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January 31, 2007

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WHERE'S JOHNNY JET?                          DELRAY BEACH, FL
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THE BEACH
Let’s face it, the main reasons people come to Florida – and the reason I did before my family moved there -- are the weather and the beach. As you can see from this 10-day forecast on Weather.com, it’s nice to be enjoy 70- and 80-degree temperatures in the middle of winter without leaving the U.S. Warm weather motivates me, so every morning I got up and took a run (okay, a walk, but don’t tell anyone) on the beach where I admired the sunbathers (I mean, seashells). When it gets hot, a swim in the refreshing 77-degree water is sure to cool anyone off. FYI: The Delray Marriott does not operate the beach chair/umbrella rentals you see in front of their hotel. Oceanside Beach Service rentals range from $3 per hour for a single chair to $25 a day for two.

DELRAY RESTAURANTS
One thing is sure: Delray visitors won’t have any problem finding good food. Most people stroll along Atlantic Avenue, which is filled with nice restaurants and outdoor cafés. One of my favorites, Cabana El Rey (105 E. Atlantic Ave.; tel.: 561-274-9090), serves tasty Nuevo Latino food (their plantains are sooo good). They also boast they have the best mojitos in town. Seafood lovers will want to dine at City Oyster (213 E. Atlantic Ave.; tel.: 561-272-0220) for the fresh catch of the day. Closer to the hotel, just across the street Caffé Luna Rosa (34 S. Ocean Blvd.; tel.: 561-274-9404) has delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner. The same goes for Boston’s on the Beach (40 S. Ocean Blvd.; tel.: 561-278-3364) which is next door and has been in business for 28 years. Downstairs is a loud sports bar, but upstairs there’s a quiet balcony with a wide range of dishes, including coconut lobster and stone crabs (in season). A funky place to enjoy local artists and American food is DaDa (52 N. Swinton Ave.; tel.: 561-330-3232). I went to their patio to listen to a local band, and ended up having incredible desserts. I better stop here about the food, because I’m getting hungry. I could go on and on, but let me leave you with this little fact: Stone Crabs are in season from October 15 to May 15, which is just about the opposite of hurricanes (June to November).

WHAT TO DO IN DELRAY
There’s a lot more to do in Delray Beach then going to the beach and dining out. I won’t even mention the art galleries and night clubs on Atlantic Avenue, because most people know about them. Instead, here are some little-known places to find some culture.

SANDOWAY HOUSE
Just a few blocks from the Marriott along Ocean Boulevard is the Sandoway. It’s a historic 1936 beachfront home – and in South Florida, 1936 is old! (European readers, try not to laugh). This nature center provides a living history lesson through its exhibits and activities. Kids love this place (my nephew had his birthday party here two years ago and still talks about it) because they can view nature up close. The main attraction is the pool out back, with daily feedings to the nurse sharks. On my short visit I learned that lobsters shed their shell -- as do cockroaches. Who knew? Cost: $3. The Sandoway House, 142 S. Ocean Blvd.; tel.: 561-274-7263.

HISTORIC TROLLEY TOUR
Once a month the Delray Beach Historical Society offers a Historic Trolley Tour. I was on the very first group to take this 90-minute tour, which focuses on five historic districts. Narration is done by locals who grew up in Delray. Stops include the Spady Cultural Heritage Center (which highlights the city's early black history and culture), Cason Cottage (a house museum established to depict Florida lifestyle circa 1915 to 1935), the Marine Villas and the Colony Hotel (it’s very colorful, and would be a great place to stay if it was near the beach). This year’s remaining Historic Trolley Tour dates are February 10, March 10, April 14 and May 12. Tickets cost $15; the trolley departs at 10 a.m. from the Bungalow, 3 NE 1st Street. My tour was filled with senior citizen women. They really got into it. I’m glad I did it once, but it was a little too slow for my ADD mind so I won’t be doing it again anytime soon. Information and reservations are available at 561-243-2577, or through the DBHS website at DelrayBeachHistoricalSociety.org.

MORIKAMI MUSEUM AND JAPANESE GARDENS
Here’s a place I recommend to everyone. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is incredible. If someone hit me on the head and I woke up in the middle of this place, I’d swear I was in Japan. Who knew that South Florida had such a hidden gem? Walking around this 200-acre sanctuary is very peaceful. It’s a perfect place to go on a lazy afternoon, or the beach is too windy. The Museum houses 5,000 Japanese art objects and artifacts, including a 500-piece collection of tea ceremony items, and more than 200 textile pieces. There are rotating exhibitions in its galleries, monthly tea ceremonies performed in the Seishin-an tea house, and Japanese traditional festivals celebrated for the public several times a year. Don’t miss it or the inexpensive delicious lunch out back! The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Rd., Delray Beach, FL; tel.: 561-495-0233. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $10 adults; $9 seniors; $6 children.



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Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Pictures From

The Trip

 

Friendly Sunbathers

 

Delray Beach

 

Good Cuban Food

 

Stone Crabs

 

Intercoastal

 

Sandoway House

 

Nature Up Close

 

Trolley Tour

 

Colony Hotel

 

Morikami

 

Looks Like Japan

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