Ft. Lauderdale on-demand ride share

Fort Lauderdale and other cities in South Florida offer affordable on-demand ride sharing using electric vehicles.

The service is called "Circuit" in Fort Lauderdale and provides transportation to many of the hotels, beaches and the popular Las Olas Boulevard.

During our recent trip to Ft. Lauderdale we wanted a ride back to our hotel after a long morning of walking.

Our electric vehicle, with two row of seats for two, cost only $4.

Upsides: Low cost and decent coverage area

Cons: It's a ride share program so you'll probably wait a bit longer to get picked up than with other services like Uber or Lyft, and you may make a couple of pickups or drop offs en route to your destination.

We weren't pressed for time and enjoyed the ride with a driver who pointed out highlights of the area.

Manuel Antonio National Park

 Manuel Antonio is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, but it is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. 

You'll definitely want to take a guided tour to help you spot the animals and insects. The guides not only know where to look, but they carry high-powered spotting scopes to zoom in on things you would never see on your own. The picture of the crown-nymphed hummingbird below is one such example.

We took a two-hour guided hike down the main trail in the park to the snack area where we were treated to fresh fruits and juices (and later saw a group of white-faced monkeys raiding the trash bins for leftovers). Note: The snack area is the only area in the park where food is available, and no outside food may be brought into the park.

There are two beaches at the park. Changing rooms and restrooms are available.

We spent 5-6 hours in the park, hiking several trails and enjoying the beach.

 

Hotel Parador - Costa Rica

 From Arenal, located in the central part of Costa Rica, we headed west to the southern Pacific coast. It was about a five-hour drive from La Fortuna to Quepos, which is near Manuel Antonio National Park.

Our home for three nights was Hotel Parador situated on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The hotel has a sunset terrace that I assume offers spectacular views of the sunset. I can only assume that however because our trip came during the rainy season and featured thunderstorms every day around four or five o'clock.

The resort is beautiful with three pools, including an adults-only pool. A small mini golf course is on the grounds as well as a tennis court with complimentary equipment. A nature trail offers views of the Pacific as well as flora and fauna.

Monkeys were in the trees everywhere during our stay. We saw dozens of white-faced monkeys. Usually they were in groups of six or eight. During our first morning at Hotel Parador a group of squirrel monkeys came onto our balcony and stayed for several minutes while others were in the trees right behind them.

A flock of scarlet macaws lived in the tree across from the lobby.

The resort offers a two-minute golf cart ride to a trail to Biesanz Beach. The five-minute walk leads to a crescent shaped beach where we enjoyed 3-4 hours in the water.

Several evenings we took a taxi into town ($10 each way) to eat at local restaurants. There is also a hotel shuttle that runs between the town and the resort multiple times per day.

The breakfast buffet was ample and delicious with fruits, pastry, made-to-order eggs and other hot foods.