This adventure really began on the 13th when Plantation Bay friends drove us to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale so we could make our morning boarding time on Saturday. This bucket list adventure will take 18 days and we will disembark in San Francisco, but the trip will not end there but start another phase. More on that later. We will be well into the trip when the postings start to appear and will be sent in groups because internet service on the sea and in some ports will be spotty or non-existent. So, we are off exploring Fort Lauderdale.

The last time I was in the city was too many years ago – in college. All I remember back then was the ocean, canals, and the friends I travelled with.  The main street in the town center is Las Olas Blvd, lined with all the shopping and dining establishments you could want. We walked it choosing our lunch and dinner options. The city is also noted for its Riverwalk which is lined with artwork and many bridges that lets boat traffic move to the harbor, ocean, or intracoastal waterway. Boat traffic has the right of way and auto traffic is stopped every 15 minutes or so to let the watercraft proceed. Along the walk we decided to take a 3-block detour to visit the Museum of Discovery and Science, an interactive museum which would keep any curious kid (or adult) fascinated for a full day. In our case since we only had two hours we opted for two IMAX movies – a documentary on the climbing of Mt. Everest and a 3D exploration of Ireland. After dinner we headed back to our hotel for needed shut eye.