Coming to Ft. Lauderdale 4th of July weekend.

By chance and good luck, I%26#39;m able to come to Ft. Lauderdale 4th of July weekend. I%26#39;ll have a rental car at my disposal and I%26#39;d love to take a drive down the coast (as far as I can make it in a day) one of the days I%26#39;m there. I have a couple of questions about it, though.

First of all, I hear traffic can be ridiculous during that weekend and I won%26#39;t be able to park anywhere, muchless move my car. Is this true? Staying at the Bahia Cabana and I know they have parking but maybe not much??

Also, the day I take the drive I%26#39;d like to leave pretty early and probably come back pretty late (as I%26#39;d like to make it down to Key Largo or further). Am I crazy to want to do this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Coming to Ft. Lauderdale 4th of July weekend.

Don%26#39;t try this drive on July 4th along the coast. If you go N or S on A1A, you will have the same problem.

The LOCALS ....you know, those that live in the areas, will be heading to the beach early, and will stay with their picnic stuff late...to watch the various towns fireworks.

This does cause some localities to actually close off some roadways and even block some of the intracoastal bridges, to %26#39;help%26#39; control traffic.

An example......you are talking about driving S from about the 17th street causeway in Ft Laud. Well, at that point A1A goes west toward US Rt one...over the 17th street bridge. It follows US Rt 1 S past the Ft Laud airport, and then swings back to the beach via Dania Beach Blvd.

From this point, you have a clear shot all the way down to Miami Beach....over its last causeway to the City of Miami, where you will follow ultra heavy traffic on US Rt one in the city, with lights, all the way down to Florida City....BTW...the ocean will not be visable until after you get past Keys Gate....and of course, you realize from this point, Key West is only 135 more miles S on LOCAL US rt 1.

Now....the main beach roads from Stewart to Miami Beach is A1A...it does follow the shore, with teriffic sights of the Palm BEach mansions, the giant new Trump Condotels in Miami.

But in the past, some towns have closed acess to A1A via the ICBs and even closed parts of A1A.

You will be right next to a great public beach...with BBQs, picnic benches, a boat rental place at the N end of the beach parking lot by you location (both power, Parasail, and manual power)...I just don%26#39;t know where the Ft LAud fireworks will be held...usually great views from the Beach Place complex (about 3/4th a mile N).

This trip would be much better on July 3 or 5th. (Also stay away from Adventura Mall in the PM of July 4...its also the Macys S Fireworks display...very very busy..lasts about an hour...nit NYC..but close. (US Rt one just past the Gulfstream Race Track going S)

IMHO try to plan the trip another day

Coming to Ft. Lauderdale 4th of July weekend.

Thank you so much for your help! I appreciate it SO much! I was definitely going to do the trip on either the 2nd or 3rd, not the 4th :-)

And I appreciate the directions, too. Wouldn%26#39;t want to get lost.

Thanks again!

Try your plan for July 2 or thiird. I think Sunday early AM would be good. (Everyone along A1A in Miami Beach %26amp; esp South Beach would not be up yet)

Note: Key Largo isn%26#39;t that far past Homestead (which is right after Miami.) Take A1A S just like above. Once you get to the end of Miami Beach (south end), go over the causeway to Miami, and Follow US Rt one S. It will take time. This area, BTW is where I 95 ends...right in the middle of the City of Miami. Con%26#39;t S to Largo. On your return, you will still have to take US Rt 1 N back up. But, do yourself a favor, At Homestead %26amp; Florida City, the Fl Turnpike starts. Get on it heading N. Stay on it until you get to Interstate 595 ( I 595) EAST. Get on 595 East to the END (note airport on R) Get off at signage that says Ft Lauderdale US ROUTE ONE NORTH. Stay on US Rt one in right lane and turn R onto 17th St to the causeway....much faster return trip. Its not worth the drive on US Rt one N from the keys to I 95...muct traffic.

I do this sometimes when guests come over. It%26#39;s several hours if very little traffic, but they feel they have had a great tour:

Start at your location and drive S on A1A (and back to it on Dania Beach Blvd)...con%26#39;t S through Hollywood, Hallandale, and cross into Miami Dade right after the big condos pass. Enter Golden Beach (first town in Miami Dade, (watch spped) and continue S on A1A past Sunny Isles / Adventura (5 new Trump Towers on sale), over Haulover Bridge (nude beach here...careful) and into Bal Harbour, Surfside, and then Miami Beach....South BEach...if here on early Sunday, should be little traffic)....cont S to last causeway....(note Parrott Jungle Island 1/2 way across the causeway). This on S/B free.

Once over, get on I 95 N and exit in West Palm Beach....if Southern Blvd, con%26#39;t east toward Flagler Bridge, and across the Intracoastal to the Village of Palm Beach (the real Palm Beach). Right after bridge is the Henry Flagler Museum, interesting, as is the Breakers Hotel....largest painted ceilings area in a operating hotel. (They only have tours on Wednesday.) ( http://www.thebreakers.com/ ) But you can park and walk in and look. (If lunch, try the golf course club...its a bit less..but still not too low...ugh)

Also, Worth Ave and the neat open stores (Neiman Marcus %26amp; Saks have some areas selling in outdoor gardens....

Back on A1A S to see some of the ocean front mansions, much more impressive than those on Jupiter Island). And then Manalapan, the Four Seasons Grounds ,ad later the Ritz Carlton....and you will see both Ocean and Intracoastal tropical views doing this. After about 30 miles S on A1A, you should find yourself back where you started.

In any case...an idea....different than driving the coast on Calif....but just as beautiful

So Roughshot - you%26#39;re advertising your band? Is it also your son who plays drums?

When a new poster pulls up a three year old post to comment on, it%26#39;s usually a sign of a planted ad- which I guess this is. Our visitors should probably disregard it and make their own July 4 plans- and I promise you mine won%26#39;t be involving an 11 year old drummer...

Spooky to see a post brought back up from our beloved, departed poster Ken K., whom all of us veterans miss so much. I wish this post had never been resurrected for such a slimey self promotional purpose. This new poster needs to re read the posting guidelines here- and follow them.