On Saturday, we took a road trip to the Pompano Beach area to sight see the area. We found…read morerecommendations to see the Hillsboro Lighthouse and the museum. We love to visit lighthouses when we can and decided to see this also. At Hillsboro Park, we came across this museum and decided to explore. It is a one room museum filled with information about the lighthouse that was built in 1907. You can sign up for boat tours to visit the Lighthouse once a month thru the museum. It is free. Only 8 people can comfortably fit inside, so there is a waitline. But it goes fast. Some people choose to climb up the outside of the Lighthouse at their own risk. Others climb the 175 stairs inside to get to the top. This museum is not funded by the US government, so they offer Lighthouse items for sale at this museum to maintain the Lighthouse and Museum. They sell t-shirts, pictures, postcards, attire, mugs, booklets, and other items. The lady who works here was very helpful in explaining the history of the Hillsboro Lighthouse. She is very nice and welcomes everyone. It was a pleasure to learn about the Museum. We also enjoyed the park it is located at.

There is a tiny museum dedicated to the Hillsboro Lighthouse in Roy L. Rogers Family Park also…read moreknown as Hillsboro Inlet Park. You have to pay for parking in the lot at the meter. The park offers a beautiful view of the boats in the inlet and a view of the Hillsboro Lighthouse. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Museum is around the corner from the restrooms, blink and you might miss it. The one room museum is run by the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society which was founded in 1997 to preserve the Hillsboro Lighthouse which is located across the inlet from the museum. The Preservation Society does not get any funding from the US government. All of the money that goes to keeping the lighthouse operating is provided by their fundraising and whatever grants they can get. To raise money they sell lighthouse memberships and they give tours once a month. The land the lighthouse sits on is controlled by the US Coast Guard so you can only visit during the Preservation Society's tours. They also sell lighthouse themed items while giving the tours and in the museum. They host a lighthouse gala once a year and sell tickets to that as well. The small museum at Hillsboro Inlet park is only one room. They sell shirts, lighthouse themed items, postcards, notecards, mugs, plates, and coasters. Displays in the museum focus on information about the Hillsboro Lighthouse and The Barefoot Mailmen who were eleven US postal workers who delivered the mail in South Florida from 1885 to 1893 by walking barefoot on the beach from Palm Beach to Miami. Before the mailman started the route, a letter from Lake Worth to Miami could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to arrive and would be routed through Cuba. The annual salary of a Barefoot Mailman was $600 a year. The trip started on Monday and took three days to get to Miami, Then they would turn around and come back for a round trip of 136 miles. Eighty miles were walking and fifty six miles were by boat. The three day trek down the coast was not without it's danger. You can find statues and markers dedicated to them all down the coast from Lantana to Miami. Barefoot Mailman James "Ed" Hamilton mysteriously vanished in 1897 while crossing the Hillsboro Inlet. The mystery of what happened to Hamilton is fascinating. Was he eaten by an alligator, killed by native people, or did he drown? No one will ever know. The museum is staffed by a Preservation Society volunteer who donates their time. The next lighthouse tour is February 11th on shuttle boats leaving from Sands Harbor Dock. The museum is open seven days a week from 11am until 3pm and on tour days it opens at 10 am. If you love the lighthouse as I do drop in for a visit to the museum or for a lighthouse tour and support the Lighthouse Preservation Society in their mission to keep the lighthouse open and accessible to everyone.

A strong historic landmark across from Mizner Park is the red and black Atlantic Coastline trains…read morenext to the old train station that unfortunately as found our just now, no longer operates as a museum, and is rented for certain functions. Other than the trains in the open parking lot, the old museum is chained off to avoid public access.

The parking lot has two big stationary trains from an old railway company. The original train…read morestation is behind the trains but access is forbidden to the public and is chained off. On Dixie Hwy down the street from Mizner Park and offers great historic pics. Not sure why there are not more Yelps on this Boca landmark since thousands of drivers pass it everyday.

In the 1920's, during Florida's land boom years, women's clubs were formed as a way to give back to…read morethe community with civic projects. They became an outlet for women to get out of the house and to assert their independence by allowing them to get involved in politics during a time when they were expected to be homemakers. Women's clubs helped to launch the women's rights movement. The Pompano Beach Women's Club was organized in 1910 and was incorporated in 1921. They reorganized in 1947 and became Federated State and General in 1949. On January 25, 1966 the ground was broke on the club building and and it was dedicated on June 12, 1966. For 100 years the Pompano Beach Women's Club has been serving the community. Their goal is "to be of service to others through friendship, opportunity to serve, fun, entertainment, citizenship in the community, personal growth and development. In addition to their service they are also a social club with card parties. I stopped by the Women's Club to attend the holiday bazaar with crafts, jewelry, and holiday items for sale. A yard sale benefiting the Pompano Beach Historical Society was also taking place across the street. On December the 3rd, the Women's club will be hosting a sock hop and toy drive. Admission is $10 and an unwrapped toy.

A cool Fire Museum in Pompano that is operated by volunteers. Located next door to Pompano Beach…read moreHistorical Society. Call to make an appointment to see the two original working fire trucks and learn about the history of the area.

The Pomp is a 223-acre, $2 billion mixed-use development in Pompano Beach at the Harrah's Pompano…read moreBeach casino site. It was also the site of the former Pompano Park racetrack. The development is being constructed by the Cordish Companies and Caesars and it will be a premier destination for entertainment and dining, It will also be a residential hub with 4,000 residences. I have been eagerly following the development of The Pomp. I have visited the Top Golf and currently the only other business open is Harrah's Casino. Businesses slated to open include Costco, Sports & Social, and PBR Cowboy Bar. There will also be office space and luxury hotels. Pompano Beach has lacked a downtown and a centralized, mixed use centers like other towns have. The Pomp will create jobs and a place where people can come together for food, entertainment, work, and to live. So far it is off to a great start.

The Art Stroll is an annual art fair formerly known as the Festival of the Arts. The event is…read morehosted by the City of Deerfield Beach and the Deerfield Beach Historical Society and Cultural Council. The festival is being held between 2nd and 4th streets along Ocean Ave on February 17th and 18th. It is next to the Deerfield Beach Pioneer Days Festival. Art Stroll features different tents set up selling paintings, photography, jewelry, sculptures, and mixed media art. A lot of the art is ocean themed which goes along perfectly with its beach side location. The most unique thing I saw was a woman's torso getting painted. There was also a tent for the Hillsboro Historical Society and Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society. The location is beautiful and the weather was perfect. Parking can be a bit tricky. The area closest to the beach is closed off. By the time I arrived the city beach garage was already full. If you don't mind a half mile walk you can park at Sullivan Park for free and walk the J.D. Butler Bridge over the Intracoastal to the beach. Once you get to the beach there is plenty of shopping, food, entertainment, and alcohol courtesy of a fundraiser for the Deerfield Beach Historical Society.

Several of the businesses here operate on appointment only concept which consume a majority of the…read morefree parking for thirty minutes to an hour. The Your Patio Store is the anchor of the plaza. There are a few eateries which include Porfa Coffee, Times Square Pizza and PS Green Cafe but parking is a frustrating disaster with decrepit ancient meter parking monitored by the City of Fort Lauderdale - unsure if they actually work. The traffic is influenced by the intersection of the Coral Ridge Mall. Not a fan of this plaza, although a few decent businesses. A weak three stars is pushing the limit.

Located at one of the busiest intersections in Broward County, N Federal Hwy and East Oakland Park…read moreBlvd, you will find this MiMo gem, the Times Square shopping center. MiMo refers to the architecture style Mid-century modern. Started in Germany after WWII, it is a style that was popular from the mid-1930s to mid-1960s. The hallmarks of the design are simplicity and functionality. Expect to see sleek lines, little ornamentation, gentle organic curves, and mixed materials. Mid Century Modern is considered Broward's signature architecture. The Time Square shopping plaza was designed by architect Charles McKirahan in 1954 and built in 1957. McKirahan was one of the most noted mid-20th-century architects in Fort Lauderdale. He married his architect school girlfriend and together they founded a firm with more than 100 architects which they expanded internationally. McKirahan's architectural studio was located in the shopping center. He is responsible for the stunning A-frame of the the original Mai-Kai. For this plaza his design elements included screen block walls, geometric forms and glazed curtain walls. Sadly he passed away at the young age of 44 in a car accident. His son Charles "Chuck" McKirahan followed in his parents footprints and also became a celebrated architect. While the Ft. Lauderdale historical society did a great job of preserving the pioneer history of Ft. Lauderdale along the New River, this shopping center did not receive the same treatment from the Historic Preservation Board. It was renovated in 2019. The most prominent building on U.S. 1, a curved building with red brick screen wall, had the defining wall removed and replaced with sliding glass doors. Today you can still see some of the MiMo design elements McKirahan added but it is looking a little run down. The plaza has a furniture store, Times Square Pizza, and Smarty Pants, a bar to name a few of the businesses. If you are a local you have probably passed this plaza a thousand times without a second glance on your way to the beach. True fans of architecture and history know however that is worth a second glance.

So much history to offer at the historical society and two historic houses. The admin building has…read morethe collections of photographs, documents, newspapers and artifacts. The Kester Cottage Museum is a historic house and exhibit about the history of the town. Tours are by appointment only, but they are lovely. The house has period furniture and a Christmas tree with vintage bubble lights. The exhibits chronicles the town activities from businesses to people.

The purpose of the Pompano Beach Historical society is to collect and preserve the history of…read morePompano Beach, the second oldest city in Broward County and the fifth oldest city in South Florida. Pompano Beach was incorporated in 1908. You can find the building for the historical society in Founders Park. The Historical Society holds many events in the city. I recently took their historical bus tour that began in the Kester Cottages in Founders Park and for two hours visited historical buildings in the city including the Bailey Hotel which now houses the BaCA Art Center in downtown, the Ali Building, the Sample McDougald House, and the Hillsboro Lighthouse Museum. Tours are $15 and the next one is March 9th. The Historical Society also runs the Pompano Green Market Saturday mornings across from City Hall. The market hearkens back to Pompano's roots as a farming community. Another event they are holding is the annual progressive dinner on February 20th which hosts a three course meal at three different historic sites in the city. The historical society also hosts lectures and public programs. They are currently seeking donations to refurbish the 1930's mule plow that resides in front of the Kester cottages. With so many great events the Historical Society truly offers something for everyone. You can sign up to volunteer, donate money, or see their schedule of events on their website.