fireflyparents

We will be in Fort Lauderdale, Miami area for 7 days during the holidays. We have a 8yr old and a 2.5yrs old boys with us. We will be renting a car so travelling will not be a problem. I am assuming that the water will be too cold to step in during that time but will it be okay to sit on the beach ? The kids love sand so I am hoping to spend some time there. Where else can we go and what else should we do? Not everything needs to be centered around kids activities.
I will appreciate any input. Any fodorites living around that area? Also some kid-friendly places to eat in?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Buzliteyear

We just got back from Sunny Isle Beach which is right between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

3 suggestions:

1. South Beach - Take A1A and head down to South Beach for an afternoon. It is bizarre, safe, and there is a lot to look at.

2. Key Biscayne - KB is beautiful. There is a park where you can rent bikes and tour the key. There is also a lighthouse where you can walk to the top. Good adventure for little guys.

3. Bayshore Marketplace - It is located in Miami overlooking the water and the Cruise Ships. It is a festive, mall-type outdoor place, and it is fun too.

Good luck.

kelliebellie

The water will be plenty warm to swim. We do Christmas in Boca and Naples every year and there are tons of people swimming.

Here is a fun place your kids would enjoy. It is basically a big parking lot fair with a Christmas theme:

http://www.santasenchantedforest.com/

Here is a great restaurant on the water in Ft. Lauderdale. The tables are covered with newspaper and they give you little hammers to whack at the garlic crabs. It is near the airport:

http://www.rusticinn.com/

North of Ft. Lauderdale, almost to West Palm, is a drive through animal park. They also have an area where you can walk around with animals and rides and you can feed the giraffes.

http://www.lioncountrysafari.com/

In Miami you have the aquarium and Parrot Jungle:

http://www.miamiseaquarium.com/

http://jungleisland.com/

JulieVikmanis

Just a little (like maybe 5 miles) north of Ft. Lauderdale, you can see Butterfly World. It's an amazing place that shows the growth of butterflies, has several flower filled screened rooms with butterflies of every color flying about, a parrots, lorakeets that perch on kids easily, and a couple of areas with small multicolored birds that are allowed to fly freely. The foliage is fantastic with a special exhibit of passion flowers. At one point during my walk through the butterfly areas I actually had 3 butterflies light upon me--all at once. This is a world class place. They export their butterfly eggs all over the world. It's a bit expensive, probably about 16.95 per adult entry, less for kids, but it's really worthwhile. Educational, beautiful and fun.

JulieVikmanis

Hollywood, south of Ft. Lauderdale has what they call a "Broadwalk" It's a 2 mile long strip of asphalt (not boards) that parallels the beautiful beach that has won awards there. On one side you have a broad swath of sand with lots of folks under umbrellas sunning themselves along the water, and on the other side there is a continuous line of inexpensive eateries representing lots of different nationalities, beachwear boutiques, and mom and pop type hotels and guesthouses. There are tourists from all over the world walking along, enjoying the son and speaking every imaginable tongue. It's beautiful. It's tacky. It's endlessly interesting. And it's free--except for the parking (bring plenty of quarters) and whatever you choose to buy to munch on or get as a souvenir of your trip.

JulieVikmanis

A few more things available to do in Ft. Lauderdale area:
Ride the water bus up and down the intracoastal waterway
Go shopping and browsing on Las Olas Boulevard, one of the cutest and classiest shopping areas around
Soak up a bit of culture at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art (and the Bass Museum and the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach)
See and walk on the beautiful Ft. Lauderdale beach where George Hamilton and Delores Hart filmed "Where the Boys Are"

In the Miami area
Go to the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables where Esther Williams used to swim
If you enjoy nature and gardening, go to Fairchild Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in this country. You can take a tram to see most of the area and then walk as much as the kids' legs will permit.
Go to Viscaya, the mansion owned by Charles (I think) Deering of tractor fame, pretty close to a castle on the ocean.

Any hotel you walk into will probably have a big display of brochures and flyers telling you all about these and lots of other attractions in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.

fireflyparents

A big thank you for all the replies! I am chalking down my itenary based on this post. I am more excited than ever and eagerly look forward to do as much as we can in our one week stay.

I was wondering if anyone took any boat ride or any of the duck tours? the tickets looked kind of expensive so I was hoping to get some feedback.

Buzz, Kellie and Julie, Thank you again for all the inputs. You have been a great help! Travelling used to be a lot easier for me when I had my older son because he was such a good traveller. The younger one on the other hand is a different story and I try to be as prepared as I can while visiting any new place with him. Having a planned schedule always helps our trips.

mp

The Venetian pool is closed until April 30, 2009 for a renovation.

JulieVikmanis

I think the water buses in Ft. Lauderdale are $15 per day for adult tickets. No idea of the cost for kids, sorry. They can serve as a combination of sightseeing and transportation. They make stops at several restaurants along the intracoastal. Taverna Opa is a good place to go for dinner on the water (not open for lunch) Good Greek food. Shooters next door is your standard hamburger, etc. place but it's also open for lunch and has nice water seating as well--both reachable by water bus. Do some Google searching (and on this site) using key terms like Ft. Lauderdale Water bus, and Butterfly World, etc. and you should be able to get plenty of info about the sights I've mentioned. In fact the Butterfly World site has a coupon for a couple dollars off admission.

If you're into shopping at all, Sawgrass Mills is supposed to be one of the biggest outlet malls in the world--and it is big, really, really big. It has things for kids, including Wanadoo City, where kids can go to play various careers. It's a pretty costly thing though and probably takes all day. I've never investigated it, but you might want to check it out.

mp, thanks for giving the update on the closing of the Venetian pool. Would hate to send someone to a place that's closed.

gail

Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach area - you drive your car thru a series of large animal habitats - lions, giraffes, antelopes, elephants - and often they walk close to your car. Then there is a small zoo type area at the end.

GoTravel

NO! Do not go to Bayside Marketplace!

Buz gave you excellent ideas except for Bayside. It has really started to fall off and get seedy in recent months.

Totally agree with Key Biscayne and Bill Baggs State Park.

Miami Metro Zoo!

Vizcaya

Tours from Dr.George from the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.

aliska

for a day trip, you can drive to Key Largo, there is a great boat ride at the Pennecamp Coral Reef Park. We have done this twice and my kids loved looking at all the aquatic life you see on the glass bottom boat. There is a park area, you can rent canoes or kayaks as well. We have brought picnic lunches and spent a whole day there. You can Google the park, make sure you understand when the boat ride runs so you don't miss it.

MiamiBeachMomma

I have a few more kid friendly things to add.

Across the Highway from Jungle island you will find - very close to South Beach and Downtown -
Children's Museum
http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/

Young at Art - near Ft. Lauderdale but further west -
http://www.youngatartmuseum.org/

Miami Science Museum
http://www.miamisci.org/
always has cool exhibits and is across the street from Vizcaya
http://www.miamidade.gov/vizcaya/
which is a great place for a picnic on a beautiful day.

Grab a meal on Lincoln Road - on South Beach - fun to hang out outside and people watch. My kids love to hang out here.
http://www.lincolnroad.org/

Check out South Florida Parenting - they put out a calendar for what's happening in town for the month.
http://www.southflorida.com/sfparenting/

Enjoy your visit. The weather has been perfect!!

fireflyparents

Awesome! Now I feel 7days might not just be enough to see everything!
I wanted an opinion -- Do you guys think I should buy the entertainment book? It costs $25 and although I can see online what all attractions and restaurants are included, it does not show me the actual coupon so I am not sure about the restrictions it carries.

keymom

You guys must fit in a trip to the Everglades. You'll drive about 1.5 hours south of Ft.L on the turnpike and end up in Florida City. There is a traffic light where the turnpike ends (Shell gas station on far left corner). Turn right and follow the road. Stop when you get to "Robert is Here (can't miss it) for milk shakes and fresh fruit. Then keep driving to the National Park visitor center. spend a little time in there but don't dawdle. You want to get to the Anhinga Trail (about 15 min further on). It's a 1/2 mile boardwalk chock full of gators, birds, and more. It's even stroller friendly.
You could continue on from here to the Keys or head back home and some beach time.

sulobo

My wife and I will be down between Xmas and New Years I am curious to know if there are boats that do the xmas light display for millionaire row

sharone

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