Author: Tony

Margaritaville Hollywood Resort Now Open

by Tony on September 24, 2015

The Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort opened “quietly” on Tuesday September 22nd. Since I had only seen the outside, I stopped by on Wednesday to get an inside look. I was allowed to tour the lobby, the shops on the first floor and the beach-side Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurant. This will likely be the busiest restaurant because it is open 6:00 AM to 1:00 AM and features live band music in the evenings.

I saw children of the employees riding the waves at “FlowRider® Double, one of the most sought after surfing simulator…in the world.”

The resort’s signature restaurant. JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, is located in the lobby. “JWB will offer a contemporary menu of fresh seafood including spear-caught fish, a raw bar and prime steaks paired with world-class wines and hand-crafted cocktails.”

There is still a little work to be done. There were workers putting on finishing touches to the entrance and the outdoor band stand. These tasks will be completed before the official Grand Opening which is yet to be announced.

Harborside Place the hot spot in Jupiter

by Tony on September 2, 2015

Harborside Place is a $144 million shopping/dining/entertainment complex located at the northwest corner of U.S. 1 and Indiantown Road in Jupiter Florida. The complex opened in Fall 2014.

Harborside Place currently hosts 12 shops, 10 restaurants/cafes, an amphitheatre and 4-star Wyndham Grand Hotel.

Tiger Woods opened his restaurant – The Woods Jupiter – in Harborside Place on Monday August 10. Want to peek inside the restaurant? View some images here.

Upcoming Harborside events for the month of September include:

KVJ Best Boat Bar Tour — Sunday, Sept. 6 from 3 p.m. 7 p.m., meet at Harbourside Place and enjoy drink specials at Tommy Bahama and Calaveras Cantina.

Exotic Car Show — Saturday, Sept. 12, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., take a walk through Harbourside Place and see some of the most rare automobiles in the world while listening to live music. To register your car, email carshow@harbourside.com.

Book Signing at Native Visions — Saturday, Sept. 19, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., get acquainted with Daniel Myburg, a Zimbabwe-born wildlife photographer who will be at the gallery signing copies of his book, “Circle of Life.”

Island Sundaze — Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., listen to live island music at the waterfront amphitheater and enjoy drinks from Calavera Cantina. Performers include Chillakaya, Karlos Marz Band, Bryce Allyn (formerly of the local band Boxelder) and High Tide, respectively.

For more upcoming events visit HarborsidePlace.com/events.

Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort Opening Soon

by Tony on August 17, 2015

I was on the Hollywood Broadwalk early Saturday morning August 8th, to check out the progress of Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort. A few months after construction started, the projected opening date was stated as sometime in July 2015. Apparently, there is a delay. The resort is taking reservations for October so we can assume that the opening will be sometime between now and late September. Judging by the looks of things I predict the opening will be around September 18th.

Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 Jumbo Jet seen at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l Airport

by Tony on August 1, 2015

Friday July 31 was supposed to be the day we witness something rarely seen: a “blue” moon. Sadly. heavy cloud cover prevented many of us from seeing the rare event.

However, another rare occurrence took place on Friday July 31 in south Florida. According to FlightAware.com a Boeing 747-400 Freighter left Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport at mid-day headed for Miami International. Apparently due to heavy thunderstorms in the Miami area, the Atlas Air jumbo jet was diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. It landed shortly after 2:30 pm. The freighter emptied its cargo and took off from the airport today Saturday August 1.

I discovered this “unexpected” treat while checking on a flight heading for Caracas Venezuela around 12:30 pm. That flight was delayed and left around 1:10 pm. The Atlas Air Boeing 747 was also delayed and left at 1:34 pm.

Although the redesigned 8000 feet south runway is capable of handling jumbo jets in emergencies, the chance of you seeing an Airbus A380 or Boeing 747-400 using it is very slim. Jumbo jets usually land at MIA where there is a 13,00 feet runway.

I was curious to see how much of the runway would be used for takeoff. Amazingly, the Boeing 747-400 got airborne sooner than the smaller Airbus A320 or Boeing 737. It is safe to assume that the reduced weight after unloading and less fuel than normal, made the short takeoff possible. Less than 15 minutes later the jet landed at Miami International.

Public Art: David at MDC North Campus

by Tony on July 30, 2015

This sculpture was created by Eladio de Mora (aka dEmo) and was crafted in the likeness of Michelangelo’s emblematic David, and dressed by the famous fashion house Missoni. According to MDC’s website, “This installation is a contribution to the renaissance of the arts at MDC’s North Campus, where a new gallery was built five years ago and the Miami International Sculpture Park was inaugurated with world-renowned art donations. It is one of the largest parks of its kind in the state of Florida and currently features 69 works of art, including another dEmo sculpture, Niños, a tribute to Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” (Source: MDC.edu)

Scenic View at Plantation Heritage Park

by Tony on March 3, 2015

Garden of Reflection: A Place for Remembrance (Long Key Nature Center)

by Tony on March 3, 2015

The Broward Victim’s Rights Coalition (BVRC) is a community based non-profit organization started by victim service professionals and volunteers in 1991. The Coalition’s mission is to advocate for crime victim’s rights through education and training. At the heart of BVRC is our purpose: to create awareness and empower victims. It is this purpose that motivated the creation of the Garden of Reflection: A Place for Remembrance. The Coalition’s hope is that the Garden will further our mission and commitment to the community, crime victims, and survivors.

Construction at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Continues

by Tony on February 23, 2015

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is undergoing major renovation and expansion. The renovation of the south runway was completed in September 2014. Shortly a new concourse will be open to the public.

Construction will continue to 2018. However the airport is still open for business and planes continue to land and takeoff dispite the mess.

Public Art: Fort Lauderdale Airport Sculpture

by Tony on February 17, 2015

David “Lee Brown constructed this sculpture by connecting industrial steel tubing materials, then twisted the linear configuration to give the form of ‘flight’ to the whole composition. It reminds the viewer of time-lapsed photography of up-lifting motion.” (Source: Broward.org)

This structure is at the entrance to the Greenbelt Airport Park on Griffin Road south of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Plane Spotting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

by Tony on February 12, 2015

The Airport Greenbelt Park on the south side of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was opened in 1991. At that time visitors could watch small commercial and private planes like Cessnas and Falcons take off and land on the south runway. That runway was not long enough for larger planes made by Boeing, Airbus and Embraer.

In September 2014 the expansion of the south runway was completed as part of the airport expansion and renovation project. Plane spotters and photographers can now get close-up views of Airbus A319/A320/A321, Boeing 737s and Embraer 175/190.

Here is an American Eagle airliner (Embraer 175) before and during takeoff on the south runway.