FTV A Fort Lauderdale Day

Arriving into Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades) was just as exciting as arriving into our previous port (St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico). Preparing for our last port and hearing the pipe for the pilot and man-the-rails (meaning the pilot was coming aboard to take us into the port and sophomores and freshman were to stand on deck while we arrived) was as thrilling this third time as the first.

This morning however we awoke to a temperature that was less Caribbean and more Florida. We quickly adapted and with our black uniforms many cadets wore the standard issue black uniform. coming into the port we saw high-rise apartment buildings or condos and many cruise ships docked and ready to depart filled with happy passengers.

                                       
Upon docking, and lowering the gangway, the cadets were granted liberty and excited with the customized bus shuttle service that brought them to the first stop of a shopping center and the second stop at the beaches. Route A1A is different from anything in New England with beautiful beach on one side of a 4-lane road and high-rise hotels, shops and restaurants on the opposite side. It is a perfect place for a cadet to let loose and explore.

As we crossed the bridge to our newest adventure, we could see the Kennedy tucked in it berth waiting for our return

From 4/C Casey Hunter
Cadets could be found exploring the beach, restaurants, or purchasing gifts and souvenirs at gift shops. This is my first time being in Florida and I have to say that it is more than I expected! It is absolutely gorgeous here! My first stop was Five Guys Burgers and Fries and it was a refreshing lunch,

But the most refreshing part of my day was the each. The beaches here are surely a sight to behold. I consider myself very lucky to be able to participate in an academic adventure that sends me to beautiful ports such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida! It is hard to believe that a week from now we will be in Cape Cod Bay awaiting transit of the Cape Cod Canal and homeward bound. 

Click Here to See the Beach for yourself here!

Because Ft Lauderdale is a popular tourist destination, with an average year-round temperature of 75.5 °F (24.2 °C), and 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, the city hosts 12 million visitors, including 2.8 million international visitors. In order to accommodate these vast numbers of tourists Fort Lauderdale has had to build up! Ft Lauderdale is relatively small in area, has become a large metropolis,The downtown area, especially around Las Olas Boulevard, has seen dramatic growth in the past decade, and now hosts many new hotels and high-rise condominium developments.

Investigate Fort Lauderdale Skyscrapers. 

Learn the basics about these behemoths of building.

Build your own newspaper towers in a competition for height, while also being able to withstand a simulated "hurricane" wind force.

Make balsa wood towers to meet a design requirement.

Try this skyscraper challenge

Learn why structures like skyscrapers stand up