We’ve been counting the ways in City & Shore magazine for 25 years – why stop now?
1. Dog beaches
South Florida proves the best off-leash park is an ocean. It happens in Jupiter, in Hollywood and on Fort Lauderdale beach certain times a week: arrive early, find someplace in the swimsuit for biodegradable bags, try desperately to keep sand out of the water bowl, decide it’s time to retire the towel used to cover the back seat. Strangers become co-conspirators in the art of fetch; compliments on a good sit-stay. The magic is in the freedom: the dog forgets the limits of four walls and remembers what a dog is supposed to be. You do too. On the drive home, windows cracked, salt and sand drying on fur, surely years have been added to lives.
2. Rocket launches
Once every five days on average, a rocket heads upwards into that impossibly big Florida sky. In the videos, it looks like the rockets head straight up; but South Floridians know it’s an arch, upwards sure but then south and cutting across the sky like the destination is São Paolo and not the heavens. No need for tickets, just a clear day and a text from the friend who tracks launch windows. Beaches hush, balconies fill and for two minutes South Florida turns into a shared planetarium. The spectacle fades to a faint streak across a robin’s egg canvas, the contrail widening and then fading away. A show that writes itself across the sky.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Palm Beach International Boat Show.
3. Boat shows
We measure time by boat shows the way other cities use fashion weeks. Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach take turns transforming into floating marketplaces — docks converted to catwalks, hulls polished to reflective arrogance, sales reps who can quote fuel burn like yacht owners care about costs. No need to buy; this is about browsing what’s possible if that big thing comes in. Step aboard, inhale new-boat varnish and debate stateroom layouts. (Who would pick that carpet!?!) Wander the gear aisles where gadgets promise to turn anyone into a better mariner, chef, parent and human being. Outside, the marinas become villages — food stalls, shaded lounges, the steady murmur of deals being courted. Even if the fleet is strictly imaginary, leave with a tan and a sudden promise to spend more time on the wide-open water.
4. Turtle walks
It begins in March or so, when the first of the lumbering sea turtles crawls up the moonlit sand, a backwards evolutionary journey. Go for a stroll on the water line at night or early morning and hopefully tracks will present themselves, flipper marks and a solid line for the shell, like hieroglyphs. If the timing is right, witness, from a safe distance, the deposit of a pile of soft-shelled eggs, the messy burying and then the return of mom to the water. Go on a guided tour with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the walk will be narrated by experts, this fragile cycle of life. In a region famous for spectacle, this one truly is a miracle.
5. Sunrise yoga
There’s a moment, right before the sun lifts, when the sky fills with strips of pastel, a warm-up. That’s when mats unfurl, gulls offer commentary, and the Atlantic provides the soundtrack. You don’t need to be an expert yogi — just willing. Salute the sun as it rises, feel the seabreeze cool on sweat and breathe in the day. By final savasana (that’s yogi speak for doing nothing), the sky is awake and so are you. Coffee tastes better. E-mails feel less tyrannical. Stretching on the sand as the sun rises? Pure wellness.
6. Peak produce
When everybody up north is making soup out of winter veggies, things flip here. Markets brim with greens, citrus that perfumes the air and strawberries that’ll be a reminder of what they’re supposed to taste like. It’s the easiest way to cook better without trying — slice, sea salt, olive oil, lemon, done. Chefs build entire menus based on what’s fresh, but the real joy is at home: a salad that becomes a main. Join a CSA, like the one from Paradise Farms, or better yet, befriend a backyard farmer who can never eat that many heirloom tomatoes. Start planning meals around what just got plucked from a vine. January dinners that taste like June feel like cheating, but we’ll take the win.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Jennifer Lett
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park.
7. Science museums
We’ve all had those days: rugrats of your own or visiting from somewhere else, in need of burning off all that sugar, and yet the skies just opened up. In West Palm Beach, the Cox Science Center happily muddies the line between “field trip” and “day off,” with hands-on everything and the kind of enthusiasm that rubs off on grown-ups. Or Frost Science in Miami turns everyone into a kid — sharks circling a multi-story aquarium, planetarium shows that reset anyone’s sense of scale, exhibits that invite visitors to touch first and read second. In Fort Lauderdale, it’s the Museum of Discovery & Science, a hands-on place full of playtime turned into learning. Itineraries aren’t necessary; here it’s about collecting moments when the world makes surprising sense. Take the visiting grandparents, the endlessly curious nine-year-old or just yourself for an hour of perspective.
8. Lighthouse climbs
Pick a spiral staircase in Jupiter, Hillsboro, Cape Florida or Key Biscayne, where lighthouses offer the same bargain: a leg burn for a view that erases the work to climb up there. Wind upward between brick and sky, and the coast redraws itself — the Intracoastal with its rows of mansions, reefs dark in the distant ocean, roofs tucked in green. Guides tell stories, and suddenly history becomes not a textbook but the very building. The horizon will look differently the rest of the day.
9. Outdoor concerts
Mizner Park in Boca Raton fills with picnic blankets and that one neighbor who always packs too much cheese; Bayfront Park in Miami puts skyscrapers behind the stage and the bay as a backdrop. Parks and amphitheaters from Hollywood to West Palm Beach hum with lineups that mix nostalgia and the newest thing, Swift reinvented as reggae, Three Dog Night like you remember it from cruising Main. This is South Florida, so plan for a hot night of sweating with strangers or maybe just the opposite, curled up in a camp chair with blankets and cocoa, or maybe both before last call.
Sun Sentinel
People enjoyed a variety of beers at the Funky Buddha Brewery’s annual Maple Bacon Coffee Porter Fest. Mike Stocker, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
10. Craft breweries
Beer can be had anywhere, but the charm of the brewery is that it’s local, the modern version of a town square, kids and dogs and mom and pop and everyone else in one place. At Funky Buddha in Oakland Park, grab a pour of Maple Bacon Coffee Porter and a patio that never seems in a hurry. Tripping Animals in Doral goes playful and hop-forward, cans as cheeky as the hazy IPAs, the room buzzing like a backyard party. In Palm Beach County, Civil Society keeps the pale ales clean and bright. South Florida does fancy well, but this is a night of sandals and ballcaps.
11. Open promenades
Las Olas, Lincoln Road and CityPlace in West Palm Beach are a reminder that a simple stroll among the bars and restaurants and shops can feel like a night out. Cafés spill into afternoon sunlight, window-shopping counts as cardio, and live music drifts out of an old pub. It’s Euro-ish, styled in Florida palm trees and oaks. Stitch errands to leisure — drop off the dry cleaning, buy a bestseller, end with gelato and people-watching. Everywhere else today, it’ll be about a drive and parking and bustle; but on these promenades, it’s about slowing down.
12. Food halls
Food halls are our answer to group indecision. One friend wants bao, another wants crudo and somebody else wants pizza, because that’s the right answer. At The Citadel in Little River, there’s Stanzione 87 as a headliner, putting out Neapolitan pies that rival anywhere else in town, followed by rooftop cocktails upstairs. 1-800-Lucky in Wynwood handles pan-Asian dishes, along with a cocktail bar that’s pure fire. The Doral Yard blends good stalls with live music and a place where the kids can roam for a night. In West Palm Beach, City Food Hall Grandview is set to reopen this month. It’s a sampler platter for the city: new concepts testing ideas, vets running side projects. Go with a plan and maybe take a total left turn into something entirely new.
13. Museum blockbusters
When major shows land here, the calendar starts arranging itself. The Norton in West Palm Beach cues up a headliner and suddenly the weekend has a thesis; PAMM offers views of Biscayne Bay and an exploration into a new Latin artist that’s new to most everyone; Boca’s museum always seems to bat above its weight, with shows that feel important enough for a bigger city. Galleries are air-conditioned time machines, where an hour of quiet reflection is exactly what was needed after all.
14. Sunrise runs
The reward for the early riser is sharing paradise with few others. The Hollywood Broadwalk provides the ocean on one side and breakfast on the other; the Palm Beach Lake Trail allows for a look into the backyards of the one-percenters, while the water laps up on the other side. The Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale splays out in full shade from the condo buildings and strips of golden sun. Dawn defines the workout — cool air, clear water, a sense that the day will be all right.
Orlando Sentinel
Hiking in Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
15. Coastal hiking
Out-of-towners might scoff at the idea of a hike where the altitude gain remains in the single digits. But the payoff for a trip into the woods here has its own benefits. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park offers lighthouse views, a beach that harkens back to a pre-European version of Florida, and a waterfront trail that looks out over the clapboard homes in Stiltsville. Up in the northernmost part of the Everglades, sugar-sand pathways cut through Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Trails here aren’t about conquest; they’re about ospreys, lizards draped over the path lazily, the sound of the cabbage palm fronds clapping like an audience cheering on one more mile.
16. Brightline escapes
Step on a Brightline train and the I-95 headache becomes someone else’s problem from a comfy seat, with a glass of wine and an uninterrupted hour. Windows frame a flipbook of downtowns. This is not just point-to-point — it’s permission to treat Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm and Orlando like nearby neighborhoods. Arrive downtown, not at a remote parking lot that requires a second commute. Hit a museum, a client lunch, a game, then glide back like a person who has figured out adulthood. The trick is how civilized it feels — clean trains, Wi-Fi, the small ceremony of being on time.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Formula One Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens
17. F1 week
For one long, sparkly week, engines thrum like thunder as pre-, during- and after-parties thump. Even without seeing a single lap, the week feels somehow sped up, more of everything, part world championship, part study in excess. Daytime paddock brunch? Yes. Late-night after-party where a velvet rope is necessary? Also yes. This is what South Florida does best: throw a global party and make it seem like a place that always runs at F1 speed.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Polo Club in Wellington.
18. Polo season
Polo is something of a dual sport. There’s the one about majestic, demure horses dashing across a field with riders trying to send a ball into a net. Then there’s the people watching, from the tailgating to the communal divot stomping, full of dramatic sun dresses and hats with flourishes, seersucker suits and, yes, hats with flourishes. There’s no need to learn the vocabulary or players to enjoy it; it’s a sport of pure spectacle.
19. Food fest bites
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival, coming up Feb. 19-22, is Florida at its most Florida-ist, full of beachfront parties, soirées and grand tasting tents full of your next favorite bite. Chefs familiar only through a screen hand out a perfect bite with a grin that says, “Try this.” The ocean sits two steps away, which feels unfair to every other food festival. The move is to book multiple events: a small plate here, a sip there, a detour for some chef who becomes a new favorite. The good news, you don’t have to necessarily plow through traffic to find a food fest in South Florida. You can find the same beachside foodie ambience at Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, Jan. 19-25; or the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival later this year in December.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Fort Lauderdale pickle ball courts from the deck of the Federal restaurant.
20. Fort pickleball
Pickleball is the sport that made the “I’m not sporty” people competitive. At The Fort, the game moves fast — courts covered and taking in the sun, a friendly hum of matches and that addictive pop off the paddle that resets brain chemistry. In Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis & Pickleball Center runs on the same generous gravity — lights for after-work games, clinics to work on something new, leagues for higher stakes stakes. Or head to a park, George English Park for beginners or Holiday Park if things have gotten serious. The drop-in culture is easy to learn: show up, jump in a game, and there’s got cardio, banter and bragging rights in under an hour. This plays well with South Florida life: blue skies most days, breezes to make the hard work feel easier. Grab a paddle, earn your way to the kitchen line and get ready to hear “nice hands” from a stranger.
21. A1A cycling
A1A is our coastal ribbon — sometimes narrow, sometimes dramatic, most always coasting along the ocean. Cruise at sunrise and the world edits itself: gold light on water, salt in the air, traffic that (mostly) hasn’t had coffee yet. From Jupiter’s quiet stretches to bridges that sketch the skyline in downtown Miami, it’s a route that rewards any pace. Lycra or linen shorts, it doesn’t matter. If ambition strikes, trace the Overseas Heritage Trail in the Keys and stack causeways like medals. If not, loop a beach neighborhood and call it joy. Exercise disguised as vacation.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Celebrity Cruises’ “Xcel” arrives at Port Everglades.
22. Cruise getaways
South Florida boasts two of the world’s busiest cruise ports, with Regent Seven Seas, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, MSC, Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean among cruise lines with ships either with homeports or seasonal stops at Port Everglades or the Port of Miami. January brings peak options: Three- to five-night dashes to the Bahamas and longer loops through the Caribbean are particularly popular. Celebrity just arrived (in November) with its newest Edge Series ship, Xcel, offering seven-night Caribbean itineraries from Port Everglades; while Disney Cruise Line the same month delivered Destiny, a veritable floating theme park, now sailing from Port Everglades to Disney private islands Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Bahamas. The draw is straightforward: unpack once, wake up somewhere turquoise and never go hungry.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Chef-owner Michael Lewis in the kitchen of his new Fort Lauderdale, Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse.
23. Restaurant openings
South Florida’s moment can be felt by the ink on new restaurant leases. Lately, heavyweight restaurant groups are stitching Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach counties into one long dinner plan. For locals, it’s variety without leaving the three counties. The result: a dining scene that can handle a Tuesday tasting menu and a Friday drop-in. Yes, reservations get competitive, and yes, checks sometimes suggest celebration. But South Florida has always loved an opening. Pick the buzziest newcomer, or the tried-and-true spot expanding in a new location. Our appetite is big enough for both.
24. Mural trails
They’re found in Wynwood, of course, but also downtown West Palm, Hollywood, Flagler Village in Fort Lauderdale, or just a lone warehouse wall in Boynton Beach that decided it had something to say. This is the museum with no admission and a forever-changing exhibition. Bring iced coffee and a friend who likes to argue about favorites. Collect small stories: a piece that nods to local history, a hyperreal pelican, a color wash that turns late afternoon into a filter. Go early or late, when the light changes the art. In South Florida, public art turns neighborhoods into galleries and errands into detours into someone else’s creativity.
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Aaron Ekblad brings the Stanley Cup onto the ice at the Panthers 2025 home opener.
25. Mid-season of our best sports
January is our sweet spot for sports in South Florida. Let’s figure the Heat and the Panthers, mid-season, are looking strong (hopefully). Weeknights feel like playoffs — buzzer-beater energy downtown basketball, a packed lower bowl in Sunrise. Let the arenas do their job: loud and full of people who know the roster better than their passwords. It’s winter elsewhere; here it’s mid-season momentum with air-conditioning and a decent shot at a highlight.
26. Rain-day fitness
Storm clouds don’t cancel workouts here, they just move them inside. South Florida cycles through new concepts like a test kitchen: Sweat440 with its quick-turn HIIT blocks, F45’s team circuits, Legacy Fit does it in the coolest-looking gym ever, and Airlab’s simulated-altitude sessions for an extra lung burn. Orangetheory (born in Fort Lauderdale) still draws heart-rate diehards; Barry’s keeps the red-room intervals honest; Anatomy blends training, recovery and a polished locker-room scene. Low-impact has range too, like machine-heavy Solidcore, Miami’s JetSet Pilates, and Club Pilates outposts from Miami Beach to Boca. Boxing studios — Rumble, 9Round, neighborhood gloves-on gyms — fill in the edges, while recovery bars, cold plunges and infrared saunas make post-class feel as intentional as the work itself. Rain passes; the regimen doesn’t.