Fort Lauderdale Beach Source : GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

As the plane descends to its landing spot the sea transcends from a deep blue to a bright azure with each ripple emitting a shine of a 1000 stars – little different to a carpet of fairy dusting. The 8.5 hour journey could be made more comfortable by better food and entertainment on AA (AirFrance, British Airways and Virgin kick these guys above RAir for preferred airlines) however the service is friendly and relaxed.

Fort Lauderdale is on the south of Florida – the weather is excellent all year round; winters can drop to a minimum of 5 degrees while the summers average 30+ degrees. Perfect weather for the perfect beaches.

Florida is certainly not short of hotels and was significantly affected by the recession – here in Fort Lauderdale there are properties abandoned, left dormant while the owners wait in hope that very soon the economy will pick up and they can reopen (or for some, open for the first time). However it’s certainly not all gloom, some hotels have performed well and invested in their future.

Fort Lauderdale is next to Miami – and Miami says it all – here the 300 miles of coastline accompanied by predictably hot and sunny weather, the food is fresh and ripe and the people with a heath glow.

Fort Lauderdale is certainly an escape from the ordinary of the hustle and bustle.

Fort Lauderdale: The Segway

One of the more peculiar sights of Fort Lauderdale has to be the Segway Police. Forget the animal cruelty of horseback, the doughnut laden car or the gas guzzling mighty beat motorbike; times have changes, it’s environmentally friendly staged across two wheels with a maximum speed of 12.5 miles per hour,

The Segway has slowly been emerging as a favourite new vehicle across the world in recent years and the Americans seem to be taking it very seriously – so too the tourist market. Throughout Fort Lauderdale these funky machines can be found; especially in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park; this protected reserve was the escape of Chicago attorney, Hugh Taylor Birch, in 1893, by 1940 at age 90 he donated his 180-acre estate to be used as a public park to preserve the subtropical paradise within a bustling and growing city. His art-deco-style home, Terramar, still stands on one of two original sand dunes in the area; the rest of the city was dug out from the massive waterway system of the river.

Fort Lauderdale: Billie Swamp Safari
Billiie Swamp Safari is an Everglades adventure that takes you into the wild on large water buggys taking you into the forest and grasslands to see the array of animals now habituating the southern state of the USA.

Florida was originally owned by Spain and sold to the United States for $5million – now worth substantially more than that – the Spanish brought new wildlife including horses and pigs. Billie Swamp Safar covers over 2,000 acres of land preserving the local habitat and the animals within it.

Fort Lauderdale: Shopping

Sawgrass Mills covers nearly 2 miles of shopping space together with over 350 stores – this beast is still growing with expectations in late 2012 a further section would have been added to this 20 year old in-door high street. You can get all the top brand names like Gap, Esprit, Calvin Klein to the designer labels of Hugo Boss, Prada and Versace.

Take all this with excellent American prices plus heavy discounts of 40% (regularly advertised) or so and you’ll be making unbelievable savings on European pricing. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time, Sawgrass Mills needs a minimum of 2.5 hours.

Fort Lauderdale: Pay Lips Service

WARNING – It’s a drag bar people. It has men with penis miming to really camp songs while wearing incredibly tight fitting or revealing women’s clothing while trying to emanate a famous signing diva. Glamorous.

Exactly what this place is; rock up to the joint and your suddenly surrounded by grand chandeliers, ruby red back drop curtains and a deep burlesque shine. Glamorous ladies waltz the room taking orders; ribbing the diners and poking fun at their comments. Cocktails whirled around the room relaxing the crowd in preparation for the evenings programme.

The performance would be as you would expect from a restaurant cabaret theatre with drag queens lip-synching to divas – incredible. The outfits, the looks, the songs, the show; a laugh out loud sing-a-long gay fest! Get down there!

Fort Lauderdale: taking to the water – Canoeing

Blue Moon Outdoor Center offers a two hour canoe trip – before considering jumping in a canoe beware that this requires you to paddle – if you are not physically fit, if you complain over moving your own body then just don’t bother! However, for us activity breaks make it fun.

Blue Moon has a café and restaurant where you can enjoy a fun lunch with a few local beers before heading off around the park. It was an enjoyable afternoon and we whiled our time messing about on the small canals – certainly showed us how chilled out Fort Lauderdale life is.

Fort Lauderdale: Wilton Manors – the gayborhood, Florida

My first trip to the gayborhood in Fort Lauderdale really made me feel as though I was in the USA. George’s Alibi was buzzing with the sounds of country a room of cabaret, men in stetzens and huge beefy bears serving casks of beer.

There’s quite a difference to British gay villages; America seems to like to butch it up a bit. A bar in most cities I’ve been to would be amiss without a grumpy drunk propping up a bar, a camp cheerleader behind the bar, a music selection full of rock and country and some form of macho sport presentation or a pool table. Good luck finding all that in the UK.

George’s Alibi is a popular meeting haunt all week and where Wilton Manors all began when a gay resident bought the complex and began rejuvenating it – this whole area in fact was once run down. Adopted by gays and becomes a sought-after area.

It’s worth stopping by Rosie’s Bar & Grill, Gelati Martini Lounge, New Moon Bar, and the Manor Complex.

Bill’s Sport Bar is a must-stop – I was totally in awe of such a concept – a gay sports bar. It’s full of men in shorts and vests; fit guys behind the bar mixing cocktails; it’s draped in paraphernalia of American Football, Baseball, and Basketball. There was an excellent atmosphere here; very lively and a great hangout. www.billsfillingstation.com

The Manor is the after-part. Head to this multi-club post-midnight (at least) and get on the dance floor. The weekend is a Friday – Sunday affair, with the odd Thursday thrown in; several rooms to relax, get on the dance floor, play or drink to local and international DJs. It’s a rather fancy place – and worth it’s weight in Wilton Manors: www.themanorcomplex.com 2345 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors.

The Royal Palms is a boutique Hotel recently renovated especially for the gay market with a sleek contemporary European style meets splendour. This 62-room resort has been expanded courtesy of two additional buildings plus a more glamorous makeover in the shape of two heated swimming pools (one clothing-optional), a bar/grill, spa and fitness center, all just a few blocks from gay Sebastien Beach. www.royalpalms.com

The whitewashed buildings create a bright open fresh space becoming a suntrap. GG’s Bar and Grill is the open-air showpiece decked in ruby-red glass tiles, misters, and a polished deep stone bar overlooking a pool adorned with patio furniture and poolside cabanas.

Steel, grey and black patio furniture and stylish poolside cabanas add to the scene. A spa with wet room and massage rooms for single or double use and a fitness center (with Dennis Dean photo gallery for inspiration) ensure guests can get appropriately relaxed or pumped before exploring Walton Manors, the city’s gay nightlife. Day passes will also allow non-guests to savor the Royal Palms experience.

If you’re a keen sportsman the beach is packed with opportunities to join in team games, alternatively –you can enjoy an early morning run along the promenade to take in the full spectacle of the rising sun followed by a dip in the Pacific Ocean.