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If You Go | 2009
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FORT LAUDERDALE STADIUM
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What to Do: Fort Lauderdale has a reputation as being the Venice of America, with more than 300 miles of navigable canals and waterways. It used to be known as a party town -- especially during spring-break time -- but it's been discovered by the horsy set, who all seem to own a boat and who love be out on the water every chance they get.
Including many tourists, who find that they can use water taxis to shuttle between hotels, restaurants, bars, and shopping areas. (Sadly, you can't take a water taxi to Fort Lauderdale Stadium.) Again, Fort Lauderdale's party reputation came about partly because the water taxis are especially good at shuttling people between bars.) Shooter's, The Parrot, and the downtown Riverwalk are known for being lively places, especially on weekends.
And, of course, you'll want to spend
some time at the beach. If you're into a crowd, the beaches in Hollywood and
downtown Fort Lauderdale may be a little too crowded for you; for some peace and
quiet head to Lloyd Beach in Dania; in addition to the beaches, the site is one
of the state's most important nesting beaches for sea turtles.
Plus, it just wouldn't be a trip to Florida without a stop to a jai-alai fronton. The local jai-alai fronton is Dania Jai-Alai, which originally opened in 1953 as the second jai-alai fronton in the United States. The current 220,000-square-foot facility has seating for 5,600 and contains a sports bar, simulcast betting facility, restaurants, banquet facilities, bars and snack bars. If you don't what jai-alai is, just think of it as an incredibly stylized handball where the ball speed reaches 180 miles an hour.
Where to Stay: There are several hotels within a mile of Fort Lauderdale Stadium, including the Holiday Inn Fort Lauderdale and the Red Roof Fort Lauderdale. As the stadium is inland, you'll probably need to rent a car anyway, so anyplace within the city of Fort Lauderdale will be convenient.
If you're planning on going to other training facilities on the Gold Coast, you'll want to choose a centrally located hotel. Recommended for its location is the Radisson Suite Airport (1808 S. Australian Dr.), West Palm Beach.
Flying In: Fort Lauderdale is home to Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and is served by all major airlines, including Delta, Continental, US Airways, America West, JetBlue, United, and American. You may also want to consider flying into Miami and then driving to Fort Lauderdale if the fare to Miami is significantly cheaper. The drive is only 40 miles.
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