In Spanish Boca Raton literally means rat's mouth but Boca also means inlet so a nicer meaning of…read morethe name would be inlet mouse. This was a navigational reference to a jagged inlet. The first inhabitants of the area were the Tequesta Indians. Henry Flagler made the area accessible to pioneers when he brought the East Coast Railway into the area. In the 1900's Japanese immigrants farmed pineapples in the area. The town was incorporated in 1925 at the height of the Florida land boom. Noted architect Adisson Mizner turned his attention from Palm Beach when he was hired by the town to design a world class community. Through the years Boca Raton was a farming community as people grew vegetables, especially green beans. Through the 1960's the population grew attracting a new state university Florida Atlantic University. Today over 80,000 people call Boca Raton home. One of the things I love most about Boca Raton is the natural beauty throughout the city. It has several stunning beaches, including Red Reef Park and Spanish River Park, ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing. The Daggerwing Nature Center and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center are family friendly places to learn about conservation and hike. The new Boca Raton Airport Park is ideal for aviation enthusiasts while boaters flock to the Intracoastal Waterway. Sugarsand Park has one of the best playgrounds in South Florida. Dining opportunities in Boca Raton are diverse, with a mix of gourmet, trendy,, and beachfront eateries. Some of my top picks are Max's Grille, Vinny's Cafe, Cluck Face Nashville Hot Chicken, Trattoria Nonna, La Condesa Mexican Restaurant. Maggie McFly's, Lynora's, Cheffrey Eats, Mississippi Sweets BBQ, Calaveras Cantina, and V & S Italian Deli & Subs. Many cultural events, art, and food festivals are held throughout the year at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and Mizner Park Amphitheater. Shoppers can delight in the Town Center at Boca Raton Mall. Boca Raton is known for its upscale lifestyle, pristine beaches, and manicured neighborhoods. It is a town with a blend of beautiful Mediterranean Revival architecture, luxury, leisure, and charm. You can feel safe visiting while enjoying a variety of amenities.

A+ rated school system with a strong family values. Basically, every roadway is littered with…read moreshopping plazas that include a Starbucks. East Boca vs West Boca is an argument worthy of a heated discussion although not today. The City Center in Mizner Park provides entertainment and dignified restaurants for the entire family to enjoy. The Town Center Mall near the turnpike and Glades Road has a good selection of lively restaurants and retail stores.

I love to post reviews where I've had a long term perspective. Ft Lauderdale is one of my faves in…read moreSouth Florida for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which I lived there back in 1979. A nieve kid moved there looking to live by the ocean,fish,scuba dive,sail. However,it was a far different place then . Relatively undeveloped with respect to industry and jobs and totally different culture. Minimal urban sprawl or freeways. I did enjoy it for a year before returning to Texas. The clear tropical water,yacths parked in backyards, freshwater river. What's not to like. I've visited many times over the years and always wonder what my life would have held if I'd stayed. Ft Lauderdale should definitely be on your visit list if in south Florida.

The City of Fort Lauderdale is an international hot spot for beach goers, active night life,…read more affluent living along the intracoastal and on the Las Olas strip with the threat of rampid homelessness lurking at every corner fueled by the lower income residential community and mental issues in addition to halfway houses, community outreach programs and funded soup kitchens. Fort Lauderdale businesses and restaurants/bars thrive due to the influx of new residential rental sky rises forcing a continual influx of customers. The tri-rail, bus station, Fort Lauderdale Police & Fire Departments and a busy International Airport and Sea Port are strategically centrally located for easy access to all members of the population.

Most cities in Broward County have one main Welcome Sign posted strategically at a major…read moreintersection at the city's border. These posted Town of Davie welcome signs are at EVERY main intersection in Davie. Each brown wooden sign welcomes visitors to Davie and also alerts drivers to be aware of pedestrians, horses and bicyclists.

Another Little Free Library in the Emerald Hills Lakes Park donated by the Eagle Scout Project…read more Donate a book or take a book is the concept. Today I found this purple painted library near the park benches. It contained several books and a surprise item - an Apple iPhone. Every one of these libraries seem to have an item other than books and not sure this is a trend or not. Still was a great location for the book trade since their were tons of kids and parents here.

A three tier cement white with blue trim "Welcome to Fort Lauderdale" sign that greets visitors by…read morethe thousands each day as they travel northbound on Federal Hwy from Interstate 595. The upper tier is on dire need of repair with extreme peeling of the white paint. At night the sign is lit up for optimum visual effect. There are two hand painted Key West theme Adirondack chairs on the sides of the welcome sign making it difficult for drivers not to turn their heads as they pass by.

The 1969 Stonewall Uprising in NYC was a series of spontaneous, violent protests by LGBTQ+ people…read moreagainst a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village. It sparked activism and ignited the the modern gay rights movement in the United States. One of the results of the new call to activism was the founding of the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in 1973 by Mark N. Silber. In 2009 the current location opened next to Holiday Park on Sunrise Boulevard in a former Broward County Library branch. Admission is free. The John C. Graves Library contains material on LGBTQ+ topics. There are also two small exhibition areas, the Ross Gallery and Hester Gallery with changing exhibitions. One of the exhibits I saw was Amazon Rising: The Legacy of Wonder Woman presented by the Stonewall National Women's Fund with items from the Harriet Leyden Collection. Items chronicle Wonder Woman's comic book debut in 1941to her modern era. It is on display until February 17th along with Will You Wear My Pin? The Wearable History of Our Community. This is one of the largest LGBTQ lending libraries with 29,000 plus volumes and more than 6 million pages in the archives. Material are free to view but checking out requires a membership which costs $50. There are also rotating exhibits, panel discussions, films, and author presentations. A visit to the Stonewall National Museum and Archives can be combined with Art Serve next door which also has a free exhibit gallery.

We came here to see their exhibit on Wonderwoman. Who knew…read morethere was so much Wonderwoman memorabilia? Lunch boxes, pez, pins, posters. They also had another exhibit on MLK and the man who organized the march in Washington DC.

They do not enforce the 15 and 45 they will bring the draw bridge 10 minutes before its time, as if…read moreboats are more important that local traffic

Situated between the Commercial Boulevard and the Sunrise Boulevard bascule bridges at Intracoastal…read moreWaterway Mile Marker 1060.6, the Oakland Park Beach Boulevard Bascule Bridge has a 22-foot closed vertical clearance with 88 feet of horizontal clearance at the center span. Several restaurants and businesses are located just feet from this bridge, such as Shooters Waterfront and Thasos Greek. This is a busy bridge connecting the Galt Mile with the rest of Fort Lauderdale. Some reference information for boaters.... Mile Marker: 1060.5 Lat / Lon: N 26° 10.043' / W 080° 06.232' Bridge Type: Bascule Vertical Clearance (Closed): 22.00 ft. Horizontal Clearance: 88.00 ft. Schedule: The draw shall open on the quarter-hour and three-quarter hour. VHF Channel: 9

As both a bibliophile and an architourist, the Brockway Memorial Library is a real treat. It is one…read moreof the many architectural gems that gives Miami Shores its character. If your interests include books, architecture, or local history this library is well worth a visit. The Brockway Memorial Library was built in 1948 with a $50,000 gift from philanthropist George A. Brockway, a truck manufacturer from Cortland, New York. The land was donated by Bessemer Properties, the company that led the incorporation of the Village of Miami Shores in 1932. Designed by architect Edwin T. Reeder in a modern tropical Florida style, the building features a great room with high exposed-beam ceilings, wood-paneled alcoves, coral stone, and three limestone fireplaces. In recognition of its architectural and historical significance, the library received local historic designation in 2023. The library officially opened to the public in 1949 with a collection of 4,182 donated volumes under the leadership of librarian Helen O'Connell Borsch. Over the decades, it has expanded several times, in 1955, 1960, 1984, 2002, and most recently in 2023 to accommodate a collection that now exceeds 70,000 volumes. The interior was designed by Haygood Lasseter, who also worked on President Harry S. Truman's Little White House in Key West. One of the library's most notable directors was Elizabeth Esper, whose remarkable 45-year tenure helped shape the institution. Today, the library also houses the Miami Shores Archives, a historical research facility preserving photographs, documents, and public records dating back to 1925. In front of the library stands a blue historic marker that is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Florida Division of Historical Resources' most recognizable public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found at historic buildings, schools, churches, colleges, cemeteries, archaeological sites, battlefields, and historic districts. Historical Marker F-1273 was installed in 2024 by the Miami Shores Historic Preservation Board and the Florida Department of State to honor this community landmark.

El sitio es acogedor. Las bibliotecarias gritan como locas, todo el tiempo. Hoy por la tarde una de…read moreellas, veinte minutos antes de cerrar, comenzó a recorrer los pasillos y gritaba: "Time" Time". Una pena. Además, no sé por qué cierran más temprano que el resto de las biblitotcas. Sábado a las 3 de la tarde. Alguien debería explicarles que en una biblioteca que habla en voz baja y no se está todo el tiempo en el teléfono.