Gold Coast Highway A1A

The very best way to get a feel for the quality of life along the Gold Coast is to take a leisurely drive north on A1A. The road hugs the beach almost all the way and passes through some of the most beautiful natural settings and some of the wealthiest communities in the U.S. The 50-mile (80-km) route can be traversed in a day, but it’s worth spending more time to take in the local color, from tropical nature preserves to fabulous mansions, all within sight of the sugary blond sands and the azure Atlantic.

To get the most out of Fort Lauderdale, take the three-hour Jungle Queen Cruise ().Tel: 954 462 5596 
Lunch in Fort Lauderdale at Noodles Panini, (). At dinnertime, head for Las Olas Café, () or ().821 East Las Olas Blvd Tel: 954 462 1514 922 East Las Olas Blvd Tel: 954 524 4300 Bistro Mezzaluna, 741 SE 17th St Causeway, Tel: 954 522 6620 
TOP 10 SIGHTS
THE BROADWALK

This famous stretch of Hollywood Beach runs from South Sunset Road to Sheridan, where 2.5 miles (4 km) of shops, bars, and restaurants abound, best of all the French-Caribbean fusion of Sugar Reef.

THE BROADWALK
JOHN U. LLOYD BEACH STATE PARK

This long barrier island of gardens and forests commands views of busy Port Everglades and a beach historically significant as one designated for African-Americans, in the days of segregation. It’s now a gay destination.

JOHN U. LLOYD PARK

IGFA FISHING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

This facility appeals to all ages and has seven different galleries highlighting the creatures of the sea, a fun discovery room for children, a virtual fishing exhibit (where you can hold a fishing pole and feel the pull of the fish), and a vast wetland area.

IGFA FISHING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
  • 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach
  • Tel: 954 927 2628
LAS OLAS BOULEVARD, FORT LAUDERDALE

Fort Lauderdale’s main street boasts upscale shops and excellent eateries. At the river end, Las Olas Riverfront is a colorful theme mall, from which the Riverfront Canal Cruise departs.

BONNET HOUSE

This period home (built 1920) is full of the personality of the couple who created it, Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett. They were both artists, as is evident from the highly original murals, and the somewhat eccentric tropical gardens.

GUMBO LIMBO NATURE CENTER

An informative center, with a boardwalk that winds through mangroves and hammocks (raised areas) in Red Reef Park. It takes its name from the gumbo limbo tree, which has distinctive, red peeling bark.

WORTH AVENUE, PALM BEACH

The street for local and visiting VIPs to select this week’s wardrobe and perhaps a little objet d’art.

FLAGLER MUSEUM

The “Taj Mahal of America,� was Henry M. Flagler’s wedding gift to his third wife, who was half his age and an heiress herself. The trappings of royalty are everywhere, down to the hand-painted dinner service that once belonged to a French king.

FLAGLER MUSEUM
FLAGLER MUSEUM
  • 1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach
  • Tel: 561 655 2833
THE BREAKERS

The third hotel to be built on this site, the first two having burned down. However, the aura of America’s Gilded Age (1880–1910) still clings to every aspect of this stylish abode, from the frescoed Italianate ceilings to the countless crystal chandeliers.

NORTON MUSEUM OF ART

Perhaps Florida’s finest museum of art, featuring Impressionists, Modern Americans, and much more.

NORTON MUSEUM OF ART
  • 1451 S. Olive Ave, West Palm Beach
  • Tel: 561 832 5196
ALL THAT GLITTERS

Here, all that glitters probably is gold! The Gold Coast may have got its name from gold doubloons that Spanish galleons used to carry along the intracoastal waterways, but these days the term refers more to the golden lifestyle of the many millionaires and billionaires who have winter homes here.