This year, my hubby surprised me with a weekend getaway in beautiful Fort Lauderdale to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  It’s a thirty to forty-five minute ride from our home. Since a vacation requires a lot of planning and time off, this was the perfect escape to enjoy the sweet life, La Dolce Vita as I like to call it. Of course, I packed as if I was going away for two weeks. We stayed at the W hotel, a very chic hotel facing the pristine Fort Lauderdale Beach, with a modern look and  upscale amenities. Upon our arrival, we were greeted courteously by the hotel staff.  While waiting for our beachfront view room,  we sipped on champagne, (courtesy of the hotel) to kick off our celebration, and took a tour of the lovely pool area.

Shortly afterwards, we were notified that our room was ready, and could not wait to see it.  Well, we were blown away by a spacious and impeccably kept room, and a glass-encased peekaboo shower. Yes, nothing private about it, however, there was an option to order a curtain which we didn’t feel the need. The best part of course, was the spectacular view of the glistening ocean waves and the beautifully landscaped tropical palm trees. It was truly paradise on earth.

 

At nighttime, we took a stroll on the beach, and had dinner at the exotic Casablanca cafe. The ambiance was romantic, the decor had a Mediterranean flair with a gorgeous view of the ocean from afar. Hubby had a crab crusted mahi-mahi with a lobster sauce and I had a black grouper with a beurre blanc sauce (white wine, butter and shallots).  Both dishes were beautifully plated, very fresh and tasted delicious.

 

Black grouper with beurre blanc sauce

 

Friday morning we lounged around the pool at the hotel and savored some delicious hummus, tasty Ahi tuna tacos and enjoyed fabulous drinks.

 

Around 2:30 PM, we headed to the spa for our massage and body wraps. It was ninety minutes of pure “bliss”,  and we both felt rejuvenated after this amazing pampering experience.

That evening, we ate dinner at a newly opened restaurant in the trendy Las Olas area called, Fork & Balls. A fun place but on the noisy side,  I recommend going there with a group of people.  They have a nice assortment of meatballs on their menu.

Afterwards, we went back to the W and played pool with some hotel guests. On Saturday, we basked in the sun and had a relaxing day. In the evening, we got dressed up and enjoyed some fine dining at Steak 954. We shared a Porterhouse steak paired with an elegant super tuscan wine.

While eating dinner, we got a notification that someone dropped off a bottle of champagne for us at the front desk. It was a family member and a friend who came for a surprise visit.  We joined them for drinks and ended up at the hotel’s nightclub, Whiskey Blue. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful weekend away.

 

On Sunday morning, we ordered room service for breakfast  and sipped coffee on the balcony while enjoying the fabulous view of the ocean.  We, then packed our bags and headed back to our home, sweet home.

Life is beautiful, live it up!

Gina