Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi

413 SW 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Open Daily (check schedule for fare times) 

Ok, I'm absolutely in love with the concept of this local Fort Lauderdale feature, the Water Taxi.  Considered a "trolley on the water," the Water Taxi service runs from 10am until approximately 10pm most days, and travels to 10 Stops along the Intracoastal waterway throughout the day.   In addition, there is a connecting Water Taxi that can take you to and from Hollywood as well.  

I suggest starting at the very beginning, either Stop 1-The Briny Pub, or Stop 1A-Pirate Republic Bar--both places are very cool-looking and you can sit and have a drink while waiting for the taxi to come. 

The first time I road this, I traveled all the way until Stop 8 before getting off--this drops you off at the beach along A1A in Fort Lauderdale.  That way, we were able to enjoy the boat-ride and enjoy some of the sites, while also figuring out which Stops we actually wanted to stop at and walk around.  

While on the Water Taxi, its normal to see many large yachts docked along the waters edge, some that are even owned by celebrities--Johnny Depp (above), Kenny Chesney, among others.  Make sure to listen to the commentary while on the Taxi, as the captain and his crew will point out some of the local celebrity homes--both currently living and previously owned.  Mansions owned by Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball, the vacation home previously inhabited by Sonny & Cher, Anderson Cooper's childhood home, to name a few...

Tickets are $22 per adult and are good for the entire day--after 5:00pm tickets are discounted to $15.  This is a fun feature for both locals and visitors--I highly recommend taking your out-of-town visitors on this.  

Tips: (1) Between Stops 1 and 1A, there is a drawbridge that goes down every so often to allow for trains to pass.  If this is down during the time of a Water Taxi pickup, the boat cannot pass and therefore you may have to wait for the next scheduled pickup.  Call (954)467-6677 to locate the closest Water Taxi (2) Take the Water Taxi at night during the month of December and you're guaranteed to see some extravagantly decorated houses along the waterway decked out for the holidays.       

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

1801 North Ocean Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL

Open Monday thru Saturday 9:00am until 4:00pm, Sundays 12:00pm until 4:00pm

The other day while Brian and I were out and about, we made a trip to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center situated right off of A1A in Boca Raton.  As I've probably mentioned before, I am constantly on the hunt for new things to do and places to explore, with this being one place that has been on my list since I moved down here. 

We were surprised at the variety of attractions offered at the nature center.  You can visit the sea turtle rehabilitation facility used to rescue sick and injured sea turtles.  There are a number of sea tanks and pavilions with fish and other sea creatures--sharks, lobsters, puffer fish, and sting rays-- built to show the various South Florida marine habitats.

Extending past the sea tanks and nature center is a quarter-mile boardwalk trail through a preserved Hardwood Hammock.  Midway through the boardwalk trail, you can climb a 40-ft lookout tower that towers just above the giant trees, looking out onto a beautiful view of the Intracoastal Waterway.  Although this is an extraordinarily cool feature that I would recommend checking out, if you have a weak stomach when it comes to heights, you may want to think twice before climbing the steps all the way to the top (I could feel the tower swaying ever-so-slightly--YIPES!)

On the grounds of this environmental complex include another nature trail, the Ashley Trail, which leads to the Butterfly Garden where you can see several different species of butterflies (the best time to visit the garden is between May and June when the flowers are in full bloom).

This place is such a fun spot to visit--great for both kids and adults!  Admission is free, but $5 donations to the center are definitely encouraged.  And they have a variety of event going on throughout the year here as well--including the Green Turtle Gallop, a timed 10K run in April of this year, which I am DYING to sign up for.