We were up early with a short list of final chores to check off the list. The rental car was returned, water tanks were topped off and trash was disposed. We cast off from our final slip in the US and immediately staged for the first of four bridge openings. Our Parade of Homes tour was even grander today as we passed through Fort Lauderdale. Even the figureheads on old wooden yachts were exquisite.
It was a sunny morning which helped make all architectural details pop. Shiny modern art, a headless golden goddess, twisted columns, and sleek modern glass all intermixed along the ICW. One bridge that did not need to open for us was Las Olas Boulevard. This happening street is famous for its high-end retail and dining opportunities.
We kept thinking we'd seen everything, and were constantly proven wrong by magayacht-tender combinations, poolside musicians, and even an onboard helicopter.
It was also surprising to see the amount of new construction. It is commonplace for entire estates to be razed and rebuilt. Being in a hurricane zone, the smart pigs build their houses out of block. The property values continued to rise as we moved south. Checking Zillow again, the highest we saw was on the market for $32 million. In case you're interested, that works out to just over $153,100 a month. The ICW widened and deepened, and residential yielded to commercial as we arrived in Port Everglades
Ten cruise lines and 40 cruise ships call this area home, making it the third-busiest cruise terminal in the world. Last year 3.9 million passengers boarded here. On December 1, 2019 a world-record 55,964 passed through this homeport in one day. It is also a cargo and fuel hub. The ship carrying yachts was of particular interest.
Our exit into the Atlantic Ocean was a little bumpy, but we quickly put the Fort Lauderdale beaches behind us and settled into our course to Key Biscayne. We rounded Cape Florida and its namesake lighthouse, made a quick circle through No Name Harbor (it was full), then joined a dozen other boats anchored just outside the harbor entrance. Night fell and the beachfront hotels of the Key Biscayne skyline lit up the horizon.
Looks like we'll be here a few days waiting on a good weather window for our trip over to Bimini. Ideally, the weekend boaters will clear out of No Name tomorrow and we'll move in to be closer to shore. Either way, we will finally pull the dinghy down from the upper deck and give it a good run.
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