Fort St. Lauderdale is a city in the state of Florida. It is named after the forts that the United States built during the Second Seminole War. The forts were given the name of Major William Lauderdale as a tribute to him. It was built by the soldiers he was commanding. In the last hundred years, this city has seen drastic transformations, from the farming based small community scattered here and there, it went on to become a center that promotes international tourism. People from South and Central America and of Caribbean descent live together in mutual peace.
In the 1500s and 1600s, colored men would serve in Spanish ships that explored the coasts of Florida. Runaway slaves created a shelter on this land that was previously deemed uninhabitable. Its status of being unworthy of living was only discarded when Florida became a state in 1821. The refugees of the island would then go on to serve the United States Army as scouts and interpreters. In the late 1890s, aided by his colored cook, whose name remains unknown, young Ohioan Frank Stranahan started his overnight camp and ferry crossing. This Stranahan Trading Post went on to become a landmark of South Florida. This house was restored for the general people to learn the history of barge ferry business. It has been expanded a number of times and now it accommodates verandahs, a Victorian parlor, and tropical gardens. Other than serving as a trading post, the Stranahan House was built also to function as a post office, community center, and a town hall.
Throughout the years, St. Lauderdale has become a major tourist destination with its 4,000 restaurants, 63 golf courses, 12 shopping malls, 16 museums and the 100 marinas that house about 45,000 resident yachts. There’s a reason why it is called the Venice of America!
The Fort Lauderdale beach had once earned itself a cult status due to all the spring break madness that went on here, as thousands of college students would come down to the beach. These days, however, there is a veil of tranquility over the beach, and it remains the peaceful and relaxing stretch of sand that it was originally supposed to be. There are a number of hotels and shops stretching alongside the beach, which are swarmed by an increasing number of sun-seeking people as the spring approaches. The Everglades Holiday Park is of repute too for its unique experience of live alligator shows as well as gliding on airboats that travel through the everglades.
Hugh Taylor Birch is the oasis in the middle of this city. Presented by Hugh Taylor Birch to the people of Florida, this 180-acre area contains freshwater lagoons, the Birch House Museum, cycling paths, paths that grant access to the beach, and one can also rent canoes from the rental shops present here.
Other than these places, there are countless places of great renown to visit- The Museum of Art, Antique Car Museum, and Bonnet House are just a few to name. The mark togetherness of people from different cultures is quite profound here, in fact, this diversity has given Fort St. Lauderdale a versatile flavor. For instance, the Las Vegas restaurant is a family style restaurant that offers Cuban cuisines.
There are events and programs happening throughout the year in Fort St. Lauderdale. One of the most successful events is the Wine & Culinary Celebration. Thousands of visitors attend the event annually in order to taste wine from around the world. The chefs from top restaurants are also present there to cater to the tourists.
Attracting about 150,000 people to view and enjoy the work of about 350 artists in the Las Olas Boulevard is the Las Olas Art Festival. It features works of creative expressions of all shapes and sizes- oil and watercolor paintings, jewelry, sculptures, stained glass, etc. Similarly celebrated is also the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Show. It has been around since 1957, and since then has been educating people on orchids by displaying exotic orchids from around the globe.