Hollywood

Monday, November 25th
Cape Canaveral, FL
Mostly Cloudy - 71 Degrees

The Kennedy space Center was our last "To Do" to do, so we continued another 229.5 miles down the coast on I95 to South Florida and a rest on the beach before the cruise.  The cruise embarks from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.  Hollywood is a beach resort community just south of Port Everglades, on a sliver of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.


Hollywood, FL
Cloudy & Windy - 76 Degrees

The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa is one of our favorite hotels.  It's a high rise in the shape of an "H" for Hollywood, with great views out over the Atlantic.  It has a fabulous two-level pool and it's right on the beach.  It's a business hotel with an attached convention center in a great location with access to Hollywood / Fort Lauderdale International Airport and Port Everglades, and an easy drive to Miami and the Beaches.  But, we haven't stayed there since 2006, and it hasn't aged well.  It's looking a little ragged around the edges and doesn't hold up to a capacity crowd, which it has this Thanksgiving holiday week, including way more kids than we are comfortable with.  We love the kids we love, and the others, not so much.  With that and the marginal weather, this is not going to be the relaxed and comfortable pre-cruise experience we were hoping for, but it will do just fine.

We checked in late and tired, and in the mood for a little luxury.  The best rated restaurant in Hollywood, according to Zagat, is the steakhouse at the Westin, Hollywood Prime.  They were essentially full for the night, so we went down and camped in the bar to wait for a table.  Standard steakhouse fare:  salads, prime steaks and sides, homemade cookie and ice cream for dessert.  Not cheap, but good, and a good night.


Tuesday, November 26th
Hollywood, FL
Scattered Thunderstorms - 81 Degrees

Since we didn't get our laundry done in Cocoa Beach, and it's not much of a beach day today anyway, we set out to find a laundromat.  We got the job done at Spin Cycle, three loads in about an hour and a half, and about eight bucks.  It was an authentic slice of life at a place where English isn't even the second language, but service is of the first order.

Wanting to stay with the theme, we followed Zagat to the best Cuban place in Hollywood, Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine.

"Mariel Boat Lift 1980, 126 thousand Cuban's abandon the communist island in a massive exodus. The Vilariño family were among the fortunate to make it through the turbulent stretch and reach the land of the free. After years of hardship the family was determined to make the American dream come true.  In 1984 Antonio, his wife Nilda and five daughters bought their first restaurant, Las Vegas in Hollywood. While Antonio learned to cook, Nilda and the girls catered to loyal patrons providing personable service, which has proven to be a drawing factor in their enduring success. Shortly thereafter, Las Vegas became known as the Cuban hot spot in Hollywood, guaranteeing customers authentic Cuban dishes and the friendliest service in town. Today with many more restaurants, the family continues to offer the same quality service, food and atmosphere that attracted locals for the past twenty years."

The matriarch greeted us at the door and showed us to a table.  The place was packed with workers at lunch, in suits and hardhats, and everything in between.  Good people, good food, huge portions, and great fun.

Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine Menu:

• Mariquitas ~ Plantain Chips
  Green plantains thinly sliced and fried, topped with a mojito garlic sauce.
• Empanadas
  Cuban turnovers filled with either chicken or ground beef.
• Ensalada de la Casa con Aguacate
  House salad with avocado
• Sandwich Cubano
  Cuban Sandwich: Serrano ham, swiss cheese, pickles, roast pork, mayonnaise on a Cuban bread crispy toasted.
• El Trio
  A Combination of our most popular entree, Chicken Fillet, Pork Chop, Palomilla Steak, served with White Rice, Black Beans and Sweet Plantains.

We took a swim in the afternoon, but couldn't work off our Cuban lunch, so we had a light progressive dinner at the hotel, happy hour in the lounge, and another cookie from Hollywood Prime.

It was a stormy night, as forecast, and we had a front row seat.  Lightening lit up the sky, defused by low cloud cover and too far away to hear the thunder.  Until it was right on top of us.  A series of three bolts of lightening exploded right in front of our 9th floor balcony, and the claps of thunder that followed had such concussive force, we thought the sliding glass door might shatter.  It was an amazing show.


Wednesday, November 27th
Hollywood, FL
Mostly Sunny - 78 Degrees

There are very few things left in this world that are unique to time and place.  We ate lunch at one of them.  Can you still call it a hole in the wall, off the beaten path, one of a kind find, if it's recommended by Zagat, Oprah, and GQ Magazine?  Maybe not, but this place has tons of personality, great burgers, and you will never find anything quite like The Le Tub Saloon anywhere else.

"Established November 2nd 1959 as a Sunoco gas station.... Closed by the energy crunch of the early seventies, your Host purchased the barren property in 1974 and dedicated a concentrated year personally hand building LeTub totally of Flotsam, Jetsam and ocean borne treasures all gathered daily over 4 years of day break jogging on Hollywood Beach. All landscaping, planting and decor by your host. We are a Multi-level , Outdoor seating Saloon, located on The Intracoastal Waterway. "

This mostly outdoor ramshackle shack has a very short menu, highlighted by a straight-up hamburger.  No fancy accoutrements, no farm-to-table brand name organically sourced ingredients, just real food.  A hamburger that's about the hamburger, and nothing else.  The "kitchen" is just a grill and a cloud of smoke.   So crowded with burgers, more balls of beef than patties, the grill looks like a checker board at the start of play.  GQ called it the best hamburger in the United States.  We're not going to disagree.  The crust is hard and dark and salty, the inside is soft and pink and beefy.  If it's been a while since you've had a real hamburger, maybe you've forgotten what a hamburger should taste like.  This is it.

Le Tub Menu:

• Bloody Mary
• Sirloinburger
  13 oz. ground top sirloin, seasoned, charbroiled, served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, onion.
  w/ Cheese
• Fries
  Fried in Peanut Oil
• Key Lime Pie
  Made with fresh limes

Fat, dumb, and happy, full, and full of smiles from Le Tub, the Southern Charm Road Trip is at an end, after 1,183 miles.  We dropped the car off at the airport and took a cab to Port Everglades to board the Seabourn Sojourn and set sail for the Caribbean.