Next Stop Ft. Lauderdale

We bid adieu to Connie and Paul at about 10:00 a.m. and headed for Fort Lauderdale via Route 41 across the Everglades. 

We took Route 41 rather than I-75. It is more scenic. We specifically wanted to stop at the Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery.

Wow. No wonder he is often called the modern-day Ansel Adams. His black-and-white photographs are spectacular. The size of some of them is impressive. He uses cameras capable of creating huge negatives that he then develops. If you ever visit the Gallery, watch the video about his process. It is fascinating. 

I was reminded that I have always enjoyed taking black and white pictures, or nowadays, taking them in color and changing them to black and white. I had fun doing so on the nature trail behind the gallery.

As we neared Miami, we left Route 41, turning north and working our way to Fort Lauderdale through one snarl of traffic after another. Nothing really stopped us, but it was tiring. And after the Everglades, it was oh-so unattractive.

After dropping our car at the rental return on Miami Beach, we caught a taxi to our hotel. This hotel was selected by the cruise line.

Holland-America had yet to tell us we would be in the Dalmar Hotel instead of the Element Hotel. Both hotels are in the same building. Both hotels are Marriott.  Other than the front desk being on different floors, it was a small deal, so we went to one only to be sent to the other.

We were assigned a pleasant room on a high floor. After settling in, we went to the 6th floor to check out the pool. There's nothing much planned for tomorrow; we could be comfortable there.

We had an Asian Fusion dinner at the hip Sparrow on the 25th floor of the hotel. We were a decade older than any other patron, but we had a fun time.