Our Hollywood Beach, Florida vacation was absolute fun for Jordan, my daughter and her boyfriend, and me. While planning somewhere to vacation with two 19 year olds (who have different ideas of a vacation than us) we did a lot of research. Not familiar with Florida, we wanted a beach town with a vintage vibe, a boardwalk and activities other than the beach, for the sake of the 19 year olds. After reading blogs and visiting websites, Hollywood, Florida was just what we were looking for. I previously posted a story about the amazing Hollywood Beach and Broadwalk. Beyond the beach, Hollywood has many gems the whole family can enjoy!
Yellow Green Farmers Market
The Yellow Green Farmers Market is a must see, do, buy and eat place! We all love farmer’s markets, but this one is almost paradise. Upon entering, you have multiple choices of coffee vendors while surrounded by explosions of beautiful, colorful flowers. Perfect way to start the day! Pineapples are everywhere, of course! Vast rows of produce, spices, baked goods, salsas and handcrafted goods fill hundreds of spaces throughout. And the food vendors selling empanadas and fresh fruit smoothies, yum! Outside, vendors roast, smoke and sell all kinds of meat products.
Another case of paradise for me is bread. We bought a bag of fresh, homemade rolls from a dazzling older woman, who knew bread. She reminded me of my grandma, and memories of waiting anxiously for her fresh baked bread to come out of the oven. We chose the rolls for the hamburgers on the grill that night. She had so many breads that I really wanted to take one of each! Hardy carrots, pineapples, oranges, peppers, asparagus and corn came home to our Airbnb on Hollywood Boulevard. This was our first Airbnb we stayed in where we had opportunity to shop at a farmer’s market! The outdoor kitchen at our Airbnb made cooking with fresh produce an amazing experience! This would be my weekend highlight if I lived here! The market is open Saturdays and Sundays until 10am to 6:30pm.
Seminole Hard Rock
As beautiful, sunny and warm Florida is, there’s always some rain time. Our schedule worked well with the rain as it only rained a few evenings we were there. We headed to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Hotel one of the rainy eves. Who wouldn’t want to be up close to the extravagant, brightest and largest guitar building in the world? I remember 30 years ago, wearing a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt, meant you were “cool” in high school. For older teens, the Hard Rock Cafes still seems like a staple must see when traveling. The casino was spacious, clean and stylish with the intriguing music industry decor, and the cafe had good food and drink! As we roamed around the main area of the hotel, we found a coffee shop that also served gelato. By the time we left, the rain had stopped. We returned to our Airbnb to enjoy wine and the hot tub, and discussed gambling addictions while listening to Madonna. I added a few pictures from the Hard Rock of some fabulous female artists’ outfits on display.
Aventura Mall
Another rainy eve, we checked out the Aventura Mall. The 19 year olds were excited to visit some stores that they’ve never been to. I was excited to dine at Serafina, an Italian Restaurant, in the mall. I had read a review about Serafina when we were in Puerto Rico, and did not have the opportunity to visit while in PR. They serve decadent food and make a fantastic and smooth espresso martini. To end our already fabulous evening, we walked a short distance into the mall and there was The Reformation! Why is it when you are not looking for anything, you find not just one absolute perfect dress, but three perfect dresses? Only one came home with me as I rationalized its versatility and French Rivera vibe, which will be perfect for our upcoming trip to France.
Downtown Hollywood you will find ArtsPark at Young Circle. Live music, performances, music nights and Food Truck Mondays take place here. As I mentioned in a previous post, it is easy to get around Hollywood. We had a car and had no issues with traffic and parking. Hollywood also has an electric shuttle service that makes stops throughout the city. Hollywood is nestled between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, so it’s easy to explore further areas as well. A blend of vintage and modern charm, Hollywood was a perfect vacation for all of us!
