Anniversary Staycation

Earlier this year Wayne decided he wanted to celebrate our anniversary at the Waldorf-Astoria in Boca Raton, otherwise known as the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Fortunately our anniversary is during the low season and we were able to find a decent (comparatively speaking) rate the weekend before our actual anniversary. It was kind of nice being to anticipate our little trip for several months, and we had a wonderful time when the day finally came. It may have been "low season" but it was still an absolutely gorgeous couple of days.

Our spacious room was on the 12th floor of the tower, with spectacular views.

Looking down we had a view of the pool, to the left was the intercoastal with the ocean in the distance, and to the right was a view of the western horizon. Zooming in we could see the skyline of Fort Lauderdale and even Miami.

After unpacking we did some exploring, first of the grounds which had some gorgeous plants like the Kapok Tree and Hanging Lobster Claw, also known as Heliconia rostrata. We also decided we quite like the King Alexander Palm trees; they're tall and skinny (see top left in picture below).

Heliconia rostrata

At most normal hotels, the regular room rate is all you have to pay. This isn't a normal hotel, so we were also required to pay a resort charge. That included a couple of "welcome drinks" at the Monkey Bar, so we figured we ought to get one. We haven't seen 8 ounce Coke and Sprite bottles in years, if ever. Aren't they cute? Then we did some exploring inside the building and found some gorgeous floral arrangements along with several little shops and restaurants.

There were sculptures all over the place, with signs that they were for sale, but without actual prices. We figure that means they're super expensive. How much do you think the full-size "jetty baby" (lower right above) costs if the 19-inch miniatures (see below) have a price tag of $20,500 each?

There are thirteen restaurants on site, and all of them looked wonderful. However, for dinner we decided on The Blue and enjoyed delicious food and a fantastic view. We don't always order the same thing when we eat out, but this time we did - seafood chowder, grilled scallops and sorbet. 

Sunrises coming up over the ocean horizon are prettier than sunsets, but the sky still put on a great show for us. Once the sun was down, the night view was spectacular, and the next morning we woke up to another beautiful day. We live in a gorgeous world.

I discovered my new camera fogs up when going from a very cold building to a warm, humid patio, but even then I still think this picture looks cool.

However, if you're patient and let it warm up slowly first, you can get clear pictures inside and outside.

For breakfast we decided to try the Sea Grill Restaurant at the sister property, the Boca Beach Resort. The "resort charge" included the shuttle bus and/or shuttle boat, but we wanted breakfast before the boat opened at 10 AM so took the bus. Delicious breakfast and beautiful view!

 

More exploring! Then back to the beach for a quick swim, this time using the shuttle boat, Mizner's Dream.

 

After eating lunch at the Beaches Restaurant, another delicious, but expensive meal, it was time to head home. We enjoyed making some great memories and are looking forward to the next 36 years together.