Fort Lauderdale is a city in Florida, and lays on the Atlantic coast approximately 37 kilometres north of Miami. Around 172,000 people call this 100 square kilometre area home. The main airport servicing the city is the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, which is 5 kilometres south west of downtown Fort Lauderdale.
The airport is a popular departure point for tourists travelling to the Caribbean. The city is a popular tourist destination due to its warm and sunny climate. Fort Lauderdale was named after a number of forts built during the Second Seminole War of 1835 to 1842 between various groups of Native Americans known on the whole, as Seminoles.
Fort Lauderdale's principal economy is tourism. The city itself is also a major production and maintenance centre for yachts and sailing vessels. During the summer months, it is not uncommon to see the beautiful Snowbirds from the north, which have migrated to enjoy the summer.
It is also a popular location for students from across the country to visit during their Spring breaks. The city has a colourful nightlife with a large selection of bars and nightclubs. The River Walk Arts and Entertainment District, as the name logically suggests, is the art and entertainment hub of the city.
The Elbo Room bar serves as a spring break heaven for the city, and is the host of Langerado, an annual music festival.
The Inter Coastal Waterway is great for taking a leisurely walk along the beaches and canals, which helped give the city its nickname the Venice of America. As so many locations within Fort Lauderdale can be access via water, water taxis buzz around the waterways, taking commuters wherever they need to go.
Bonnet House Museum and Gardens built in 1921, is a 35 acre courtyard style home with grandiose architecture and a beautiful pond of Bonnet Lilies. The Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum displays 22 Packard motor cars from the 1900s to the 1940s, all in full functional order.
Not only does Fort Lauderdale have some absolutely brilliant beaches such as South Beach, Las Olas Beach and Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, but some other popular tourist spots include the Museum of Discovery and Science, Stranahan House, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.