Beaches

Growing up in what is considered suburbia, I would often come across those who claim "There isn't anything to do in Florida." I would know I was one of those people, but I opened my eyes to the many possibilities of entertainment here in South Florida. For example, all throughout summer of the best places one can go to down here is the beach.

In Broward, the best known beaches we all knew about were Hollywood Beach and Dania Beach Ocean Park. Although the two are next to each other, they are two different environments all together.

Dania Beach Ocean Park, a lovely and quiet beach that faces the blue Atlantic Ocean, just North of Hollywood Beach.

 One of the main attractions Dania Beach's Ocean Park has is the fishing pier.

 Some consider it to be one of the best fishing spots in Florida, it is open from 6am until midnight. The pier also has a Quarterdeck restaurant attached to the front entrance, for those who are fans of the restaurant. If Quarterdeck is a little too pricey, there is also an alternative sports bar at the opposite end of Ocean Park.

Dania Beach Grill. There happy hour lasts from 4-7pm, offering two dollars on draft beer. I highly suggest trying to wings at this bar, un breaded and cooked thoroughly, perfectly sauced all over in their spicy buffalo sauce. Hmmm delicious with a side of fries. Dania beach is the place to go to get away from the the noise pollution.

If you travel a little further South, you will come across Broward's own Hollywood Beach. Founded by Joseph Young in 1920, "Hollywood by the Sea" has been apart of South Florida tourist history. 96 years later and Hollywood beach is still standing and bringing more and more tourist every day.

 Ever since the opening of Margaritaville on N Ocean Drive, more tourist have been venturing to Hollywood. They have an public parking garage that offers $12 all day parking, if that is too steep for your pockets the parking garage on Garfield offers $1.50 an hour parking and a glorious view as well.

'Right in front of this Garfield garage is a little restaurant that is a must try for first time Hollywood Beach tourists.

Florio's Restaurant, in my opinion is has the best pizza on the beach. Either eat inside the restaurant or order at their takeout window, you will not be disappointed.Their brooklyn style pizza is made fresh and is served right out the oven, the cheese and sauce just melts in your mouth with each bite. Order up a side of garlic knots and you'll be in carb heaven! There are also various other ice cream parlors and restaurants to try, not even I have tried them all and I've been living in Florida for about twenty years,

There are many beaches here in South Florida that are fun to go to, no matter what time of the year. You can walk the boardwalk, bike, skate, or rent a family bicycle to ride, swim in the water, play soccer, football volleyball in the sand, or drink at the various bars. Or check out the various things to do at Margaritaville.
 Or walk more North to get some secluded beaches. Being bored in South Florida can be solved easily by going to the beach. Remember your sunblock!

(All photos were taken by me)

How to plan the perfect trip

It is summertime, vacation time for those who are in school and grind time for those who are working as well. But why not have a little fun this summertime. Right now there are summer deals with certain airlines and many more things to do over the summer. I, myself enjoy taking little road trips with my friends and most of the time, if planned correctly, they are perfect. I’m going to give a little advice today on how to plan the perfect trip. Keep in mind I don’t exactly mean a big luxurious trip, but one good enough to keep in your memory books with your friends. Being a part-time college student and a part-time worker I don’t have that much money to my name but that doesn’t stop me from seeing and doing things. Living in Florida, there are always places to go and things to do as long as you have the means to do it. I try to go on a little adventure at least one every week or so, depending on the work schedule. One doesn’t have to be a part of a travel club to be able do things. With the proper research and budgeting you can still have a ball.

The first thing I do when it comes to planning trips is to choose when I would want to travel. Would I want to go somewhere for the summer or winter? Do I want to see snow or be in a tropical area? Do I want to stay in state or go out of state? Simple questions like that. I also take into consideration if there is a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday coming up. My friends and I, we like to travel places for our birthdays. I like to start contemplating the trip at least 6 months ahead to get a general idea of what I want to do, and then a month and half before the actual date start getting everything ready. That is just me personally, everyone differs when it comes to planning. You can plan 6 months ahead or two weeks ahead, as long as you plan out everything.

Picking what you want to do and where can be difficult for some people. Take into consideration some of your favorite subjects and shows to get a general idea on where you would like to go. For example, my favorite travel channel show is Ghost Adventures, for one of my vacation trip I chose to visit a town they went to in one of their episodes. Or use things like Pinterest to get ideas on where to go. For example, let’s say one loves all things historic, many states have historic districts, plan a trip to one. Once I’ve picked where I want to go, I looked at what there is to do at that location. I looked at the events going on in the city and “must go” places that are recommended online. I also looked at highly rated (but affordable) restaurants in the town. Also look to see if certain attractions you’re visiting gives discounts for those in college or in the military, which will always help when it comes to the budget. Planning where and what to do can give the trip much more structure and can give a general time frame for each place to see.

Once I picked where to go and what I want to do, I then start looking for a place to sleep. Finding the right hotel can be a little frustrating to young travelers because some places do not book rooms for those under the age of twenty-one. You have to look around and see what hotel will book for eighteen and up. For me, I use hotels.com to help me look for great hotel deals. I am not a picky person when it comes to hotels, it’s not like I’m spending all day at the hotel anyway. On hotels.com they have given me very affordable deals and if you connect it to your email you will get notifications on your android phone about the trip. Unless you have a relative to stay with this is your best option.

Once I’ve picked why, where, when, and what to do, I start to think about the “who” in my five W’s. Invite friends on the trip, traveling is always better with your best friends. I will never travel alone for safety and entertainment measures. Traveling with a friend can also help save more, splitting the cost of things is the best way to do it. By this point I will have figured out the total amount of money needed to for the hotel and attraction. Splitting this between the amounts of people coming along will lower the cost you have to pay yourself. Once you’ve figured that calculation, start adding other necessities, things like:

·         Gas money or airfare

·         Possible rental car

·         Money for drinks (pregame at the hotelroom)

·         Spending money

o   Money for food

o   Money for gifts/souvenirs

Once I’ve figured out how much I need myself, I just start saving after each paycheck. Figure out how much you’ll need to save and start putting it away. For example, if a trip costs $800 and you get paid $300 weekly, put away $75 each paycheck. You would reach that $800 goal in 11 paychecks if planned properly. Manage the time and money differently if you're a last minute planner. Get hype about it too, don’t think of the money you put away or else you’ll be tempted to touch it. Now all you have to do is tell your job or school about your upcoming vacation and go enjoy yourself. I know when I do it this way I have the time of my life. Have fun!

 

My Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving holiday was fun for me. I enjoyed eating good food and spending time with all my family. Every Thanksgiving and Easter I go to my grandmother's house to eat and talk to my Dad's side of the family. After we eat we always either pull out the old photo albums or my dad and his brothers discuss things they used to do when they were little. Which is good and it makes me realize they lived the definition of YOLO. They did things like mooning people, fight, jump off cliffs into the water, surf, and constantly go on adventures. It makes me realize how Americanized I am. I can't do the things my dad and mom did because they lived in another country. They had fun and ran wild, I'd be look down upon by society if I acted like how my dad was. I mean I could try to do things like he did but the way the law is and where I am, it may not work that way