Kick Scooting In Hollywood, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Daytona Beach

[ NEW YORK, NY - NYC - 3/15/2011 - www.Littleviews.com ]

Kick Scooting in Hollywood, Florida

FEBRUARY 26, 2011: We traveled today from Treasure Island on the Gulf of Mexico to Miami Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in mid-afternoon to 80+ degree weather, sweet sea breezes, blue skies, and Florida's famous sun. It doesn't seem possible that winter could exist in any other form.

We spent the remaining afternoon and early evening in Hollywood, one of the happiest vacation areas in the state.

It is very easy to miss this gem, however, if you are not specifically looking for it. From the main highway (State A1A), the shore community looks like it is made up of old cabins. When you access its perfectly maintained boardwalk, however, you'll see its restored 1920s art deco hotels, its restaurants and shops, and it's ultra pristine beach.

Hollywood's boardwalk also features a designated bike lane that is traversed by wandering pedestrians, recumbent tricycles, regular bikes, surreys, roller-blades, and as of our visit, adult kick scooters.

The entirety of Hollywood is, in fact, heaven for kick scooting! In addition to the commercial area, its boardwalk extends north to the West Lake Nature Preserve. According to Hollywood's website, the preserve allows visitors to see the way Florida beaches used to be before development took over coastal areas. Stunning!

Miami Beach by Kick Scooter

FEBRUARY 27, 2011: Although we've visited the South Beach area in Miami Beach before, this time we saw over 300% more by scooting through its neighborhoods. At the end of our long, sunny, 80+ degree day in Miami, we felt great.

In order to avoid heavy traffic, we were one of the first cars in the South Pointe Park parking lot at 10AM. I bet that by 11AM, it was packed! Should you ever visit the area, we recommend that you get there early, especially on a beautiful weekend day.

From where we parked, we rode up Ocean Drive to Lummus Park, which is immediately east of Miami's famous 1930s South Beach art deco hotels, like the Riviere Apartment Hotel pictured above.

Lummus Park is filled with Palm trees and numerous benches. Better, the park features three wonderful sidewalks, making it a fantastic place to kick scoot, see art deco buildings, smell ocean breezes, and view the ocean itself.

Lummus Park's sidewalks are all smooth roadways because none of them are interrupted by streets or curbs. This makes them popular with all types of "human powered vehicles," including four-wheeler admobiles (above). Two of the park's sidewalks are near the beach and one borders the east side Ocean Drive.

The west side of Ocean Drive features art deco hotels and the restaurants they host. It is not possible to kick scoot on that side (or even walk quickly in the area) because side-to-side canopies and rows of tables on the sidewalk form a multi-block gauntlet filled with diners and people trying to entice pedestrians into their establishments.

Because we were on kick scooters and didn't mind adding miles to our "stroll," we decided to venture to Lincoln Road (a well-known shopping district) so I could buy a hat. What we didn't know about the street prior to arriving on it was that it is closed to cars between Washington and Lenox Avenues, making the it a beautiful, seven-block long European-type, outdoor mall.

We fell in love with the area because we didn't have to run the gauntlet of restaurants on Collins Avenue and once seated, there was enough open space to enjoy the landscaping and store our scooters. Buildings and shops along the Lincoln Road Mall are interesting, and on weekends, the area features special events. On the day we visited, It had an antiques festival.

Phil and I had different objectives (he likes to ride, while I like to snoop in shops), so he continued kick scooting without me by returning to Lummus Park, where he rode on a breathtakingly beautiful bike/pedestrian trail that leads up to 47th Street and back again. This trail features periodic openings to Miami Beach itself, plus sidewalks leading to the ocean-side of area hotels.

I continued my journey by riding along Washington Avenue where I discovered Espanola Way (pictured above), which is a beautiful set of blocks just north of 14th Street, between Washington and Pennsylvania Avenues. Although the neighborhood has a Spanish flavor, it features a variety of ethnic restaurants and small shops, and since it is closed to cars and restaurant tables don't over power it, it provided a nice area to kick scoot.

Late in the afternoon, we returned to South Pointe Park, which is boarded to the north by truly imaginative looking apartment buildings. To the park's immediate east, bordering Biscayne Bay and the Government Cut channel used by cruise ships, is the beginning of Miami Beach. Here, people sunbath, picnic, swim, and surf all the while being entertained by the comings and goings of massive cruise ships.

Along the southern part of South Pointe Park is a long, scooter-friendly sidewalk and many places to enjoy the scenery or possibly dine at Smith & Wollensky and watch the majestic beginning or ending of cruise ship journeys.

Kick Scooting in Ft. Lauderdale

FEBRUARY 28, 2011: We spent the day in Ft. Lauderdale looking for interesting places to kick scoot other than along its beach and miles of non-shaded sidewalk. We found them in three places, although the last place is more suitable for biking.

A prime kick scooting area can be found in Ft. Lauderdale's beautifully landscaped and fully shaded Riverwalk (see above). There you can stroll (or in our case, "scoot") through a two-mile long, riverfront park, browse through Old Fort Lauderdale and the Hoch Heritage Center (historic buildings, enactments, and a gift shop), get involved in the Museum of Discovery and Science, attend concerts and other cultural events, and see boats of all sizes float along the New River.

Not pictured here, but definitely a must-scoot area is the Las Olas Street Shopping District. Normally, I don't rush to shopping districts, however, the architecture along the way is very cheerful and because it is many blocks long, scooting through it provides a fast-paced way of seeing everything, while still being able to shop as the need arises.

Now then, Ft. Lauderdale's real treasure is, as Rick Steves always says, its locals. In this case, its ultra-wealthy locals. This particular set of locals invest in very pretty things, especially inviting homes and ultra-attractive landscaping, like the Palm tree lined neighborhood pictured here.

To find these neighborhoods, study maps and consider biking in and around the locations you've identified so you can better see them and feel their atmosphere. Consider Googling the phrase "Ft. Lauderdale million dollar homes" for ideas as to where they are located.

Another way to find stunning neighborhoods is to visit realtor websites and search for homes costing multi-millions. The following is a search I conducted on the subject. Click HERE to see it. If the link fails to provide a list, conduct your own search on www.FloridaMoves.com.

Adult Kick Scooting on Daytona Beach

MARCH 1, 2011: Well, if motorcycles can race on Daytona Beach, why not kick scooters?

I checked out a tip by Mikey Knackerson, who told me it was possible to ride a kick scooter on Daytona Beach. That seemed about as believable as walking on water, but he insisted it was true. As you can see above, Phil and I confirmed that kick scooting on sand can be done (at least at Daytona Beach).

Questions? Just ask!
Karen Little

The following five articles were initially a part of blog related to a road trip that took place between February 8 and March 5, 2011. They contain more pictures than the original blog, which is no longer posted. Kick Scooting Savanna and Vacationing Near St. Petersburg Kick Scooting In Treasure Island, Tampa, Clearwater Beach, Dunedin & Sarasota Kick Scooting In John's Pass, Ybor City, Tarpon Springs Sponge Dock, Dunedin & Clearwater Beach <|> <|> <|> Kick Scooting In Hollywood, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale & Daytona Beach Visiting Charleston, SC, Learning About the Festiva Hospitality Group, and Home Again Thank you to NYCeWheels, specialists in portable vehicles including adult kick scooters for providing guidance, adult kick scooters, and a folding bike for testing. Visit them at 1603 York Avenue (between 84th and 85th Street), New York, NY 10028.

Article by Karen Little. Photographs primarily by Karen Little with help from Philip Little. First published on www.Littleviews.com on 3/15/2011. All rights reserved.