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Greetings from Delray Beach. This week we travel to check out one of South Florida's up-and-coming hot destinations. If you live in the U.S. and are not into long flights, or haven't gotten around to getting a passport, this might be the place for your next vacation. Of course, you have to be into beautiful beaches, tasty food and fun in the sun. If you are, then dive in
-- we're in Delray Beach, Florida. Don't worry if you're in a hurry: There's a 2-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week's story.
Getting to Delray Beach
Delray Beach is located about halfway between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The closest airport, West Palm Beach (PBI), is 19 miles away, while Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is 32 miles, and Miami International (MIA) 54 miles. I almost always fly into FLL, because they usually have the lowest prices and -- more importantly -- the closest nonstop flights from California. Once you land at FLL, it's a $60 taxi ride to Delray Beach. (From PBI the cost is $35; from MIA, $150). Most visitors rent a car (click on CarRentalNumbers.com). I sometimes take the Tri-Rail, a free shuttle from the airports that costs only $5. The problem is that it does not run frequently (more on Tri-Rail below). On this trip I drove the 35 minutes to Delray.
Why Delray?
I started coming to Delray Beach on a regular basis in 2004, when my sister moved here with her family. In just three years I've seen Delray grow from a sleepy quiet
beach village to a happening town. The main street -- Atlantic Avenue -- has more than 100 boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants. The place is beginning to turn into a mini-South Beach, without the sex appeal, crazy night life and celebrity mob scene. But it has equally good food, fun (not out-of-control) nightlife, and basically the same shoreline (the only difference is women can't go topless here). And all this at a fraction of Miami Beach prices.
Delray Beach Marriott
The Delray Beach Marriott is without a doubt the best hotel in Delray. Location, location, location: It's right on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and A1A, with the beach a quick 50-yard walk away. That's the same distance to the closest of Delray's many delicious restaurants. But as with most chain hotels, it's not about the building but the destination. The Delray Beach Marriott is very nice. It's rated four stars, and with its tile roof and marble floors has a Mediterranean feel. It is probably the nicest Marriott
I have ever been in in the U.S. This hotel is designed for both business and leisure travelers. The former will love it for the conference space, free internet and lobby computer whose sole purpose is for airline check-in
and printing boarding cards -- gotta love that. Leisure travelers will adore the facilities, two pools
(one is adults only), and of course the location. The food at the hotel is good -- and the Asian Steak Salad
out by the pool for lunch
is unreal. The full American breakfast buffet
in the Sea Crest Restaurant
is a reasonable $13.
My Room
All Marriotts now have "Revive" beds that compete with the Westin's "Heavenly Bed." The Revives have 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, white downy duvets and seven feathery pillows, all of which definitely make guests want to sleep in. My room
looked over
the Atlantic Ocean, and had both a desk to work on and a clean bathroom. My biggest complaint is that the balcony's sliding doors are very heavy. They have to be (to meet hurricane-proof standards), but it's annoying to hear your neighbors open and shut theirs. Room rates range from $99 in the off season (summer) to $350 in season. Delray Beach Marriott, 10 North Ocean Boulevard, Delray Beach, FL; tel. 561/274-3200; toll-free: 877/389-0169.
N. Reagan Spa
I happened to be in town when the hotel
was celebrating
the opening
of its new N. Reagan Spa. It's named after Nancy Reagan
-- the owner, not the former first lady (though she is a distant relative). This Nancy has done an incredible job designing the two-level spa. It's elegant, with sophisticated modern English interiors. Downstairs is a state-of-the-art gym, open 24 hours and free for all guests. Upstairs is where the magic takes place, beginning with an army of staff members, all of them very friendly. As soon as I reached the top of the stairs I was shown to the men's locker room. Then it was off to the bright, cheerful, fresh flower-filled coed lounge. Here customers are offered fresh fruit, tea, water, and best of all a shot of thick warm chocolate that tastes like pudding.
Wassage
I had a Wassage ($125 for 60 minutes). It's called that because the massage table
is on a heated waterbed. This new concept combines the benefits of hydrotherapy with traditional massage. It was very nice, but a little awkward getting on and off. I almost bit it both times. The masseuse
uses individually packaged massage lotion for each massage; when it's over, you get the leftovers. After my massage I had a "body scrub of the future." Maybe women like this treatment of four different applications, which feels like lotion is being applied to your body. Then a steaming hot tent
is put over you, and you roast
for 10 minutes. My skin did feel smoother, but I'm a man. I prefer to be rubbed and scrubbed down with something gritty, so I can feel it. This wimpy stuff isn't for me. N. Reagan Spa; tel. 866/278-8111.
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 tel. 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, 10am-5pm; Admission: $10 adults; $9 seniors; $6 children.
Delray To Miami on Tri-Rail
I had to be at Miami International Airport for a 9am flight. Instead of getting up very early, I went down the afternoon before. I took Tri-Rail. It costs just $5 (be sure to buy a ticket from the vending machine before getting on, or you'll pay a fine -- tickets can't be purchased on board), is fast and environmentally friendly. The train
runs almost every hour. Mine was packed with a rush hour crowd. There were a few tourists, but mostly blue-collar workers commuting to or from work. The conductor/security guard packs a gun, but he was very friendly. Travel time between Delray and Miami was just 1 hour and 30 minutes. The furthest north the train goes is Mangonia Park (just north of Palm Beach); the furthest south is Miami.
Next Week
Next week we go to the Number One international destination for Americans. Arriba. Arriba.
John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 850 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, CNBC and MSNBC), and has published the book, You Are Here Traveling With JohnnyJet.com.
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