Travel is on everyone’s mind after the pandemic. We decided to try something new together for our mini-vacation this year. When I was visiting my grandparents in February, my grandmother mentioned they had a timeshare we could use in May. This timeshare took us to Hollywood, Florida which was a new spot for both of us! The beach sounded pretty appealing to us, so we decided to check it out. So, we packed our bags and embarked on a new adventure.
Traveling on a budget is always a win. My brother and his friend also joined us on this holiday. For this vacation, we snagged flights from Concord, North Carolina, and the total was only $171 round trip for two! When we got to the Fort Lauderdale airport we used the Uber App and paid a little under $30 for a trip to the hotel. We stayed at the Hollywood Beach Tower which was recently renovated. This location is right on the beach and connects to the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk. It was a perfect view! After unpacking, we headed down the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk. This boardwalk is 2.5 miles long and connects with a nature center. On our first day, we grabbed some late lunch and drinks at the Hollywood Brewing Company. This was a pretty small brewery but they had yummy handcrafted beers brewed and an epic oceanfront view.
The Food & More
Our next few days were spent relaxing on the beach and enjoying the cool ocean, white sand, and warm sun. One thing I hated was the trash. It was a little depressing to see so much stuff around. I grew up in a small beach town so I will always have a special place for keeping the ocean and beaches clean. On this beach, there was a lot of debris on the shore and in the ocean. Some people were trying to clean it up (which I did my part as well) but I wish the beach would be more proactive in keeping the shores’ garbage free.
The restaurants we enjoyed during our stay were all within walking distance of our hotel. We ate at Hollywood Brewing Company, Giorgio’s Bakery & Bistro, Taco Beach Shack, Le Tub, Mamacitas (which had great breakfast), and Alvin’s on the Beach. One of our favorite dessert spots (which we visited every night) was a place called Puffles. It was such yummy ice cream wrapped in an egg waffle. We even got to see our cousin and enjoy some good food and laughs during our visit. All the eateries were around $15-25 per person and gave pretty generous food amounts. You can see some photos of the foods below.
We wanted to go see the pier during our trip so we rented a four-person bike during our vacation from Skippy’s and biked. It costs $2 per person to get on the pier because of fishing) but it’s a small price to pay for the view. It was breathtaking and you could see Miami. We biked back and finished in less than 2 hours. It cost only $75. It was some great exercise. I like riding the four-person bike, but it is a little more difficult than it looks. I clipped my foot a couple of times trying to keep up with the rest of the team.
A bit of salty air is good for everyone from time to time. I loved being able to visit the beach and it was a perfect way to relax. We saw wild parrots, and lizards and enjoyed each other’s company. I highly recommend getting an alcoholic pineapple when you go as well too because they are yummy and picture-worthy. For a simple beach getaway or if you are in the area, Hollywood, Florida should be on your list. It has plenty of things for couples or families to do and is an affordable location.
With Love,
Lex Paige
