April 29 - May 7, 2022: A Househunting Trip to Ecuador
	December 28, 2021 - January 17, 2022: Our Winter Trip to Florida
	Return to the Index for 2022

Well, this year is turning out to be uneventful, and there was no event or trip worth an album page between our winter trip to Florida two months ago and the trip we are taking now. As these trips to Florida have become so commonplace, I will again just divide this page by topic, pretty much regardless of when the picture was taken.

Getting to Fort Lauderdale

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. This allows us to take all kinds of things with us- including, on this trip, our two youngest cats, Bob and Cole. Both of them are good travelers, and we thought they should keep each other company.

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, reaching Lafayette and I-10 east along about three-thirty. Baton Rouge can be very slow if we don't get through there by four-fifteen or so, and then it is another 90 minutes to get across Louisiana to the Mississippi border.

Mississippi and Alabama are an hour each, so we are heading east from Mobile about six-thirty or seven. This puts us north of Pensacola right about dinnertime about eight. After dinner, we have now developed the habit of continuing on to Tallahassee, ariving there about midnight. There is a Red Roof Inn there that is pet-friendly (allows them and doesn't charge extra for them.

We usually get away from the hotel in Tallahassee about nine or so for the 150-mile drive to Jacksonville, which we usually reach about 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 kind of boring 300 miles down to Fort Lauderdale. Along this streth, which Cole is quite familiar with, he sometimes comes up front to watch the traffic and help navigate. Since there are absolutely no turns to make all the way to Fort Lauderdale, this is no problem for him. 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, got Bob and Cole situated (and fed) 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.

Bob and Cole are young enough that they are still good travelers. Bob, for example, will come out of his carrier every hour or so and walk around the car and sit up front for a while. But then he goes right back in and curls up. Cole stays out of his own carrier more; he usually curls up behind my seat where I usually make a flat space on top of my computer and duffel for him. I like it when they come up front, and it is especially nice when they will stay in one lap or the other for a while. As the driver, I'm OK with that; I just try to ignore them and concentrate on the road.

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.

Boat Traffic on the New River (Installment 53)

When we first started coming down here, we took lots of pictures of all the watercraft of every type and size that went by the condo or that we saw elsewhere on the New River. Now, having been here so many times, we take lots fewer- and on some trips none at all. Here are the six good pictures that we took on this trip:

At the Dock

Sitting at the Riverview Gardens dock is one of enjoyable things we do here. Whether it's in the evening with a drink or during the day as we watch the boats go by, it is always very, very relaxing. You've seen lots of pictures taken here at the dock; here are four more:

Bob and Cole in Fort Lauderdale

We brought Bob and Cole to Fort Lauderdale together for the first time more than two years ago, and they have done so well with the traveling that we have been routinely bringing them down since then. It's good to bring two of them so each has another to play with or socialize with.

Cole can often be found angling to get into someone's lap, and mine usually ends up being the one available.

Bob, on the other hand, is almost always found in the bathroom, on the counter, next to the faucet, waiting for someone to turn it on so he can get a drink.

Bob has developed a habit; he much prefers to get his water from the bathroom faucet than he does from the always-available water bowl. He does this at home in Dallas, too, but here, it seems, he will slurp from the bathroom faucet as much as you will let him.

If you walk by the bathroom, Bob will appear to be calling you to come turn the faucet on, but at least in the picture at right, I think Fred just caught him in mid-yawn.

Anyway, I don't really think that Bob is always thirsty; I think he just likes the feel of the water as it runs down the little water chute to empty into the sink. Here, unlike at home, he can actually drink from the faucet without getting his paws or himself wet, as he doesn't have to contort himself to get under the faucet.

The New Kinney Tunnel Deck Park

NOTE:
What follows is a section called "Background to the Project". It is a repetition of information on the Deck Park Project- a bit of the history and what the park is to look like that has appeared on any earlier "Florida Trip" pages where we took pictures of the progress of the project. If you have already read this information, please scroll down to the next subsection entitled "Project Update".

Background to the Project

When we were here last October, work had begun on the new deck park that is being constructed over the Kinney Tunnel and the northern approah to it. Essentially, the area between the point where Las Olas goes over the Kinney Tunnel (that carries US 1/Federal Highway under the New River) and the river itself will be transformed.

Here is an aerial view of the area between the Riverside Hotel and the Icon Las Olas, and the New River and Federal Highway heading north out of the Kinney Tunnel. The view looks north, and shows the area as it was about a year ago, before work began on the Kinney Tunnel Top Park Project.

Driving south on Federal Highway from Broward Boulevard, the street descends quickly over two blocks to enter the Henry Kinney Tunnel under the New River. Just as you enter the tunnel, Las Olas is over your head. Up on Las Olas, there has always been an ugly concrete wall on the north side of the street to keep people from accidently (or on purpose) dropping anything onto the roadway below (or falling onto it). South of Las Olas, SE 4th Street curved south and east from Las Olas to go through the Riverside Hotel (actually going under part of the parking garage) and then on eastward to our condo.

Between that street and the Cheesecake Factory, there were some planters and an outside eating area for the restaurant. This is also where the commemorative brick we placed for Ty Ferel and Scott Dole is located. Between 4th Street and the New River is the Laura Ward Plaza- basically an open area with a kind of ugly ventilation shaft from the tunnel below right in the middle of it.

Ever since the Icon Las Olas went up, there has been a movement to try to do something more with this whole area. First, everyone wanted to beautify it; where Las Olas crosses over the tunnel entrance is a particular eyesore. Also, new buildings are going up just west of Federal Highway, and these, as well as the existing buildings, have a particularly unattractive view of Federal Highway's descent into the tunnel.

But to do anything really significant, there had to be more space, and the only way to get it would be to essentially cover over 100 feet or so of the sloping highway. But if just a flat "roof" were put over the roadway, there would not be enough clearance for many trucks that use the tunnel.

At right is the concept plan for the finished Kinney Tunnel Top Park. It also looks north, like the aerial view above, from a vantage point just over the New River. Laura Ward Plaza is in the foreground, and you can see that the ventilation structure has been hidden with sculpture and foliage. You can see a red car, which I assume is on SE 4th St., just going through the Riverside Hotel, which is the building at right.

The greenery along the Riverside Hotel about halfway back is where the existing outside eating area for the Cheesecake Factory Restaurant is; I assume that area will return when construction is done. A bit further back, Las Olas crosses through this new park, and then there is the 100-foot section of new deck. This deck, incidentally, slopes up as it extends north, thus increasing the vertical clearance for high vehicles using the Kinney Tunnel. There appears to be more sculpture in the distance, on this new deck, perhaps also concealing another ventilation structure.

This is certainly an ambitious plan, and I will admit I am not at all sure that what we end up with will look like this, but I have to say that almost anything would be an improvement.

Project Update

Fred and I walked down to the construction area for the new deck park to see what progress had been made since January, and the answer was- not much that we could see.

In the picture at left, we have walked a bit north of Las Olas and are looking back south at the entrance to the tunnel.

There is no deck yet, but you can see that the side walls of the tunnel approach have been raised, and the wall slopes up to the north. This will be to support the deck which will itself angle upward, so that the minimum clearance for vehicles to go through the tunnel will not be reduced.

Eventually, the roadway that you see will be covered over, and I assume that the lettering for the tunnel will be moved north and placed on the north edge of the new deck, but we will see as construction proceeds.

Incidentally, the building in the background is the Icon Las Olas Condominium complex.

A Bike Ride to the Beach

One thing I try to do at least once on each trip to Fort Lauderdale is to take a bike ride to the beach. Fred doesn't particularly care to bike along Las Olas, which can be busy, even though there is a bike lane. On this particular afternoon, he's opted to let me go by myself.

At left is a map you've seen before, a map that shows the route from where the condo is near downtown to the beach- which is about two miles away. Once you cross the short bridge from Beverly Heights onto Colee Hammock there is a bike lane, and so the ride is pretty safe and easy.

Oddly, the bike lane disappears for a hundred feet or so on the bridge from Colee Hammock out to the artificial finger islands, where the lane picks up again. (The only other place where you lose the dedicated bike lane is when you cross the Las Olas Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway and out onto the barrier island where the beaches are.)

All these artificial islands are divided into four sections, or neighborhoods. All are pretty exclusive, but those south of Las Olas are really off the charts. The eight Las Olas Isles south of Las Olas are the first group and then you have Idylwyld between them and the actual Intracoastal. North of Las Olas are first the Nurmi Isles, and then an area of seven artificial islands (oddly enough called "Seven Isles") lie between them and the Intracoastal.

So as I biked towards the beach (in the south-side bike lane along Las Olas) I could look south down the waterways between the various fingers of land, and I thought I would photograph some of them. The closer I got to the Intracoastal itself, the bigger the boats seemed to get:

Once past Las Olas Isles and Idlewyld on my right, I can decide to ride on the sidewalk of the Las Olas Bridge or on the roadway (where there is no bike lane). Since I wanted to take some pictures, I actually got onto the sidewalk and walked my bike up onto the bridge. From here, I have an expansive view to the south. In the panoramic view below, you see the barrier island and Bahia Mar on the left, the Intracoastal Waterway going south in the middle, and then the exclusive residential islands of Idlewyld on the right. It's a beautiful view:

Next, I walked my bike across the top of the bridge, and then coasted down the other side, covering the last few blocks between the Intracoastal and the beach.

Here is a view looking eastward toward the beach across the top of the Las Olas Bridge. As you can see, there is no dedicated bike lane, so riders are encouraged to walk their bikes over the bridge.

After coming down off the bridge and crossing the southbound lanes of A1A, the city has removed an old parking lot and built this small park. (There is a new parking garage on the north side of Las Olas just this side of the bridge.)

This view looks back the way I have come. The drawbridge has just gone up and down since I crossed it, and so there is a lot of traffic coming down onto the barrier island from it.

This view looks from where I am standing towards the beach itself. There is one block between the southbound and northbound lanes of A1A, and the northbound lanes run right along the shore.

Right where Las Olas dead ends into A1A at the beach, the city some years ago built a small open plaza, and there are seasonal displays here. At the moment, there isn't one, so I took this panoramic picture of Fort Lauderdale Beach.

It's a beautiful afternoon, although in the middle of the week, and so the beach is quite busy. Some of these folks are Spring Breakers, but probably only half of them. I had not recalled seeing a ramp here before, but it is apparently for older folks who have walkers or something like that, as a wheelchair would not, of course, be maneuverable in the sand.

Anyway, this is one of the main entry and exit points to and from the beach itself. There is an ornamental wall that divides the oceanside sidewalk from the sand, and every block there is an opening in the wall like this one.

Of course, I took some pictures and movies of the crowd here at the beach this afternoon, and you might want to see at least a couple of them:

Also, here's a movie of the crowd and one of the new building complexes at the beach:

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There is a new hotel/condominium up the beach that built its own pedestrian overpass to the beach- the only one here at Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Back down at the entry plaza at Las Olas and A1A, I happened to be standing there when some of Fort Lauderdale's mounted police came onto the beach. So far as I know, they are only used here at the beach.

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Fort Lauderdale's Mounted Beach Police

Heading back to the condo, I was on the north side of Las Olas this time, so I could get a good look at the Seven Isles neighborhood and the Nurmi Isles as well. Between the two is this open water basin, which you can see in the map above. As I was taking some pictures of the waterways here in the Nurmi Isles, I came across an historical landmark plaque that I just don't recall having seen before.

It talks about the bridges that used to connect these islands to Las Olas. You can see one of the new ones at left in the picture below:

And finally, here are some views of the canals that run through the Nurmi Isles area. When Ty and Scott first moved to Fort Lauderdale from Dallas, they lived on a 50-foot boat that was docked on one of these canals, and it was the experience of staying with them that got Grant enthused about getting a place here.

Around the Neighborhood

In this section, I want to include some pictures taken in Beverly Heights- the neighborhood in which Riverview Gardens is situated (basically the area between Federal Highway and Colee Hammock).

One of the first pictures I want to include here is an article that someone had recently posted downstairs on one of the resident information boards.

It tells a story that I was almost totally unaware of- the fact that Riverview Gardens actually sits on an historic site along the New River.

I think it should interest you, too, and I have put it in the scrollable window at left.

There are some other pictures for this section two. One afternoon, out for a walk, we went by the mural over by the new deck park above Federal Highway, and we got a few closeup pictures of the incredible colors of it:

A short distance up Federal Highway, many new apartment complexes have gone up, and this interesting fountain is in the middle of one of them.

On a walk down to the Floridian Restaurant, I took this picture looking back west along Las Olas towards downtown. I am standing on the bridge that connects Beverly Heights to Colee Hammock.

The Trip Home

We left Fort Lauderdale on April 7th, and as usual got home the afternoon of the day after, April 8th., and were home the next afternoon. Except when we stop for gas or dinner, the cats can roam around the car, although they spend most of their time asleep in their carriers. It was unusual on this particular trip that both of them got in my lap and stayed a while. I just ignore them and concentrate on the road ahead.

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

	April 29 - May 7, 2022: A Househunting Trip to Ecuador
	December 28, 2021 - January 17, 2022: Our Winter Trip to Florida
	Return to the Index for 2022