Fort Lauderdale

After five nights in Key West, we pointed our Mustang convertible northeast toward the mainland, leaving hordes of weeping bartenders in our wake, and headed to Fort Lauderdale.

We'd rented the Mustang from Thrifty upon arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport, but indirectly, through a site called AutoSlash. Tell AutoSlash where and when you want to rent and it provides rates for various kinds of vehicles from a variety of companies. Make your choice, and AutoSlash makes the reservation for you and emails you confirmation and tracking numbers. But what sets AutoSlash apart is that it continues to seek discounts and coupons to apply to your rate and will rebook your reservation if it finds a lower rate.

In our case, the original rate was US$273 a week, all in. Within a few hours, AutoSlash had rebooked us at US$253. The next morning, we received a third email saying we were rebooked again at US$233. I was a little dubious, but everything worked out fine, and I would use AutoSlash again. Just be aware, that, as at many rental car counters, the rep will try to upsell you insurance coverage you already have with your own insurance policy and/or credit card.

We did purchase the full tank option so we wouldn't have to hunt for a gas station near the airport when we returned the car, and paid an additional $10 a day so Mrs. 500 Words could drive the car. She loved it: it brought out her inner Thelma (or Louise).

Fort Lauderdale is "where the boys are", the original home of spring break. Also known as the "Venice of America", it is built on land reclaimed from the Everglades in the early 20^th century and is crisscrossed with canals. It claims to be the yachting capital of the world, and yachting repair and servicing actually contributes more to the local economy than does tourism.

Certainly we saw thousands of yachts on a trip on the local water taxi and on a short cruise along the New River. Belonging to the .01% in the sports and entertainment industries, and the plutocracy of corporate America, a common sight was a $90 million yacht moored in front of a $50 million house. There were literally hundreds of billions on ostentatious display. Mind boggling.

The Water Taxi costs $20 for an all-day adult pass and is well worth it. It stops at many of the major hotels and shopping and dining areas. The crews also provide an entertaining description of local history and celebrity lore.

Las Olas Boulevard is the main shopping and dining street. Unfortunately, a banged-up foot limited my mobility and we didn't get the chance to check it out. Same for the white sand beach with the promenade. But lounging by the infinity edge pool of our beachfront hotel wasn't a bad way to console myself.

After three nights, we headed back to February in Ontario. But Fort Lauderdale and area is a place I'd like to go back to.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Sipping in the Sunshine State

Just back from a week in Florida, split between Key West and Fort Lauderdale. More on those two towns in upcoming posts, but I promised a special drinks post a while back and here it is.

Key West is a slightly less crazy version of New Orleans. Old Town is its French Quarter and Duval its Bourbon Street. Most of the shopping, bars, and restaurants are here, though some gems are tucked away elsewhere.

Camille's (1202 Simonton) serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the menu changes daily. The food is terrific and so are the drinks. "Denise's Medication", named for the owner, is a vodka martini with three olives that delivers fast-acting relief. The designated drinker (a.k.a. Mrs. 500 Words) assures me the Lemon Drop martini is also top-notch.

We stopped at Jimmy Buffet's Original Margaritaville (500 Duval) for some souvenirs. We had tried the Margaritas here when we were in Key West five years ago. Made with a commercial sour mix, they were disappointing.

Instead, go across the street to Willie T's (525 Duval), which has more than 30 kinds of Mojitos on the menu. The food is better than you'd expect.

A great place to catch the daily sunset celebration at Mallory Square is from Sunset Pier at the foot of Duval Street. Service is spotty, though. Best go up to the bar to order drinks or food. Begin the evening here and you can say you started your crawl at 1 Duval.

Another terrific spot for sunset viewing is the rooftop bar of the Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel (430 Duval), Key West's tallest building. Get your drinks from the bar inside before going outside to the patio, which is undergoing some sprucing up. Enter through the Starbucks at street level and take the elevator to the roof. Get there early if you want a seat.

The Rum Barrel (528 Front at Simonton) proved irresistible to the designated drinker. A confirmed rum fanatic, it took her quite a while to decide from among the more than 180 rums on offer (alas, none from Cuba). Good selection of micro beers too. Try the Capn' Kidd's Crock, a shrimp, crab, and spinach dip served with tortilla chips. Good service.

We were slowing down a bit by the time we hit Fort Lauderdale. Riding the water taxi along its entire route to stop 1, we had lunch at Shooters on the Intracoastal Waterway. The food was OK, but I suspect there was a problem with their draft lines, as both beers I sampled had the same musty odour and taste. I didn't finish them. Service was slow too.

The real highlight of our trip came on the final night when we stopped for a drink in the Wreck Bar at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel. This is the former Yankee Clipper Hotel, an iconic 1950's era Fort Lauderdale landmark built in the shape of an ocean liner. The bar itself is constructed to resemble the hold of a wooden sailing ship, and windows behind the bar offer a view into the deep end of the hotel pool. They still have an underwater "mermaid" swim show Friday night. A scene from the Robert De Niro/Billy Crystal movie Analyze This was filmed here, and Tim Dorsey sets a scene from his novel Nuclear Jellyfish here as well. Pure nostalgia.

Look for more on Key West and Fort Lauderdale in the next few days.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane