How To Make The Most of a 3 Day Weekend in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Americans are no stranger to a long-anticipated three-day weekend, many of us itching to go away but don’t want to spend thousands on an all-inclusive vacation. With living in New York, my mind always leans towards Florida. What’s not to love? Short flight, warm weather, beautiful beaches, great food, I can go on and on. So, of course, that’s where my friends and I decided to go for Memorial Day weekend, and oh what a weekend it was!

Where we stayed:
One of my group members is a Wyndham Rewards member, so we stayed at the Wyndham Sea Gardens Resort in Pompano Beach, Florida, using their points. Pompano Beach is a great town outside Fort Lauderdale (about a 10-minute drive). This hotel had two pools, a hot tub, and an outdoor bar—all the essentials needed for a group of 20 something-year-olds in Florida for Memorial Day weekend! The biggest perk was right across the street from the beach. We had a suite where all six of us got to share one big room with a balcony, kitchen, and living room. This was the perfect space for our group as we all always have the best time being around each other.

Friday, Day One:
Daytime: We wanted to get the most bang for our buck, so we flew into Fort Lauderdale late Thursday night so that we could wake up in the Sunshine state and begin our vacation. Day One was relaxing. We spent most of the day on the beach. We rented chairs and sipped on some cold drinks. It was super HOT! Tip: Use Bain de Soleil Orange Gelee Sunscreen Tanning Lotion for the best tan; it acts as a sunscreen too! You can find it on Amazon or Walgreens. When we got hungry, we went to the hotel snack bar and got a lot of food to share.
Nighttime: We decided to travel outside of Fort Lauderdale for our first dinner. We ordered an Uber and made our way to Delray Beach, Florida (about a 20-minute drive). We had a delicious meal along with even better drinks at Rocco’s Tacos. Rocco’s Tacos is a Mexican restaurant with a lively vibe and tasty (strong) margaritas. After dinner, we walked down the block to The Tin Roof. There was a huge line to get in, but we decided to wait on it because a place with a huge line usually means it’s fun. What was great about the Tin Roof was a live band. My group loves a live band, especially when they play Zac Brown Band music. What was nice about this bar was an indoor and outdoor area. When it got too crowded inside, we went outside where we still heard the music and had an amazing time. Eventually, we felt like the older adults at a college bar, so we decided to hit the next stop. Hidden down an ally way is the gem that is Il Bacio. It is more of a club/lounge than a bar, but we decided to go in anyway. When I tell you we had the BEST time, we really had the best time. The DJ was amazing, and the drinks were delicious. We danced the night away until we realized it was 2 am and we should start heading back to the hotel. Overall, night one was a huge success.

• Rocco’s Tacos, Delray Beach, FL https://www.roccostacos.com/
• Tin Roof, Delray Beach, FL https://www.tinroofdelraybeach.com/
• Il Bacio, Delray Beach, FL https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/location/il-bacio-6362490

Saturday, Day Two:
Daytime: We had reserved a small boat for traveling through Miami about two weeks before our trip. We found the boat on www.boatsetter.com, and it came with a captain. The boat docked out of Hallandale Beach, Florida (about a 30-minute ride from Ft. Lauderdale). We had the boat for 8 hours, so we bought drinks & sandwiches that morning, we came thoroughly prepared! Sergio, our captain, was more than happy to have us. Sergio took us all through Miami, and we even stopped at a Sand Bar Party! We could stop the boat as much as we wanted to get out and swim. He also had floats that we could lounge on while in the water. Now, when I originally came up with the idea of renting a boat to my friends, they thought I was nuts. They weren’t looking to drop a lot of money on renting a boat but in the end, renting a boat for 8 hours cost us about $75 per person, including fees, tips & tax. It was a steal!
Nighttime: We wanted to spend the night in Fort Lauderdale, so we ate at an amazing restaurant called Kaluz. Kaluz is an American Restaurant that is located right on the intercoastal. We all enjoyed our meals (most of us got steak, which was incredible!). We also met another family (no joke, there were about 25 of them) from NYC, and they bought my table a round of drinks! Leaving the restaurant on a full belly, we headed to the Elbo room as it was recommended to us by someone back home. It was two floors, so we decided to hit the upstairs first. It was PACKED and HOT. We didn’t last there very long before trying the downstairs portion of the bar. The scene was much more fun as it had a live band (I told you my friends and I love a live band).

• Boat Setter Online, https://www.boatsetter.com/
• Kaluz Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale, FL https://www.kaluzrestaurant.com/
• Elbo Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL https://www.elboroom.com/

Sunday Day Three:
We just lounged all day until it was time to shower, check out, and head to the airport. We decided to book a late flight out to make the most of our last day. With an 8:00 pm flight, we decided to wake up early and hit the pool.

 

Going to Florida for a quick weekend getaway truly is the best way to go. It’s all about warm weather, flowing drinks, great food, and even better company! You don’t have to spend a lot to have a great time.

Until next time!
Xoxo The Weekend Traveler