Roam, relax and recharge with LauderDeals savings, beaches and beyond
GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (September 2, 2020) – “Don’t miss the last chance for a summer staycation,” says Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “And it’s so easy to find wallet-friendly deals here.”
Greater Fort Lauderdale is the perfect place to find your oasis. With eight open beaches spread along 23 miles of golden sand and a total of 31 cities, you’ll find plenty of space to roam, relax and recharge this Labor Day weekend.
“Unwind at one of our all-inclusive resorts with a private beach, find your Zen as you navigate our waterways or wander among beautiful outdoor murals and lush gardens and parks,” adds Ritter. “And once you’re here, rest assured that the entire hospitality community is here to welcome you. We will keep your safety and wellness top of mind.”
Here’s a few recommendations for how you can escape and celebrate safely this holiday weekend.
Explore via kayak or SUP
Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard at West Lake Park in Florida’s Hollywood and paddle your way through winding mangrove-lined trails. Be on the lookout for osprey, vultures, crabs, turtles and ibis. If you paddle over to the connecting Anne Kolb Nature Center, you can visit the nature center or walk on beautiful boardwalk trails.
Snap the ultimate selfie
Florida’s Hollywood also offers Instagram-worthy backdrops with its 26 walkable outdoor murals. Take a self-guided tour of the Downtown Hollywood Mural Project. Curated, contemporary murals from international and domestic artists adorn the streets of this colorful district. Artists include Tatiana Suarez, Evoca1, Rone, The London Police, Jessy Nite, Ernesto Maranje, Logan Hicks and Kenny Scharf. Choose from flamingos, turtles, mermaids, portraits of notable personalities, and more for a postcard-worthy snap.
Satisfy your palate with something different
Satisfy your palate at Fort Lauderdale’s first food hall, Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery, in FATVillage. The newly-opened 40,000-square-foot indoor foodie village features a food hall with 11 unique food purveyors offering an eclectic range of international cuisine including Asian-fusion tapas, poke bowls, Taiwanese shaved ice, tacos and ceviche, French crepes, empanadas, pizza, vegan-raw selections, Nashville-style hot chicken, brisket-blend burgers and more. Entry is by advance reservation only for parties of one to four.
Social distance on your own floating tiki bar
Charter a Cruisin Tiki for your crew (up to 6 people) and enjoy a cruise along Fort Lauderdale’s historic New River on a one-of-a-kind floating tiki bar. They’ll provide a cooler with ice and water, so just bring your own food and drinks. Take in the waterway views, nice breezes and tropical tunes during this unique, special experience.
Enjoy a dinner cruise & show
Join a sightseeing cruise on the Jungle Queen Riverboat that is currently running at reduced capacity and implementing COVID-19 safety protocols. On this narrated tour along the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River, see Millionaire’s Row with homes of the rich and famous, downtown Fort Lauderdale and mega yachts. The dinner sightseeing cruise takes you to a tropical isle where you can feast on an all-you-can eat ribs and chicken dinner with all the trimmings. Afterwards, enjoy America’s longest-running variety show.
Shop, dock & dine
Stroll Las Olas Boulevard, also known as Fort Lauderdale’s Style Mile, for delectable dishes and sidewalk seating, shopping and art galleries. Drop into Ann’s Florist & Coffee Bar for macaroons, Panther coffee, antiques and sweet mementos. While on Las Olas, pick up a new outfit for the long weekend from Lily Pulitzer or Tommy Bahama, and then grab the perfect cooler or tumbler from YETI for enjoying the balmy days under the sun. Hop on the Water Taxi from the Las Olas stop on the New River and work your way to the beach or dock and dine at 15th Street Fisheries or Shooters Waterfront.
Workout and reward at Park & Ocean
For daytime kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding or bike riding, take advantage of the adventure rentals at Park & Ocean at the beachfront Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. After working up a sweat, sit back and relax at their outdoor picnic tables for Southern and Caribbean-inspired food and local craft beer as you take in the salty air, cool breeze and oceanfront views. This Labor Day weekend, the monthly full moon kayak tour falls on Friday, September 4. Venture together with glowsticks in hand as you follow your guide on a 1-hour nighttime paddle along an ancient and fresh water Coastal Dune Lake for a mile.
Wander in a tropical park
Venture into Tree Tops Park in Davie for winding nature trails and horseback riding. Climb up into the canopy of a 28-foot-tall observation tower and check out a bird’s eye view of the lush scenery. Ride horses in this oasis of ancient live oaks, tropical hammocks and wetlands. For more even more adventure, schedule an Everglades airboat ride with a boat just for your family group at Sawgrass Recreation Park.
Discover designer bargains
In nearby Sunrise, you’ll find the nation’s biggest luxury and designer outlet destination. The 2.1 million-square-foot Sawgrass Mills features more than 350 stores. The Colonnade Outlet at Sawgrass Mills features an open-air, palm-tree lined promenade including GUCCI, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Tag Heuer, Versace, David Yurman, Ralph Lauren and Saks OFF 5th. Fuel up between the bargains at many on-site eateries, such as Shake Shack, Seasons 52 and Yardhouse.
Save with LauderDeals
Labor Day weekend is a great time to take advantage of special savings offered in Greater Fort Lauderdale (available through September 30). Visit Lauderdale’s LauderDeals offer spectacular hotel packages, specially crafted $35 and $45 prix-fixe menus at more than 60 restaurants, 2-for-1 savings on attractions, $99 signature spa treatments and limited-time only promotions on experiences.
For visitor guidelines and local policies visit sunny.org/healthadvisory. Masks are required in all public places.
About Greater Fort Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale boasts an average year-round temperature of 77˚F and has 3,000+ hours of annual sunshine. Explore 4,000+ eateries, 300+ miles of navigable waterways, eight distinct beaches, a Greater Fort Lauderdale tourism industry thriving arts and culture scene, craft breweries, rooftop bars, outdoor adventure, and world-class shopping – all conveniently located in the center of South Florida. Made of up 31 municipalities, the destination boasts more than 35,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts and Superior Small Lodgings reflecting a cosmopolitan vibe. Upon arrival at FLL Airport (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport), it is just five minutes to the beach, Port Everglades, the Broward County Convention Center and downtown. For trip planning inspiration, visit sunny.org and follow @VisitLauderdale.
About Visit Lauderdale
Visit Lauderdale, a.k.a. the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) is the tourism marketing organization for Broward County, Florida, where more than 13 million annual visitors support 180,000 direct and indirect tourism jobs and spend over $8 billion. The GFLCVB markets Greater Fort Lauderdale’s community of 31 municipalities to a global audience of leisure and business travelers and books conventions into the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and area hotels and resorts. The GFLCVB produces marketing and brand campaigns to keep the destination top-of-mind with travelers and maintains relationships with and hosts site tours for travel journalists, social media influencers, meeting planners, sports event planners, tour operators and travel agents. For more information about the destination, visit sunny.org and follow @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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Media Contacts:
JoNell Modys
Visit Lauderdale
Tel: 954-767-2412
Email: jmodys@broward.org
Ivonne MacMillan
Visit Lauderdale
Tel: 954-767-2408
Email: imacmillan@browar