Fort Lauderdale Beach & The Rustic Inn Crab House 4/15/2011

We headed for the beach in Fort Lauderdale, but it started to rain. No rain was forecast.  We decided to go to Wal-Mart instead, then after lunch we'd go to the beach. Joe spotted this cute look on a car at Wal-Mart. Above the eye lashes, the lights were lined with rhinestone. Like I've said, you just don't know what you will see at Wal-Marts!

After our long wait at the deli. for fresh sliced meat, and a long wait in the grocery line, at Wal- Mart, we finally got back home. We ate our already prepared sack lunches, at home, then headed back toward the beach. The sun had come back out five minutes after we headed for Wal-Mart. In Florida, they have 5 minutes of rain and then it is all over. 

We found parking right on the street in front of the beach, at $2 a hour. We didn't bring all our beach gear, as we just came to get some well needed exercise. After walking a very short distance we realized we were at high tide.

When walking at high tide, you are walking in sinking sand. It is impossible to find hard packed sand. Sinking sand makes for a much harder walk. You really build your calf muscles on this kind of walk. That is fine for Joe, who has skinny calves, but for me, who has big  enough calves, this is not for me. Normally I out walk Joe, but in these kind of condition, he was out walking me and I was getting very tired, very fast After about 3 blocks we turned around, and walked the side walk back.

Because we had a lot of time left on the parking meter, Joe got our beach chairs and we went swimming instead. The water was very clear, except for some  floating seaweed in the first 2 to 3 feet of water.

The water felt wonderful with the temps in the high eighties.

No shells here, but maybe at low tide.

After cleaning up, we drove to the Rustic Inn Crab House.

Joe had read in his Frommer's Florida 2009 book, that this is a great place for blue crab. Joe had it for the first time at Crystal River, Florida in 2009 at the Fridge. He has been wanting it since. The book said the Rustic Inn had, "World Famous Garlic Blue Crab". He checked with the park office and they told him, that would be the place to go. The serving was huge. He had called ahead to get prices, and knew the crab was $35 a bowl. The blue crab at the fridge was much less. Needles to say he was a bit disappointed in the price for it's taste. The Fridge in Crystal River, Florida is the place to go for blue crab for the price, according to Joe!

I had a Caesar Salad with Maui Maui. Mine was very good, but I forgot to ask for the dressing on the side. I hate saturated wet lettuce!

The restaurant sits on a water way. We got there too late for a water front table.

Planes were flying in all the time, so that was entertaining as well.