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Four
Your
next vision is that of a forest of sail boat masts
as you approach Summerfield Boat Yard and
River Bend marine, obviously the two yards
where most of the sailors go. Rounding the 90 degree
bend you'll see the remnants of Broward Marine,
Destroyed by fire several years ago. But the large
sheds for mega yachts still remain and about a dozen
such are docked here and being worked on at any given
time.
At this point we're
now moving into the area where the hard work of the
boating industry gets done. Cable Marine,
Roscioli and Rolly Marine are
a few of the better known yards, along with New
River Marine Center and Lauderdale Marina,
finally ending with Bradford Marine, where
at any given time you'll see a half dozen mega yachts
dry docked for repairs, or undergoing the endless
series of modifications that millionaires can't seem
to resist spending their money on. Yep, come to Ft.
Lauderdale, spend your money and help keep the natives
happy and busy. This area is known as Marina Mile
and is home to many fabricators and custom shops,
everything from tuna towers to prop shops. If you
can't get it done here, you probably can't get it
done anywhere. We count nine boat yards in this area.
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| Kids
enjoying the mysteries of Secret Woods Nature
Preserve |
We're now approaching
the end of our journey up this busy but seemingly
laid back river as we come to yet another natural
landmark, a large preserved section of mangrove jungle
named Secret Woods. Here you get a good look
at the way things used to be before Fort Lauderdale
became a magnet to the unimaginably wealthy.
This is a great place
to take the kids. You can tour this marshy terrain
on a series of board walks through the old Florida
jungle where all sorts of wildlife can be seen, especially
the armies of land crabs that are constantly at work
digging holes. If you're in a small boat, there's
even a dock you can land at.
On the right are the
Riverland Isles, another unique neighborhood
that is a well-kept secret because it is well-hidden
and isolated from the city proper. Once again, most
of these homes are set within a large expanse of Old
Florida jungle with few sculpted yards, but rather
all natural landscape. And once again, there are many,
many boats docked on private canals covering a very
large area.
By the time you reach
Bradford Marine, you're ready to turn around,
head down river, and see it all again. No need to
worry about getting bored with that, for you didn't
begin to see it all the first time. This is probably
one of the most amazing rivers set in the midst of
a quasi-urban setting that often looks anything but
urban. If you come to Fort Lauderdale without making
this river trip, you are definitely missing seeing
Fort Lauderdale at its best.
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