Cool attractions, events await

Spice up your stay by visiting Fort Lauderdale’s beaches, museums, parks, spas and clubs galore

By Alejandra Cancino
Latino Reporter

Finally, South Florida and its beaches.

You can smell the summer, the tanning oils, the sea. Sure, you’re here for the NAHJ convention, but who says you can’t have some fun?

Barring Tropical Storm Alberto ruining the party, expect some clouds, a few peeks of sun and plenty of activities to keep you busy.

Registration starts at 8 a.m. today and most activities begin at 9 a.m., so the early birds have at least an hour for a jog on the beach or a cup of coffee at Starbucks. During a break, take a tour of Old Fort Lauderdale Village & Museum for a history lesson. A guide will cost $8, but if you’d rather wander the halls on your own, the price is $5.

At noon, visit one of three parks within a 15-minute drive of the convention center for a picnic lunch: Lafayette Hart Park, Rev. Samuel Delevoe Park and Sunview Park. Between workshops, cool off at T.Y. Park’s Cast Away Island. The park has six waterslides and several concession stands. For $5, you get two hours at the island and an all-day pass to the Swim Lagoon, a man-made lake with a beach.

After a long day of workshops, treat your body to the Diamante Day Spa, known for its signature treatments, according to founder Darlene Diamante.

Start with a 10-minute chair massage for $15, or if you can spare two hours, ask for a full-body Thai massage, liquid acupuncture or acupressure and shiatsu for $200, according to the company’s Web site.

Are you planning to attend Friday’s NAHJ beach party? Don’t forget to wax. At the spa, men can have unwanted back hair removed for $50 to $105.

While the spa has been visited by Halle Berry, Diamante says her spa is not only for the rich and famous. The ambiance is relaxed and trendy.

But why look good if the world won’t notice? So, after your spa time, dust off the dancing shoes and get to Himmarshee Village. The village is a strip of restaurants and nightclubs featuring hip-hop and dance music. There is no cover charge and dress is casual.

Two names to remember: Voodoo Lounge, where reggaeton doesn’t stop on Thursday nights, and Automatic Slims, a club where bartenders usually dance on the bars.

If you favor live bands, try Revolution, with indoor and outdoor space to accommodate more than 1,100 people, according to the Web site www.jointherevolution.net.

Is your crowd more laid back, more bluesy? Then remember The Poorhouse, a pub one local resident described as a lair for the “underdogs of society.”

“This is a place just to hang out and talk,” said Sean Piccoli, pop music writer for the Sun-Sentinel.

If you enjoy rock ’n’ roll the way it used to be played, visit the American Royal Arts exhibition of the Rolling Stones’ autographed albums and press photos from the last 40 years. One of the largest of its kind, the exhibition took more than a year to put together, said Jason Cornely, director of the Fort Lauderdale gallery.

“Typically, they are never-before-seen images,” Cornely said.

If you don’t want to venture out on your own, NAHJ has planned a casino night on Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a golf tournament early Saturday and El Gran Baile that evening.

Contact Alejandra Cancino at cancino@ufl.edu.

WHERE TO RELAX
Here’s a quick list of places nearby or just a short cab ride away:

• Diamante Day Spa,1489 SE 17th St. Causeway, 954-763-1212.
• Old Fort Lauderdale Village & Museum, 219 SW Second Ave., 954-463-4431.
• Starbucks, 3030 Holiday Drive, at the Fort Lauderdale Grande, 954-525-4000.
• Lafayette Hart Park, 2851 NW Eighth Road, Fort Lauderdale, 954-791-1041.
• Rev. Samuel Delevoe Park, 2520 NW Sixth St.,Fort Lauderdale, 954-791-1036.
• Sunview Park,1500 SW 42nd Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-791-1040.
• T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N. Park Road, Hollywood, 954-985-1980.
• Voodoo Lounge, 111 SW Second Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-522-0733.
• Club Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-727-0950.
• The Poorhouse, 110 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale , 954-522-5145.
• American Royal Arts, 808 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-767-0117.