Gone to The Dogs Today

With the temperature hitting the mid 80's today, yes it is Florida winter, it was definitely a dog's day so we had to get back to Snyder Bark Park and get a few more candid shots. Is there any other kind with dogs? We thought we would share them with you. This smart hound decided it was too hot to jump thru, better to walk around it.

Baby, Mommy, and dog all out for a warm Florida day.

Baby sitting is a hot job and one has to take a break and cool off. Instead of taking a drink he decided to be the drink. Thirsty anyone?

A warning that the obstacle course and agility equipment is for the dogs ONLY. Never ceases to amaze us what we humans have to be told.

A day at the Bark Park would not be complete without visiting the lake and watching the dogs swim and play in the water. They were having a great time today. The gang was all there.

Catch me if you can.

Frisbee anyone?

We actually ran into a friend and her dog from our tennis club, which is another post coming soon. Her dog was so funny, she would swim out and get the ball and then swim back to the shore and dig a hole in the bank and try to hide the ball from the other dogs. Here she is looking for a hiding place and then hard at work digging out a little cave for the ball. She wanted the ball to be there when she came back.

At the end of the play date, they get a good bath and we think they probably really need it.

These beauties were politely waiting their turn to romp in the lake.

As we said, this was a dog's day.

Snyder Park

Today we decided to take a run (a whole 10 minutes) south to Snyder Park. A 93-acre oasis near downtown and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It was a beautiful day for riding and the park was sublime.




Nice small rustic pavilions like this one hanging out over one of the many lakes, are perfect for that intimate picnic.


This is one of the larger pavilions, some can accommodate up to 6,000 people, including a 400-square-foot dance floor. Every month they offer nature programs and you can schedule guided educational tours through the park.



One of the really entertaining things to do is watch the dogs swim. They have their own private dog lake and beach. This is probably one of the only parks that have such sophisticated facilites for dogs. We were watching these 3 hounds race for a ball. Notice that the blonde dog is behind as they are swimming out to get a ball and yet he ended up with the ball. That's a happy puppy.

We have to go back again as Snyder Park includes a 2 acre Bark Park with separate facilities for small and large dogs to run leash-free. And we didn’t get a chance to take photos there. They have drinking fountains at dog and human levels, picnic tables, agility equipment, leash stations, two hose stations where one can wash off the dogs before returning home. It’s really a dog’s life here.

But they don't forget the humans, there is a freshwater beach that is open in the summers. Since we are in February, no bathers. If the water is not 70+ degrees we Floridians don't find it fit for swimming. If you are brave enough you can have your own private beach.




Two spring-fed lakes offer Bass fishing, but we just enjoyed the view.

There are beautiful nature trails throughout the park, just not made for two wheelers. So the two footers got to go exploring the wild vegetation and Heinz and Frenchie played the waiting game.


A fun day was enjoyed by all and plans to return in the near future are already in the works. Hope you enjoyed it too.

Scooter Article from our Sunday paper

This article was in our Sunday morning Business section. It is quite interesting. One shop claims to be selling 100 Chinese scooters a week. We find that a bit hard to believe. But we do know that the price of Vespas keeps many away.

Here is the link: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzscooterboxa0210sbfeb10,0,3555372.story

Dania Beach

Dania Beach is a small seaside community that was originally a settlement called Modello inhabited mostly by Danish people. Then in 1904 the town was incorporated and since the 35 families living there were Danes, they renamed their village Dania. Unfortunately disaster stuck the area in the form of fires, embezzlers and a devastating hurricane in 1926.

For years between the 1020’s and 1940 Dania was known as the “tomato capital of the world”. But that too faded and slowly the area has become known for its antiques. The town has a wealth of historic architecture and a variety of architectural styles. People come from all over to shop the antiques.

In 1998 the city commission changed the name to Dania Beach to capitalize on its miles of natural beaches. There is a very nice slide presentation showcasing Dania Beach at this link: http://www.ci.dania-beach.fl.us/index.asp?nid=108

The marine industry is booming in Dania Beach and we stopped by one of the marinas to look at this racing boat. Nice to look at but a bit too pricey for our wallet and too fast for our taste. Right now 40 mph on the Vespas seems to be our limit.

The beaches are beautiful and the most natural of the area as the over development of high rises has not yet invaded these beaches. Hopefully they can retain the quaint natural quality of their beaches.

On the beach side is the fishing pier with a bait shop and a brand new restaurant with 2 bars. Here is a nice photo that I got from the Dania Beach website. The restaurant, called Beach Watch has their own website at this link, http://beach-watch.com/ We have not tried it yet but it is on our list of things to do in Dania Beach. This photo does not show the dining area over the water so visit their website to see it. They are promoting a Valentine's Day dinner and the menu is making our mouths water as we write. Read it and you will want to hop on down.



Along the Intracoastal they have a nice long boardwalk and parks for families to enjoy. They come with their kids to fish from the walkways or watch the boats go by or someone water skiing. It is such an non-commercialized area, no one is trying to sell you something, everyone is just there for the peaceful atmosphere. There are picnic tables and bar-b-ques so families can bring their picnics and cook out.

Dania Beach also has a famous State Park, which is another post. Hope you enjoyed this one. Happy and Safe Riding.

Riding in Rio Visa and eating Oysters on the half

Rio Vista is one of the oldest communities in Fort Lauderdale. The neighborhood has over 1,000 homes and is situated next to downtown Ft. Lauderdale. With the tree-lined streets, side walks and unique architecture, you soon realize the beauty and history of Rio Vista. We found this small serene street facing a canal and decided it would be a great place to stop and take some photos.

We especially liked this tree.

At one end of the canal there is a fountain in the middle, don't know if it shows up very well in this photo.

We continued on over to Cordova Street to the Southport Raw Bar, which is a neighborhood favorite with a lot of history of it's own. A place with lots of character, not to be missed. Check out their website, http://southportrawbar.com/

There is a deck out back for casual dining and watching the boats come in and out of the canal. This is our view from the deck.

We had the best oysters on the half shell for only $9.95 a dozen, that is a bargain here in this closely guarded secret spot. Guess it is no longer much of a secret. Right next door is a marina so there is always lots of boat traffic here. The canal goes out to the Intracoastal so the boats can take that out to sea.

A fun place to watch people and have great fresh seafood at the same time.