MY JOURNEY 51 florida
Take to the ocean
Lauderdale I was taught how to grill and stuff Portobello mushrooms, and prepare crusted mahi mahi fi sh with ratatouille and truffl e-mashed potatoes, and chocolate mocha torte in a fun demonstration by Florida’s French- born answer to Jamie Oliver. Fort Lauderdale revolves around water, with its setting by the ocean and on the Intracoastal Waterway. A guided water taxi tour took us past super-yachts and swish homes en route to Las Olas Boulevard for dinner.
Everglades wildlife The next day I found myself on an exhilarating Everglades
airboat ride, at Sawgrass Recreation Park, and, despite the unseasonably cold weather, saw an alligator. I was surprised to discover that huge Burmese pythons
have become a problem in the Everglades in recent years – having been released as unwanted pets they now colonise whole areas, killing many native animals, even alligators. I also saw two Florida panthers – highly endangered and
very rarely seen in the wild – in the park’s exotic wildlife conservation area. That afternoon I joined a catamaran trip, sailing past
the vast cruise ships docked at Port Everglades out to the Atlantic, where we anchored off Fort Lauderdale for the hardy to swim and snorkel in the clear waters. Miami was the fi nal stop, where I checked out the local
produce in the 10-block Lincoln Road Farmers’ Market which takes place every Sunday in Miami Beach. Next up was a South Beach Culinary Tour, seeking out ethnic restaurants and artisanal food vendors on a two-and- a-half-hour exploration of the Art Deco District. Before heading to Miami Airport, there was time to walk
around the fascinating new Perez Art Museum, where exhibits included displays by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, and a tour of the Wynwood Arts District and Wynwood Walls – once derelict factories where the walls have been transformed into a giant gallery by street artists.
Barrels of fun at Quantum Leap winery Skimming the Everglades
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Cruising off Fort Lauderdale
Navel gazing is a Florida speciality
Sushi at Buddha Sky Bar, Delray Beach
THE ITINERARY
DAY 1 Overnight at the Contemporary Resort and morning in Disney’s Epcot park. Tour and tastings at East End Market and Quantum Leap winery in Orlando. Check into Alfond Inn, Winter Park for site inspection and dinner. disneyworld.
disney.go.com;
thealfondinn.com DAY 2/3 Transfer to Palm Beach. Sunset tour
of The Breakers with cocktails and snacks in HMF lounge then two nights at the Hyatt Place West Palm Beach. Breakfast in the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, tour of Palm Beach Island and The Chesterfi eld hotel. Culinary tour of Delray Beach.
thebreakers.com; chesterfi
eldpb.com;
westpalmbeach.place.hyatt.com
DAY 5/6 Two nights in Fort Lauderdale, at the Lago Mar Resort & Club. Visit Bob Roth’s New River Groves store then cooking demonstration by former TV chef Jean-Pierre Brehier. Water taxi transfer to Las Olas Boulevard for dinner. Morning Everglades airboat ride at Sawgrass Recreation Park then catamaran trip past Port Everglades into the Atlantic. Dinner by the Intracoastal Waterway at the Blue Moon Fish Company.
lagomar.com DAY 6 Head to Miami Beach for walking tour
of Lincoln Road Farmers Market and South Beach Culinary Tour. Visit Miami’s Perez Art Museum in Miami and tour Wynwood Arts District before transfer to Miami Airport.
WHERE TO BOOK IT AMERICA AS YOU LIKE IT
A 14-night Florida food trail tour, staying two nights each at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach and the Shelbourne Resort in South Beach, Miami, three nights each at The Breakers Palm Beach and the Lago Mar Resort in Fort Lauderdale, and one night at the Alfond Inn, Winter Park, costs £2,450pp room-only, with British Airways fl ights and car hire.
020 8742 8299
americaasyoulikeit.com
Chef Jean-Pierre puts the squeeze on
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