fun things to do in fort lauderdale/miami?
 

hi,
my boyfriend and i are going on a last-minute trip to fort lauderdale/miami and we're looking for some fun things to do...i've heard there is a racetrack in fort lauderdale and a butterfly reserve, but i'm also interested in things to do at night, as well as day.
anyone have any suggestions? we're leaving really soon, so your help is VERY much appreciated!

I'm not familiar enough with the things to do in Ft.Lauderdale to give advice, In Miami you have everything from South Beach, to Key Biscayne, to the Miami Seaquarium, and even a day cruise to the Bahamas if you wanted to.
The possibilities in Miami are endless.

walk around Las Olas Blvd. in Lauderdale and Ocean Drive in South Beach-lots of cool shops and restaurants, take a water taxi on the intracoastal, go to Jaxon's in Dania for great ice cream (while you're in Dania you can check out Jai-Alai), get lost in the Sawgrass Mills mall (it's huge!), enjoy the beach!

At nighttime in Fort Lauderdale, try the Riverwalk area on the New River. Lots of restaurants and bars, right on the river (of course.). If you want something upscale, go east on Las Olas Blvd. $$$! But really nice!

The butterfly preserve is on the north side of Broward County, off the Turnpike at Sample Road. It's called Butterfly World, and it's inside of a county park there. It's not cheap, but I recommend it highly. You stand in the flight areas and butterflies just land right on you!

Lauderdale by the Sea is my favorite beach area, rather than down in Fort Lauderdale, but that's just me. The tiki bar's right on the beach. You don't have to cross a street for refreshments.

Someone else will have to help you with Miami. I personally don't go south of the border. (No need to.)

An airboat tour of the Everglades is a lot of fun. I took one at Everglades Holiday Park and I did enjoy it.

http://www.evergladesholidaypark.com/

Also forgot to mention that Las Olas Boulevard is the main street in downtown Ft. Lauderdale for dining and nightlife.

I'd suggest Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (LBTS)beach too. LBTS has a bar called Mulligans and a nice restaurant called Aruba or Oasis, the restaurant having a live band on the weekend, both are in the vicinity of of El Mar Drive and Commerce Avenue. Quiet walking town at night. At A1A & Commerce in LBTS there is a really nice shop called Macs Groves that is a touristy shop with very nice items of clothing, fudge, fragrances, household items and you can even buy Key Lime Pie at the small cafe adjoining it if you'd like.

From the Ft. Lauderdale area you may want to visit the Keys. I did that in 2001. Drove as far south as Key Largo and took a glass bottom boat in John Pennekamp Park out to the coral reef. At that same park entrance you can also go snorkeling. I'd spend some time in South Beach also. Miami is really close to Ft. Lauderdale and SB is really trendy and the art deco building are quite attractive in pastel colors. However, when doing research the rooms were not that big in size (I like descent sized rooms), therefore my recommendation of Ft. Lauderdale.

By all means go to Sawgrass Mills Mall and shop! The savings are unbelievable -- 350 stores -- mostly outlet. Watch out re cab fare though since it's $30-90 from the beach each way. Try www.adaymoretours.com or some other tour company to get a fixed rate ride and tips before you go.

I recently visited both places and just posted detailed trip reports on them. Click on my posting name and you'll find one post on Ft. Lauderdale attractions, another on Miami attractions, and a third on food experiences in Miami as well as a couple other Florida destinations.

i frequently find myself on ft. lauderdale beach. it's a great place to go just for the beach, but if you're into the night life, the elbo room is a good spot to go, as well as the rock bar. there are hotels right off of A1A, a one minute walk across the street to the beach. las olas has some very nice restaurants just down the road from the beach. south beach, to me, is a more part-intensive version of ft. lauderdale. both are really great for the hot sun and cool ocean.

bb