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| Where's Chuck? Palm Beach, FL |
WEB RESOURCES |
Destination: South Florida For boys who like toys (we mean cars and boats!), South Florida offers everything you'd want in a sun-drenched getaway. By Chuck Taylor If you're looking for a fun getaway to South Florida and want to attend some great events that'll appeal particularly to gentlemen who love the ultimate toys, then you might want to check out the newly remodeled Boca Resort & Club, the 24th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show and the world renowned 2009 West Palm Beach Barrette Jackson Auto Auction. THE BOCA RESORT & CLUB The Boca Resort & Club is a landmark property in South Florida, originally built by renowned Palm Beach architect Addison Mizner in 1926. It's had a wonderful and colorful history. In 1997, H. Wayne Huizenga, who founded Waste Management and Blockbuster Video, purchased the property. At that time, the resort was one of the premiere beachfront properties in South Florida. It had the best of everything including a world-class business conference center that annually hosted Fortune 500 and multinational business leaders from around the world. The property is extensive and offers many different types of accommodations. The casual oceanfront Beach Club is my favorite because it's located on a peninsula at the Boca Inlet and the beach is protected and private. You can also stay in the historic original Mediterranean style Cloisters, Yacht Club, Tower Building or the Boca Bungalows. A traditional room at the Cloisters starts at $259 per night double occupancy. A Deluxe room at the Towers starts at $819 per night double occupancy. A Yacht Club standard room ranges between $400 and $600 per night double occupancy. Valet parking is $26.63 a night and an 18% resort fee applies to your stay. Mr. Huizenga is no doubt a phenomenally successful businessman. He purchased the property for approximately $325 million and sold it in 2004 to an affiliate of the Blackstone Private Equity Group for $1.2 billion. He was however, not a very good steward of this historic landmark property. He skimped on maintenance and the service steadily went downhill. The place was a wreck by the time Blackstone made its offer to purchase the property. But upon my visit to experience the new visionary plans for the Boca Club & Resort, I was delighted and excited to finally see this world-class property being pampered and restored to its proper standing as one of South Florida's premiere resorts. THE NEW LOOK The most exciting part of Blackstone's plan is the multi-million dollar renovation of the Beach Club. This hotel is currently under construction and we had a chance to see the new architectural model and layout. They've completely demolished the old beach club pool and cabanas. In its place will stand one of South Florida's premiere luxury private condominium developments called One Thousand Ocean. The ultra-modern structure will wrap around the peninsula and provide commanding views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Boca Inlet. The Beach Club next door is being renovated from the ground up, too. All the rooms are being refitted with new bathrooms, lighting, carpeting and furniture. The 230 deluxe guestrooms and nine suites are situated on a half-mile stretch of private beach. Guests will also have full access to the new pools and cabanas. This setting is the best for families who wish to live the upscale Florida lifestyle in a casual setting. There are many different amenities to choose from at the Boca Resort & Club. If you're a golfer, then you'll love the resort golf course, which underwent a $6.5 million redesign by famed golf architect Gene Bates. Greens fees are $191.68 including a cart. If tennis is your sport, then it's just a short walk to the tennis center where you can practice your game on 30 fully lighted courts. The resort also offers many other amenities including:
You'll never have to leave the resort to experience some of the best fine dining in Boca Raton. The Boca Resort & Club has eight award-wining restaurants including: Palm Court: Serving light fare Old Homestead Steak House: Featuring prime beef, seafood Cielo by Angela Hartnett: New establishment featuring modern Italian food Lucca: Tuscan cuisine and an award-winning wine list Bar Luna: Offers 3,400 bottles of wine and Champagne Mizner's Monkey Bar: Cocktail, martinis and cigars Club Room Café: Casual dining Morimoto:Japanese Sushi Bar The Boca Resort & Club, 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432, Tel: 888-491-2622. THE WEST PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW South Florida is the boating capital of the world. The finest boat builders in the world, such as Viking and Rybovich, which are now owned by Wayne Huizenga and managed by his two sons, are located in Palm Beach. I had the opportunity to meet Jim Bernstein, who was the former CEO of Rybovich, at Old Port Cove in North Palm Beach. We boarded the '60 Hatteras Sport Fish Kaizen for a 30-minute cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway to attend the 23rd annual Palm Beach International Boat Show. It's one of the top 10 boat shows in the country and there are more than $350 million worth of yachts you can see inside and out firsthand … even a ‘150 mega-yacht that can be yours for a cool $25 million! The show is exhibited both on land and in the water. You can start your tour at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and then move on to the Intracoastal Waterway at Flagler Drive for the in-water showcase. There is also an exclusive exhibit of Mega Yachts at the Rybovich Marina. Pick up the water taxi docked next to the Yachts International Pavilion to gain access. The causeway bridge had to open in order for Kaizen to gain entry into the boat show. I was granted access to tour a ‘120 Horizon luxury yacht that a new owner had just taken delivery from Don Gilman, of Gilman Yachts. It was a floating palace with flat panel HDTVs and a professional kitchen with two sub-zero refrigerators and granite countertops. The layout included a living room, dining room, kitchen, owner's stateroom and two VIP suites. The coolest feature was the six-person hot tub on the sun deck bridge. You could drive the yacht by autopilot while relaxing in the 102-degree water! ADMISSION Adults: $14 Children 6-12: $4 Children under 6: Free LOCATIONS The show spans these locations: Intracoastal Waterway along Flagler Drive Palm Beach County Convention Center Rybovich Marina SCHEDULE March 26 - 29, 2009 Thurs. Mar 26: 12 noon-7pm Fri. Mar 27: 10am-7pm Sat. Mar 28: 10am-7pm Sun. Mar 29: 10am-6pm The West Palm Beach International Boat Show, March 26-29, 2009. BARRETT-JACKSON COLLECTOR CAR EVENT One of the most exciting events you can attend while in South Florida is the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event that's held at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. It's the world's most prestigious car collector auction! They've got American classic "Muscle Cars", exotic cars such as vintage and late model Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches, and luxury Bentley and Rolls Royces. Yes, there's something for everyone! You'll be able to tour the main hall where you can see automobiles for sale by reputable dealers from South Florida and around the country. Then, there's the main auction area that seats several thousand people. It's a Wild West-like atmosphere where the auctioneer is rattling off the bids at lightning speed. Cars can sometimes fetch in the millions of dollars. Bidders from around the world competed for 509 vehicles that sold at No Reserve, for a total of $23,301,250 at the automotive lifestyle event. It's like the New York Stock Exchange for cars. The cars to be a part of the live auction can be viewed on parade before they are driven into the main hall to be auctioned off. I'd recommend that you take a tour of the staging area where you'll be able to get a close-up look at the vehicles and hear the roar of the engines and the exhausts, resonating throughout the air. It's thrilling to hear a ROUSH high performance engine being fired up in a vintage Ford GT. There's just nothing like it ... except maybe a Ferrari going through an underpass or an enclosed tunnel. The Barrett-Jackson event was also able to list and sell over $1 million worth of vehicles to benefit various charities, such as The Sopranos Escalade and a 1957 Chevy Bel Air from the HBO drama Project American Heroes. Over 67,000 people attended the event in 2008. The 2009 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event will be held April 9th to 11th at the Americraft Expo Center in Palm Beach, Florida. ADMISSION Adults: $15 to $50 Children: $8 LOCATION Americraft Expo Center, 9067 Southern Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33411. SCHEDULE April 9-11, 2009 With a little planning, this trip is convenient and affordable. This is because there are two major airports servicing the Boca Resort & Club. The closest is Ft. Lauderdale International Airport (FLL); West Palm Beach International (PBI) is a 30-minute drive. The best airlines that have the most flights and least expensive fares are: AirTran, JetBlue, US Airways, American and Northwest. Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event, West Palm Beach, Florida, Tel: 480-421-6694. It's recommended that you call in advance and book your transportation from the airport to the resort directly with the Boca Resort & Club. It costs $96.60, which includes all gratuity and taxes. The concierge service is convenient and they can arrange getting the tickets to both the Palm Beach International and the West Palm Beach Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event for you. Make sure you book your trip at least one month in advance, as this is a popular time to be in South Florida. If you plan on bidding at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event, visit their website and register so that your credit can be established. Good luck! Hope you get that muscle car you've always wanted! Chuck Taylor loves adventure. Whether it’s single-handed, deep-sea fishing 75 miles off of Montauk, flying, or hunter jumping equestrian, Chuck is an adrenaline seeker. He is also an avid photographer and has photographed over 100 golf courses from around the world. A self-proclaimed entrepreneur since 5 years old, Chuck holds four patents and founded Great Marketing Ideas, LLC and Threshold Media, Inc. He conceives, implements and manages consumer marketing initiatives and promotions for national and international clients including: Titleist, Sports Illustrated, PGA TOUR, Coca-Cola and Time Warner. |
Pictures From The Trip
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