Terry's Journey in Retirement
Chapter 551
Feb 29 - Mar 7,2020
Pompano 2020
third visit
link to Pompano 202 picture folder
Pompano Beach was an absolutely wonderful time. It is like a paradise with warm clean clear Atlantic Ocean water a beautiful sunny sky and clean sandy beaches. Before you roll your eyes in disgust I must add NO, I absolutely would not want to live there. It's great to visit for a week but there are negatives. There is annoying traffic, endless parking meters, enough jerks to put you off and a lot of people wandering around aimlessly. There is talk of raising A1A a few feet to combat rising sea levels... Not to put too much emphasis on the negative that's just 5%, just a balancing perspective but that 5% is a deal breaker as far as I'm concerned for long term. It's 95% wonderful with a relaxed happy group of campers in a peaceful environment, and so photogenic.
We were at the Foundry Bar upon arrival and some friendly locals told us about the historic move of the first 100 year old home in Pompano, that of Robert McNab. On our way for to breakfast we witnessed and photographed the move across the main highway. La Crepes French breakfast was delightful with a bacon egg potato crepe and a banana strawberry Nutella crepe and their wonderful rich coffee. We typically split and share most meals so we get to taste everything.
Our new neighbors Steve and Audrey had just bought the beach house next door, moved in and invited the neighborhood to visit their open house. Their entrance way above really sets the mood for the place. Class, but they are in the process of making improvements. Steve explained that after purchasing at $2.6 Million he considered tearing it down and going bigger and taller, but he already has that at one of his other properties in Nashville complete with elevators and 11 bathrooms. As a Ph.D professor of Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Chemistry at Vanderbilt University he is Chair of Cancer Research at his Lab and had amassed enough resources to live WELL. Perhaps you'll notice the beautiful green oncolytic corona virus cancer cell attackers depiction in his art work. He explains his research at a National Cancer Institute symposium here. Hey it got him here. We got here also but we saved $2.6 million to spend on knickknacks.
That night we had to get to the Nauti Dawg to check off a favorite casual dining spot before we should get off on a tangent somewhere else. The Fried Shrimp and Scallops Linguini, needless to say was filling and scrumptious.
We got to Fort Lauderdale by the Sea for a quick visit but did not get to our favorite Aruba Restaurant. Just were fished out during the week. Einstein Bagels a real hit as well again. Coffee & pineapple for our too beautiful sunrise breakfasts from the Publix Markets that are on EVERY block. The Briny Irish Pub was busy each night and we enjoyed one evening there. Never have I been to a bar so packed with 70's and 80 year old people so enjoying themselves. Gianni's Italian Restaurant for Eggplant & Chicken Parm was a real excellent.
Have to mention our trip to Cap's Place Restaurant. This photo just after our diner there. We took a little dinghy from the channel in the center of the picture which is at the Lighthouse Marina. The boat ride is part of the restaurant experience as Caps is on a peninsula. Caps is quite historic started up in 1928. There is the speakeasy, rum running, & criminal connection to go along with the seafood. Everyone from Joe Namath to Bill Clinton has been there. Secret meetings were held there during WW2 by FDR and Churchill. Their web site documents it all. Cap's Grandfather came from Watervliet. The place has NOT been modernized, sadly, as they want to keep it authentic. The food was good but it all seemed over priced and like a money grab. Maybe I was just put off by the crude boat operator that gave me a bad vibe.
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands was a real treat being a pleasant free 3/4 mile boardwalk trip through a bird paradise. It's part of the attractions in the Most Fun Small Towns in the USA Del Ray Beach . Natural birds galore flock to the area along with some gators and other critters. This a Tri-colored Heron along with the wood storks, Anhingas, Egrets, etc. (It is actually part of the tertiary treatment lagoon for their municipal wastewater recharge, sewage to a sanitary engineer.) And we stopped in at the very windy but beautifully blue green waters of Del Ray Beach. A stop at our favorite V & S Deli sub in Boca Raton completed the morning.
Stopped into the Japanese style Morikami Gardens for a quick run through near Del Ray on another day. The ponds landscaping and Koi fish weren't my cup of tea but the Iguanas always impress.
We love to hit nearby Deerfield Beach and Pier for part of the day. This Pelican seemed to be pretty comfortable with tourists and was hanging around for some free fish the fishermen at the end might share. They stretch out for a time to dry their wings in the air before their next flight and dive for fish.
Deerfield Beach is such a popular place, perhaps you can see why. It was a record 90 degrees on this day which I thought would deter crowds. No. Parking was quite limited and I had decided to leave town when we spotted a place at the end of the beach. We don't mind walking and actually prefer to put nearly 5 miles a day on my pedometer. The Beach Web Cams have an underwater camera to watch the fish as well.
The beach in front of our time share is WAY less crowded (see folder) but it's fun to see different places. We might see just a handful of people during the day in front of our Pompano place. Everything you need is within walking distance from our Time Share. We wouldn't need to travel around, most of our neighbors seem to simply hang around the pool. That's OK for a while but we like to explore. Our neighbors are very friendly. Some of them are fixtures at the pool brown wrinkly skin and all (with cocktails).
Lots of waves this week and exhilarating bobbing in the crashing waves but couple days calm and had the best longest ocean swim of my life in warm clean water seeing clean sand below. Did a few hundreds of yards between the buoys a hundred feet off shore. Small nurse sharks in area but no seals to attract great whites, seems safe. Future snorkeling in the coral reefs.
Whilst strolling down the beach one day I noticed about 6 of these strange four inch long critters. Turns out they were the Portuguese Man o War (also called Blue Bottle Jellies). Not a true jelly fish but a colony of hundreds of animals with tentacles that hang down in the water up to 100 feet. They typically exist in offshore colonies but can dieoff and the wind carries them onshore. Their toxins can sting the skin severely and you can even die under certain condition. Don't even step on their dead remains. Very interesting. The town tractors clean the beaches daily and bury the natural organic matter under the sand but disposing of artificial matter elsewhere.
We were privileged to witness a Pelican feeding frenzy one day while walking up the Lighthouse Beach. It was breathtaking watching the group dive and scoot bob in the waves and gulp the fish then take off again and right in front of us to dive again. I guess we just hit the right tidal cycle at the inlet and conditions were just right for a bonanza feast.
Coronavirus Pandemic was just hitting big. People were dying in this Country as it had just spread from China. Our flights were full but the cruise ships were down to 50% capacity. Only found one guy at the airport with mask. It was humorous with his earphones looking like a gas mask. Asked if I could take his pic, then said, no I shouldn't ask. He said he didn't mind so I told him to smile as onlookers laughed. A good sport. Everyone was nervous and wiping down flip down trays with wipes. Woman on plane ahead of me was turning the pages of her book with latex gloved fingers. Harvard Dr predicts it could affect half the world's population (and maybe kill >50 million). That would make it a more severe pandemic than the Spanish Flu ( 20-50 million killed) that Grandpa got in 1918 while serving in WW1. During my basic training at Fort Dix Jan 1969 I survived the spread of Swine Flu or something. It wasn't overwhelming but several were sick, I was out of commission for close to a week. Windows open to the freezing air and required us to drink a gallon of koolaid. Think they gave us some experimental vaccines and liked to call it Upper Respiratory Illness. I recall one guy in the barracks dying. Had to get back on duty so as not have to repeat 8 more weeks of basic training.
All is unknown, certainly serious to those it affects, but probably will not be disastrous to most.
The Green Cay Wetlands was shut down.
new Pompano Pier Pompano Pier Fishing Village
Pompano Vacation 2019 promo Pompano Beach City Hall Pompano Web Cams
.