ten or so are on I-20 heading east towards Shreveport. We usually turn southeast on I-49 about one in the afternoon. We used to go all the way to Lafayette to pick up I-10 east, but we have had so many slowdowns on that road leading up to and over the Mississippi River bridge, that we now go a different way.

About twenty miles north of Lafayette, at Opelousas, we take US 190 east. Although there are some small towns and a few lights along this route, we can still move pretty quickly. There is never a delay crossing the Mississippi River on the US 190 bridge,and once we get across we just continue on US 190 until it meets up with I-12 east. Now I will admit that this stretch, a four-lane major urban thorofare can have some traffic, but it is no worse, and usually better, than what we used to encounter on I-10 from the Mississippi River to about ten miles east on I-12.

So we think that on days where there are no delays on I-10, this route takes about as long. But we no longer have to roll the dice on I-10, where backups can (and have) delay us for 30-45 minutes.

Late Afternoon in Mississippi

From where we get onto I-12, it is 90 minutes or so to Mississippi and then an hour or so across that state. In the Winter, this is usually where the sun begins to set, and on this particular afternoon, it was overcast and a bit bleak.in the afternoon light Fred chose to take the picture at left of the road ahead.

Mississippi turns into Alabama, and it is another hour across that state, with the most interesting feature being passing under Mobile Bay in the bridge/tunnel. It is just a few minutes into Florida where we usually stop for dinner at Pensacola- usually between 7:30 and 8 pm. After dinner, we have now developed the habit of continuing on to Tallahassee, ariving there about midnight.

I must say that both cats seem to be good travelers. It's true that usually, maybe a few hours into the first day's driving, Bob tends to spit up, he only does it once, and only on the first day. We're prepared for it, and ready to do a "clean-up on aisle 6". Most of the time, both cats can be found sitting or sleeping in their carriers, although both of them will come out every so often, come up front to see what's going on, maybe stay for a little while, and then go right back to their cozy spaces. They hardly eat or drink at all in the car, usually waiting until we get to our motel. There, the cats get to eat and run around the room.

We usually get away from the hotel in Tallahassee about nine or so for the 150-mile drive to Jacksonville, which we usually reach just before noon. Then we take I-295 around Jacksonville to the south, going through Orange Park. This 14-mile stretch is kind of neat, mostly because of the long bridge that crosses the St. Johns River as it opens out into a large lake southwest of the city. (It narrows as it approaches and flows around downtown Jacksonville to eventually empty into the Atlantic.) I-295 connects up with I-95 south of the city and we simply take that south for another boring stretch of 300 miles down to Fort Lauderdale. We usually get to the condo around 5PM, depending on traffic in Fort Lauderdale on I-95 (which can be horrendous).

We unloaded everything at the condo and the laptops all set up, and then retired to the dock for a celebratory frozen drink. Then, as is our custom, we headed down to the Floridian Restaurant for dinner. I wish we had transporter technology, but the drive is not a hard one- although sections of it can be boring.

We have been here to Florida so many times that we have pretty much photographed everything worthwhile anywhere nearby. The pictures we take now are just candid shots around the condo, at the dock or perhaps at an Art Fair or other event that occurs while we are here. So I've begun the practice of just grouping the pictures for these Florida trips by topic.

New Year's Eve

As has our tradition, on New Year's Eve we drove over to Ron Drew's house to have supper and spend the evening with Ron and Jay. I don't tend to take many pictures at all when we go over to Ron's house, although on this particular evening I felt compelled to take a picture of the salad Jay made as part of the dinner they had for us.

On the way over to Ron's house, we pass a house that is decorated to the hilt each Christmas, and we are fortunate that they don't take the decorations down before we have a chance to see them.

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Not only is this particular house decorated to the hilt, but the homeowners, two guys a little younger than us, also have music to go with the decorations. But in order not to disturb their neighbors, there is a little sign saying that the music is broadcast on a certain FM frequency, so people can listen in their cars, or perhaps if they are walking by, on their phones. All in all, the house is incredible every year.

This year, when we stopped to listen and watch, the two homeowners were outside, and came over to the car to greet us. We chatted for a while and then I got out of the car to take a movie of the decorations and the music. You can use the player at left to watch that movie.

Since I was out of the car and walking around anyway, I took a couple of pictures of the decorated house:

Lynne Richardson Visits Fort Lauderdale

Lynne Richardson's birthday is just after New Year's, and, as she did last year, she has again come down to South Florida to visit her good friend Osama in Miami, and, again as she did last year, has taken the Brightline up to Fort Lauderdale so she, Ron, Fred, and I could have lunch together. We picked her up at the Brightline, brought her back to the condo, and then at lunchtime took her up to a restaurant called Sea Watch where Ron wanted to buy us all lunch.

Sea Watch is a very nice seafood restaurant that is right on the ocean. During our lunch, we had the hostess take our picture. I have put that picture together with a candid that Fred took during the meal:

We also took a couple of short movies during the meal (obligatory when someone is blowing out their birthday candles), and you can use the players below to watch them:

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After Ron went back to work, we took Lynne thrift-store shopping at her request, so she could find an outfit for the birthday celebration that Osama would be giving her the next night in Miami. We then dropped her at the Brightline. We enjoyed her visit, and I know that Ron enjoys seeing her as well.

The Art Fair

As it often does, our January visit here has corresponded with the Las Olas Art Fair, an event held three times a year (January, March and October) where Las Olas is blocked off and a whole bunch of art vendors set up booths along both sides of the street.

The Art Fair usually extends from the intersection by The Cheesecake Factory (located above the Kinney Tunnel that takes US 1 underneath the New River) right at downtown Fort Lauderdale four blocks east to the Colee Hammock canal that goes under Las Olas.

The intersection by the Cheesecake Factory is adjacent to Tunnel Top Park, and because it is a big open area, it is usually where the artists that create large sculptures are placed, and this fair was no exception. You can see a couple of pictures of some of these sculptures in the two pictures Fred took at this intersection. The building behind me in the right-hand picture is currently the tallest in Fort Lauderdale; it is the Veneto Condominium and Apartments.

The Art Fair was held the weekend of January 4-5, and we went over to walk through it as we usually do. It is always interesting to see the wide variety of arts and crafts offered, and perhaps every other fair we end up buying something for ourselves or for a gift. I always want to walk through it, because it is entirely possible that we might find something we haven't seen before, and something that justifies a purchase. I'm sure that between us we've bought at least a couple dozen things at these fairs over the years; some we've kept and others we've given as gifts. While many of the artists are the same from fair to fair, there are always new artists working in new media and doing new things, and we don't want to miss anything really neat.

Besides that, when the weather is nice, as it was today, walking the fair is simply good fun. The art, the weather, and the people-watching combine for a pleasant experience. Watch the movie at left, and come along with us on a short portion of our walk through the fair today.

We didn't take many pictures this time through the fair; the ones we did take are below:

We just finished looking at the colorful abstract artworks in the booth behind me.

This artist has been at the fair for a long time, and I have always enjoyed his work. Very Art Deco. Today, I finally decided to buy a smaller work in the style of the artwork behind me.

This isn't an artwork; it's a new mural on the side of one of the buildings near Tunnel Top Park.

Actually, all four of the intersections occupied by the Art Far are used to display the works of artists who create large sculptures or other works.

The booth of the artist whose work I bought was right near the Cheesecake Factory. I bought a smaller version of the work to the left of Fred in the picture.

This is the outdoor seating area at the Cheesecake Factory; when Jeffie visited last year, we ate out here one evening.

Along the Riverwalk

We often take a stroll along the Riverwalk, and so I wanted to include an aerial view of it here.

The Riverwalk, one of Fort Lauderdale's major attractions, begins at Laura Ward Park. This small park lies between the historic Stranahan House and the multi-level garage of the Riverside Hotel.

At the Start of the Riverwalk

It is actually now part of the new Tunnel Top Plaza that was built on an extension of the cover over Federal Highway as it drops down into the Kinney Tunnel. The Riverwalk begins at the small park (where there is also a very busy Water Taxi stop) and heads west, passing south of Stranahan House and the Icon Las Olas on a walkway that is cantilevered out over ten feet or so of the New River.

In the picture at left, I am standing in Laura Ward Park and the picture shows where the walkway begins that goes behind the Stranahan House and the Icon Las Olas, and is actually out over the water of the New River. Perhaps the people in the picture are trying to figure out where they are.

Once you get past the Icon Las Olas, the Riverwalk is back on land, and you come to North New River Drive. This street comes south from Las Olas on the west side of the Icon Las Olas. It continues to follow the bank of the New River, and it gives access to the various highrises that have been built on the north side of the river. The actual Riverwalk itself winds through a narrow landscaped area between this street and the actaul river.

So the Riverwalk continues to follow the north shore of the New River, eventually passing under the Third Avenue drawbridge. It continues to follow the river, eventually going between the river and River House- one of the many highrise condos on the north side of the river. Incidentally, North New River Drive curves north to go back up to Las Olas Boulevard, just before River House. There is no street now that hugs the river, because west of here the buildings are accessed from Las Olas itself.

The Riverwalk, Wharf, and Society Las Olas

The Riverwalk passes south of River House and then it passes south of Huizenga Park (which seems to be currently under renovation and relandscaping). Past the park, the walkway goes under the Andrews Avenue drawbridge. West of that, it goes past what I think is an office building with some restaurants and stuff on the ground floor facing the river. Next, the walkway goes south of an area known as The Wharf. This is an open area that hosts food trucks and has some bars and such. It caters to the younger people that live in some of the surrounding highrises, and it is usually quite busy.

Next, the Riverwalk goes between the river and a very large apartment building that actually houses two apartment complexes. One, Flow Las Olas, is a trational apartment building, with various size apartments for rent to individuals or families. The other complex is called Society Las Olas, and while the actualy apartments may be similar to those in Flow, they are rented "by the bedroom". That is to say that if you want to live as economically as possible, Society Las Olas will pair you with one or two other individuals (for a two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartment). Each person has a bedroom and ensuite bath, but the apartment occupants share the living room, dining area, and small kitchen. These apartments are intended for young twenty-somethings who want to live in downtown Fort Lauderdale but need to do so as cheaply as possible.

That's one reason why the Wharf is located where it is, and why the many restaurants along SW 2nd Street are close by. The theory is that single young people won't be doing much cooking but will rather be out meeting other people at mealtimes. The concept must be succeeding, because a whole new section of Society Las Olas is currently nearing completion.

A Sidewalk Artist in Old Fort Lauderdale

As you can see in the aerial view above, the Riverwalk comes around the south side of the apartment buildings, heads north a few feet, and then crosses the tracks of the Florida East Coast Railway (and the Brightline commuter train). On the other side of the tracks, the walk comes down from the railroad embankment and then continues snaking through Old Fort Lauderdale heading to the west.

Old Fort Lauderdale, which consists of a museum, some restaurants, and various venues for parties and such, is on the site of the original Fort Lauderdale (or as near as can be determined. It is adjacent to a major bend in the New River (now called Sailboat Bend), and so there were places where docks could be built. The buildings in Old Fort Lauderdale date from the late 1800s. Between those buildings and the river is an area- perhaps 60 feet wide- through which the Riverwalk passes.

The Riverwalk continues on to an area called the Esplanade, a park just south of the Science Museum and just north of the actual bend in the river, which turns 90° to the south.

Fred Standing on the Esplanade

Here at the Esplanade, there is a performance stage, and a place where fairs and other events can be held. The Esplanade itself is a large brick-paved area (paved with the memorial bricks that people can buy), and it arcs around the north edge of the bend in the river. The city has also put a floating dock here for temporary use by boaters dropping people off at the Esplanade.

There are many places to sit down and watch boats coming upriver make the turn and head south or, for those going downriver, make the right turn to their right and head east through downtown and past Riverview Gardens and on to the Intracoastal Waterway. Also located nearby is the Broward Performing Arts Center and (just west of the river after it turns south) the Symphony Condominiums. The Riverwalk actually continues along the edge of the river past the Center and the Symphony, and ends where the 7th Avenue Drawbridge spans the river. Beyond that, and the New River is lined on both sides by private properties.

It ends just south of those highrises on West Las Olas Avenue just north of the drawbridge that takes The Avenue of the Arts over the New River. You can see all these features in the picture of Fred at right. The view looks directly south up the New River, and you can see the esplanade itself and the two towers of the Symphony Condominiums in the background.

This where our frequent Riverwalk journeys end, and it's pleasant to sit here and just watch the boat traffic pass by. Of course, if there is an event going on, so much the better.

Standing here on the Esplanade, each of us happened to take a picture looking back east the way we had come. Fred's picture is at left and mine is below.

In both of the pictures you can see the wooded area of Old Fort Lauderdale at the left, and you can also see some of the boats that pay the city to dock along the river. In my photo, you can see at the right the first tower of what will eventually be a very large condominium/apartment complex- the Harbour at New River.

At Riverview Gardens

Heaven knows that we've taken so many pictures here at Riverview Gardens over the years that we hardly need any more. That's why the only two pictures we took around the condo on this trip were the two we took on the afternoon of New Year's Day. We were down at the dock having our first-of-the-year drinks and enjoying the cold weather. I think it was about 70°.

Boat Traffic on the New River (Installment 61)

Every time we come down here to Florida, we take at least a few pictures of the incredible amount of boat traffic that passes Riverview Gardens on the New River, and this is the 61st group of such pictures.

(Mouseover Image if Video Controls Not Visible) Passage of the Carrie B

Still pictures of boats going by the condo are OK, but they really don't give a sense of what it is like to sit down at the dock and watch them. That takes a movie, and one afternoon I did take such a movie, and you can use the player at left to watch it.

In the movie, you'll see the Carrie B, one of the tourist boats like the Jungle Queen, go by Riverview Gardens. This boat has scheduled trips like the Jungle Queen but, unlike the Jungle Queen, it is available for private charter (which it had been today).

Here are a few additional pictures of the boat traffic. One was taken on a cloudy day a few days before we left for home, and it shows some small boats passing on the river. And here are a couple more, taken midway through our trip:

Not all the boats that go by us are small; this is one of the larger yachts.

This small simulated Venetian gondola is kind of picturesque; but it is motor driven, sadly.

Bob and Cole in Fort Lauderdale

We have about as many pet pictures from Fort Lauderdale as we do boat pictures, and here are some of the pictures of Bob and Cole that we took on this trip.

I think Bob is frustated with the tablet.

Bob's in his favorite spot on the recumbent bike.

Both cats were in the mood to snuggle up.

This is a classic (if a bit indecent) pose for Bob.

After Fred took the picture of Bob on the recumbent bike (see above), I thought I would try to get a picture of him by holding the camera up above him and looking directly down. The picture of Bob on mys recumbent bike turned out well. And here are two more pictures of our youngest two cats in Fort Lauderdale:

The Trip Home

The trip home was typical and uneventful.

We left the condo on January 18th about 9AM, reached Jacksonville about 1PM, passed Tallahassee about 3PM, left Florida around 6PM (taking advantage of gaining an hour), stopped for dinner in Gulfport MS at 8, and were checking in to the Red Roof in in Lafayette LA around 11PM.

The next day we left Lafayette around 9AM, went through Shreveport a little after noontime, and were back home in Dallas a little after 3PM. All in all an easy drive, but definitely not a short one.

We enjoyed our trip to Fort Lauderdale (as usual) but again, as we approached Dallas, we found ourselves wishing, not for the first time, "Where in the hell is transporter technology?"

On the way around downtown Dallas, Fred took the picture at left of the skyline.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	January 21-23, 2025: A Trip to San Antonio
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