DK Travel : Miami : Gold Coast Highway A1A

Gold Coast Highway A1A

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The very best way to get a feel for the quality of life along the Gold Coast is to take a leisurely drive north on A1A. The road hugs the beach almost all the way and passes through some of the most beautiful natural settings and some of the wealthiest communities in the U.S. The 50-mile (80-km) route can be traversed in a day, but it’s worth spending more time to take in the local color, from tropical nature preserves to fabulous mansions, all within sight of the sugary blond sands and the azure Atlantic.
Fort Lauderdale has many facilities for gay visitors See Gay and Lesbian Venues & Gay and Lesbian Hotels Want to continue farther north on A1A? See A1A North along the Treasure Coast

Top 10 Sights

1. The Broadwalk

1. The Broadwalk

This famous stretch of Hollywood Beach runs from South Sunset Road to Sheridan, where 2.5 miles (4 km) of shops, bars, and restaurants abound, best of all the French-Caribbean fusion of Sugar Reef.

The Broadwalk
2. John U. Lloyd Beach State Park

2. John U. Lloyd Beach State Park

This long barrier island of gardens and forests commands views of busy Port Everglades and a beach historically significant as one designated for African-Americans, in the days of segregation. It’s now a gay destination (see Gay and Lesbian Venues).
3. Graves Museum of Archaeology and Natural History

Exhibits here include dinosaur fossils, dioramas of prehistoric Florida, African wood-carvings, Pre-Columbian pottery figures, Minoan bronzes, Egyptian statuary, and Native American collections. The museum’s usually a big hit with kids.
4. Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale

4. Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale’s main street boasts upscale shops and excellent eateries. At the river end, Las Olas Riverfront is a colorful theme mall, from which the Riverfront Canal Cruise departs (see Gold Coast Highway A1A).
5. Bonnet House

This period home (built 1920) is full of the personality of the couple who created it, Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett. They were both artists, as is evident from the highly original murals, and the somewhat eccentric tropical gardens.
6. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

An informative center, with a boardwalk that winds through mangroves and hammocks (raised areas) in Red Reef Park. It takes its name from the gumbo limbo tree, which has distinctive, red peeling bark.
7. Worth Avenue, Palm Beach

The street for local and visiting VIPs to select this week’s wardrobe and perhaps a little objet d’art.
8. Flagler Museum

The “Taj Mahal of America,” was Henry M. Flagler wedding gift to his third wife, who was half his age and an heiress herself. The trappings of royalty are everywhere, down to the hand-painted dinner service that once belonged to a French king.
9. The Breakers

The third hotel to be built on this site, the first two having burned down. However, the aura of America’s Gilded Age (1880–1910) still clings to every aspect of this stylish abode , from the frescoed Italianate ceilings to the countless crystal chandeliers.
10. Norton Museum of Art

Perhaps Florida’s finest museum of art, featuring Impressionists, Modern Americans, and much more.

Practical Information

To get the most out of Fort Lauderdale, take the one-hour Canal Cruise (954-267-3699). Lunch in Fort Lauderdale at Noodles Panini, 821 East Las Olas Blvd (954-462-1514). At dinnertime, head for Las Olas Café, 922 East Las Olas Blvd (954-524-4300) or Bistro Mezzaluna, 741 SE 17th St Causeway , (954-522-6620). Graves Museum, 481 South Federal Highway, Dania Beach (954-925-7770) Flagler Museum, 1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach (561-655-2833) Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave, West Palm Beach (561-832-5196)