I flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a conference that is nearby my aunt’s condo in Pompano Beach. Of course, I couldn’t resist staying with her for a few nights afterward. It had been 15 years since I was last there when my late boyfriend visited and then took a Caribbean cruise out of Miami.
My aunt is in her 80s now, so I was excited to see her. She lives in a high-rise condo between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal and has a magnificent view from the 14th floor.
I walked on the beach the mornings I was there and enjoyed the warm and breezy weather. The beach crowds were gone so it was an idyllic setting to chill out. Pompano Beach has been built up since the last time I was there with several restaurants within walking distance and a lovely park and walkway along the shoreline.
My aunt had been quite active walking, ballroom dancing, and swimming, but was recovering from several falls and surgery. She used to travel between her home in Long Island during the warm months and Florida in the winter but is now living in Florida full time.
Despite an occasional hurricane, Pompano Beach is a vibrant and lovely place to spend time no matter what your age.
Butterflies and Birds
She was well enough to drive so we went to visit Butterfly World, which is a nearby attraction at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek. It is a circular and mostly outdoor enclosure that you can walk through to view various species of butterflies, birds, and even some bugs. It’s the largest butterfly park in the world with over 20,000 live butterflies of every color and pattern.
Serene music lofts through the air making it relaxing and serene. It was difficult to shoot photos of the butterflies because they are constantly in motion, but I did manage a few shots which you can see below.
The bird aviaries were equally fun with exotic and colorful birds from various parts of the world.
Photos from Butterfly World – click on images to view full-size.
An almost emergency
The next day we planned to take a water taxi on the intercoastal, but it was a windy day and my aunt developed a stomachache. She started to get the chills and I was almost ready to take her to the ER but after awhile she felt better.
It’s difficult when you have an elderly relative who is living alone because you never know what will happen. When I refer to her as elderly she is only 14 years older than I am. LOL. I was sorry to have missed the water taxi but was glad I was there to make sure she was okay.
My stay in Pompano Beach was short and laid-back, but I was glad I got the chance to visit. After I left, a storm came through so I was glad I brought some sunshine from California while I was there.
Enjoy my photos of Pompano Beach – Click on images to view full size.
Have you been to Florida? What are your favorite places to visit there? Please leave a comment below and tell us about it.
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These are beautiful pictures and I really miss Florida weather, storms and all! Glad you had an opportunity to spend time with your aunt. I purchased 1st Class tickets for a family trip that got cancelled, so hopefully we will be visiting Orlando soon!
I hope you get to go to Orlando too, Antoinette. So sorry it was canceled. Florida is fun!
Wow. I didn’t know that the largest butterfly garden was so close. I love them.
You should definitely check it out. It was fun, Jennifer.