We’re off to Fort Lauderdale, and we’re heading there in style. Sharone has an affinity with Jeep, having worked for them in a promotional sense plenty of times over the years. She is also a trained professional trainer and stunt driver, so it’s no surprise that she has an ultra-cool orange Jeep Sahara, which is a monster of a vehicle.

The drive down to Fort Lauderdale is incredible. Houses are huge, and it’s clear that we’re in an area of considerable wealth. It’s littered with mansions and high-end property. We take the Ocean Drive route, also known as the A1A. The same A1A you may recognise as being in the Vanilla Ice song. I don’t need to say which one.

Despite the nose to tail traffic as we hit Fort Lauderdale, you can feel the energy as music can be heard by the beachfront a couple of blocks away. Coupled with the great weather, I can’t wait to get out and immerse myself into the scene.

After we park, we take the short walk to the beachfront. It’s incredible! Sharone warned us that Spring Break will be in full flow, so it’ll be busy, but I did not expect a sight quite so hectic. It made Ibiza look like a nunnery. The beach is madness, completely smothered by people partying, with little space to even attempt to get a foothold on a patch of sand with a few beach towels. The bars are lively, loud music fires out from each one, and people are hollering as shots and beer are ploughed into. With palm trees sprouting up on each side of the road, adding a little green to the golden sands and luscious blue, it adds to the magical scenery of Fort Lauderdale. The nose to tail traffic stretches to the road running by the beach, and the calibre of vehicle has gone up a notch, with plenty of sports cars cruising the promenade.

I suspect someone famous is on the beach due to a large gathering of people clustered in one spot with their phones out recording. I’m tempted to go over and take a peek, but then think realistically. Who would I consider famous and respect enough that’s going to be in Fort Lauderdale at the height of Spring Break at their age. Leo Di Caprio perhaps, but in all likelihood, it’s either going to be an American sports star, reality TV star or YouTuber who I’ve never heard of.

Continuing our walk down the boardwalk is like a scene from American Pie on steds. Attire of both sexes leaves little to the imagination, and it provokes a reaction between the three of us on more than once occasion that we can’t quite believe some of the ‘swimwear’ on display.

Venturing further down the strip we find a quieter place for food, before heading into the heart of the action for some mid-afternoon drinks. There’s a heavy police presence in the vicinity, with a lot on horseback. I’m guessing that as the evening progresses things could easily take a turn for the worse with this amount of people present and cheap alcohol flowing like tap water.

We find a bar, Elbo Room, which has a covers band playing American classics, and that’s where we stay for the afternoon, soaking up what Spring Break offers without feeling the need to make a full night of it. The crowd does have a few older people in, so we do at least fit in, as opposed to being in one of the other rowdier bars further down where we could look well out of place.

We leave as dusk is ready to settle, driving through Las Olas, an area of Fort Lauderdale that’s more our speed and would’ve been worth exploring as it’s the premier destination for shopping, dining, events and entertainment in Fort Lauderdale that’s suited to all ages. I guess we have a reason to come back at some point.

Darkness has descended by the time we exit Las Olas, and we take the freeway back, which is a rush as Sharone accelerates at top speeds in a vehicle with no doors, so the wind blasts through the Jeep, all to the gorgeous backdrop of the Fort Lauderdale canals in the near distance, and ‘Boys of Summer’ by Don Henley playing.

Still reeling from the ten-hour drive the previous day, and the exhilaration of being thrown headfirst into Spring Break, we finished the night in low key fashion back at Sharone’s apartment.

South Beach, Miami

The next day we hit South Beach, Miami, which is about an hour away. Sharone swaps vehicles from the Jeep to her Honda.

Her skills at driving are needed on the perilous freeway as some tosser decides to move into our lane even though we’re right beside him, causing her to break hard to allow him in. Without her doing so would’ve certainly meant we’d be rammed into the next lane into God knows what. Sharone has stated that this freeway is full of crazy drivers and there’s always accidents. I can see why, but it leaves me a little nervous for the rest of the journey.

Before we hit South Beach, she takes us to a place called Wynwood on the outskirts, which is known for colourful street art and murals. It’s one of Miami’s most happening districts. The streets have converted warehouses housing craft breweries and funky art galleries. It attracts a young, vibrant crowd, drawn in by the chic clothing boutiques, stylish bistros, and late-night bars, as well as the famous Wynwood Walls, which is a unique outdoor space that features huge, colourful street murals by artists from across the world. When we arrive, there is a mini food festival going on in the epicentre, with all sorts of culinary delights on offer, mainly Afro-Caribbean and Hispanic oriented.

We leave Wynwood after an hour of walking around, and we’re off to the famous South Beach. The socio-economic issues from the US are highlighted on the outskirts of Wynwood as homeless communities and drug issues are in plain sight.

It doesn’t take us too long to get to the South Beach area. The drive is taken up by marvelling at the towering skyline in Downtown Miami and the ongoing colossal construction projects that’s going to make Downtown even bigger than what it is. We cross a gargantuan bridge, and just over the dip there’s a series of monstrous cruise ships lined up in the harbour, the biggest being Royal Caribbean’s offering. It’s a tremendous sight.

Traffic is horrendous after we cross, and it takes us a while to park. Spring Break is typically in full flow as we crawl passed bars on the beachfront. Shots are being dished out and licentious entertainment is keeping the Spring Breakers occupied, and it’s only mid-afternoon.

Not long after we park there’s a downpour, causing people to run for shelter underneath the shop coverings. This is common practice in Miami, and it happened more than once that day. Sharone points out the parrots, which is an unexpected sight. But given we’re in a tropical climate, I can understand why there’s plenty flying about.

We eat on the beachfront at the iconic News Café, famous for contributing to South Beach becoming a bustling spot in the eighties due to selling newspapers from all over the world, which attracted tourists who wanted to catch up with current affairs from their home country. This is obviously pre-internet days. It was frequented by Gianni Versace too. Speaking of which, we took a little walk down the promenade to The Villa Casa Casuarina, the former Versace Mansion, which is now a chic and exclusive bar. Sharone blags us in (to get out of another shower too), promising the hostess that we’re going to buy a drink, but we just wanted a little nosey, a few pictures, then to be on our way.

Much like in Fort Lauderdale, we again absorb the vibe by walking on the beach itself, which is separated from the promenade by a short walkway, patches of grass and sand, and rows of bushes. The beach is huge once you pass the clearing. The sand feels harder and crisper to walk on compared to other beaches. There’s a volleyball tournament going on too, which attracts scores of people. It’s being televised and has a stand built on one side for spectators to watch.

We leave before nightfall. We have a long drive back to Sharone’s apartment, and we want to get back for some entertainment closer to hers, a Fleetwood Mac tribute act called True Rumours. Also, it has been mentioned on more than one occasion that the mood on South Beach has the potential to turn in the evening and can become quite intimidating. I could sense this to be the case, similar to how I felt in Venice Beach seven years ago. The consensus seems to be it’s fine to visit during the day, but you have to be careful at night, and that the allure and charisma South Beach once possessed in the 80s and 90s has rapidly dwindled over the past few years.

After some gorgeous, healthy food at a takeaway chain called Chipotle, we’re back on the road to Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach, which is a golf resort. Having been surrounded by Spring Breakers for the past twenty-four hours, it’s a welcomed change to be amongst an older crowd, who are appreciative of one the best bands ever. The tribute act are brilliant, carrying a likeness to each individual band member and playing all the classics, which makes for another brilliant night in Florida. The gig finishes earlier than what we’re used to in the UK, so there’s still time to get back to Deerfield and have a night cap in one of the nearby bars, Kahuna, where of course there is a band playing, an Irish-orientated outfit that plays covers and keeps the atmosphere in the bar effervescing.

Deerfield & Delray

The next day is our final full day, and after all the travelling we’ve done, it’s welcomed to have a chill day by the beach at Deerfield, a couple of minutes from Sharone’s apartment. The beach is stunning and has been used for some scenes in ‘Baywatch’ due to the warmer sea temperatures. With the sea being a little choppy, it provides an opportunity to venture in and fight against the crashing waves.

Later on, Sharone takes us to Delray, taking an alternative route there that gives us the chance to view some of the mansions in the immediate vicinity that leaves us in awe.

Delray is an upmarket and amazing town, teeming with cool bars and top restaurants. Adam Sandler has been seen dining out there a couple of times. We eat in Lemongrass, an absolute packed out place that suggests it’s a good place to eat. That turns out to be true after having one of the nicest chicken fried rice’s I’ve ever tasted.

We move onto a Tin Roof bar, funnily enough, a bar we went in on our first night in Orlando, which seems an age ago. A band from Maryland are playing, who Sharone knows from her time there. The Spring Breakers make up most of the clientele, but it’s not quite as hedonistic as Fort Lauderdale and South Beach. It’s a little more reserved and more our speed. We then go to Johnnie Brown’s afterwards, which again has a live covers act. This attracts an older crowd, and it’s refreshing to see a place with such a buzz attracting people of all ages on a Sunday night, rocking out to some of the rock n roll classics of yesteryear. Delray is an unbelievable place, with an exceptional vibe that makes me want to return there in future. There’s little wonder why Sharone is mulling over moving closer. It was the perfect place to enjoy our last night in. When we return, it will definitely be explored in more detail.

With the promise of something special in the morning to round off our trip that required an early get-up, we called it a night in prep for our final day.

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