Escape to Fort Lauderdale this Weekend

Cabana Bliss at the Ritz-Carlton

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What I love most about Fort Lauderdale is its beach—a long sandy stretch with a power walking-friendly sidewalk designed for exercise as well as people watching and mingling.

I paired my beach visit with a stay at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale (www.ritzcarlton.com), which is designed to resemble a luxury cruise ship. Sitting in a cabana with fuzzy pink pillows and pink martini glasses (Bachelorette Finale package), watching the World Cup on the flat-screen TV, friends and I sipped Veuve Clicquot champagne and munched on miniature veggie wraps as we switched between views of Landon Donovan dribbling the soccer ball and the sparkling blues of the Atlantic Ocean. And of course we jumped in the infinity pool at half time. Later that night we visited the Wine Vault, where sommelier Don Derocher who prides himself in his wine finds, introduced us to his latest pick: a crisp pinot gris with a hint of green apple from Oregon’s Four Graces winery. Dinner was at the Via Luna, where the two inch-thick Berkshire pork chop with its balsamic glaze paired beautifully with roasted Brussels sprouts.

We wrapped the evening at the Via Luna Bar looking for Neptune and his horses hidden in the huge wave mural. Let me know if you find them. 

Tags: fort lauderdale | Ritz | Ritz Carlton | Ritz-Carlton | Via Luna