12 Signs you know you are in Lauderdale By The Sea

Lauderdale By The Sea is a rare gem in the necklace of beaches that make up the coastline of Florida. It is unique in so many ways that all add up to a truly relaxing and rejuvenating vacation. If you could bottle the essence of Lauderdale By The Sea you would soon find yourself to be the richest person in the world. Although if you have ever spent any time in this town your life has already been made richer from the experience.  How will you know you are in the most relaxing place on earth?

12 Signs you know you are in Lauderdale By The Sea

1. Relax you’re here! As soon as you drive into Lauderdale By The Sea (LBTS) the atmosphere changes. You find yourself breathing easier and stress just starts to fall off of you. It is an almost tangible change that you will feel once you enter this town. If your senses somehow don’t pick up on it though, no worries, the town of LBTS will let you know with their welcome signs that it is time to relax …your’e here.

2. Shore Diving! Lauderdale By The Sea is the shore diving capitol of Florida. Just a short a swim from the beach you will find a truly unique spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. You can wade into the ocean with all your gear already on, swim out past the surf and start your underwater adventure. My son and I went scuba diving during our vacation and it was easily the most incredible thing I have ever done! Shore diving is a great experience for first time divers. You are only diving in 15 feet of water, yet you can see some really amazing things.

3. Beach Portals Ok so most beach towns and cities have public access to the beach. Not all by most of the ones I have been to do.  However, what is missing is a specific place to rinse off when you are done enjoying the beach. Or the public access is really difficult to access. Not in Lauderdale By The Sea. In LBTS, you will find beach portals that not only provide public access to the beach but also water spigots and showers so beach users can rinse off the sand and salt water when they are done. The portal also has a place to sit and rest if needed in the shade.

4. Divers Bench – Divers can drive up to the beach portal, use the divers bench to get the rest of their gear on and then head out for some of the best shore diving in Florida. When the finish they come back to the bench to take all the gear off and use the hose provided to rinse themselves and their gear. From the beach in front of the Windjammer Resort both snorkelers and divers will enjoy the abundance of wildlife that call the reef home. Divers can also check out the only bioreef project in the US.

5. Turtle LOVE! The town makes a real effort to preserve and protect the turtle species that nest on the beaches. When you are on the beach you will see the nesting areas marked off and a warning sign asking beach goers not to disturb the nesting area. At night you will also notice that the bright lights near the beach are either turned off, dimmed, or replaced with a softer orange light. The bright city lights can confuse the newly hatched baby turtles who use the light of the moon reflecting off the ocean to guide them back into the ocean after they hatch. You can learn more about the efforts to protect the sea turtles on the town’s website.

6. Look Up! What is missing from this beach town? Towering high rise hotels! You simply can’t know what a difference this makes until you have experienced it. It really is a critical part of LBTS that makes it so relaxing and enjoyable. There is no concrete jungle here in LBTS and why should you surround yourself with towering high rises? Isn’t the point of vacation to get away from the concrete jungle? There is actually a city referendum that prohibits new construction from being more than 4 stories tall. Thank you citizens of LBTS for preserving the beauty and atmosphere of your town and beaches!

7. Buoy, I don’t know where I am going...If you need directions or information on where a place is located just look for the bright yellow buoy. You will be back on track on no time. You can find nearby restaurants, shopping, and services.

8. Canoe Benches! Relax and enjoy the ocean view from the gathering spot in downtown Lauderdale By The Sea. The town chose these more traditional  benches instead of an ultra modern style of benches when the town beach portal was redone. I think they are just fantastic.  They are big and comfortable and just the right place to relax and enjoy an ice cream cone or listen to live bands on the weekends.

9.Shopping Plaza Sculptures The town commissioned artist Laura Fisher Huck to create a sculpture for a welcome sign for the town. They liked her sculpture so much they asked her to make 4 more, one for each main shopping plaza.  They not only offer shoppers a glimpse of beauty but also a landmark to remember how to find a store or location. They are stunning with vivid colors and beautiful sea creatures.

10.Coolest Bike Racks Ever! While LBTS is a walking town it is also a great place to ride your bikes. My kids loved all the fun fish shaped bike racks. Practical yet pretty!

11.Beach weddings are very popular in Lauderdale By The Sea. The city does not charge for a permit so couples can save money by choosing LTBS for their destination wedding. Of course, the uncrowded pristine beach helps too! During our stay at the Windjammer Resort, we watched a beautiful wedding. It was so pretty. The resort did such a nice job decorating and hosting.

12. Anglin’s Fishing Pier – From the pier you can do two types of fishing, sand and reef “rock” fishing. The pier is lighted for night fishing. Their is a restaurant at the start of the pier where you can enjoy the views while you have dinner. Not a fisherman? The pier is open to sightseers for just a $2 fee. This is a really nice pier and is very well known for great fishing.

Have you figured where the most relaxing spot on earth is yet? That’s right in Lauderdale By The Sea. We will be counting down the days until we can experience total ocean front relaxation and everything this wonderful old Florida town has to offer.