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It was in the depths of Winter that my fantasy began.  Snow piled high and North winds blew across the frozen tundra that is my Midwestern home.  Why oh why did my ancestors choose this cold and desolate place to settle?   And how can I get out of here fast?!  Take me to the warmth!  Take me South!  Let’s go to Boca Raton, Florida and fun in the South Florida Sun.  Boca may be known as one of Florida’s most expensive cities, but I’m here to tell you there’s lots of fun things to do in Boca that won’t break the bank.

Thieve’s Inlet

If you live up North like me, you know that Winter can be quite unpleasant.  And a Midwestern Winter can be especially fierce  with long, dark days and the North winds howling.   Which brings me back to my fantasy.  My fantasy of laying on the beach, mid-winter, in my black bikini, tall drink in my hand.

Yep, time to head South.  So Boca Raton has a nice ring to it, but what on earth does that even mean?  Some say Rat’s Mouth and some say Thieve’s Inlet.  Let’s go with Thieve’s Inlet.  I’d rather be a thief than have anything to do with a rat.

South Florida, Here I Come

Boca Raton sits on the Eastern Coast of  South Florida, just South of the very affluent area known as the Palm Beaches.  A certain President has an estate in this area, so that should indicate something of it’s affluence.  We visited the area a while back with our timeshare adventure so I knew it was on the richy-rich side of things  Upon further research, I’ve come to find that South Florida in general has an extremely large population of very wealthy individuals.   And why not?  South Florida is gorgeous–  the Winters are especially marvelous in this tropical paradise.

And there is no where more beautiful than the city of Boca Raton.   Full of mansions and manicured lawns, it screams upscale and luxurious.    But, does upscale have to be expensive?  Not really.   Usually the biggest expense on a trip is lodging.  I have managed to find quite a few deals on Boca lodging.  While not free, Marriott Renaissance was super affordable.  For even more affordable lodging tips, check out my post here.

Anyway, as is the case for most of my trips, I have a limited budget.  And this getaway is no exception.  You see, it’s not that I couldn’t spend more than I usually do, it’s that I like to challenge myself to NOT spend a lot and still have a great time.  There’s nothing worse than living it up on vacation only to come home to a gigantic Visa bill.  That’s not my style.  So, as  usual, I managed to find quite a few cheap-ish things to do.  EVEN in Boca.

 

Great Art

I am not an artist and don’t typically frequent a lot of museums, but on this trip I decided it might be fun to get a little more culture into my life.  The Boca Raton Museum of Art did not disappoint.  It’s a very modern, two-story museum located in the fabulous Mizner Park area.    We happened to be there on a Thursday afternoon and pretty much had the place all to ourselves.    We lucked out because the week we were there they happened to be between exhibits, so we scored a discounted admission of only $5.  Even without a main exhibit, there was plenty to see in the way of paintings, glass, along with the art outdoor art garden .  I especially liked this cool Don Quixote sculpture.  With regular admission only $12, it’s well worth your time.

 

 

Get Schooled

Boca is home to Florida Atlantic University.   Over 25K students attend FAU, but the campus is so sprawling, it never feels crowded. The many campus buildings are connected by shaded walkways, some dotted with very pretty  flowers,  garden benches and palm trees.   So even in the hot Florida sun, you can find some shade here.  We were on campus to catch a FAU Owls baseball game.   We found our way to the stadium,  tucked away in a back corner near the pools.   The stadium is a small space where you can get a good look at the players on the field and feel  like you are part of the game.  Bonus points for the onsite concessions that served beer and wine!  We had a quite relaxing afternoon at the ballpark, sipping wine and watching America’s past time.  All for under $15!   This is a homerun in my book!

 

 

Hit The Beach

A trip to the coast of Florida wouldn’t be complete without some sand between your toes.  That’s part of  the appeal of Boca.  On one side it’s all about perfectly manicured lawns and country clubs, and then a few miles East you drive to the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic and you forget all about the city that lies to the West.  For an inexpensive day or really any day, I like Boca beaches.

 

South Beach Park

We recently explored South Beach Park and I was impressed.   The Saturday morning we went it was very low key, with just some other families and couples enjoying the beautiful blue waters of Boca Raton.    The sea was extremely calm, in fact the green flag was up at the lifeguard shack, which never happens!    We were entertained by the stand up paddle boarding duo practicing their craft, just off shore.  It didn’t take them long to find their balance on the big boards.  SUP is super fun.  If you’ve never tried it, you should.  Just make sure you have the strap secured around your ankle so you don’t lose your board.  I don’t know why I know that…cough…cough…it’s never happened to me…wink…wink.

There’s a great big pavilion on A1A where they hosted a lively aerobic class that looked fun.  I was too busy daydreaming & soaking up the sun.   And I already got my work out in at the gym so didn’t feel too guilty about lounging around while others were getting sweaty in their spandex.

The beach itself is very clean.    There was no trash or seaweed  anywhere.  I did notice there were clean, well-maintained rest rooms on the other side of the pavilion.  Good bathrooms are always a plus.  Also a plus was being able to rent a couple of beach chairs and a beach umbrella.  Also nice to know that there are lifeguards on duty all day from 9-5 year round.

Spanish River Park

This is a favorite for picnicing, fishing and of course, the beach.   The beach is beautiful here and truly unspoiled as you’re not up against high rise condos.  There’s plenty of parking and access tunnels to the beach.   Visit Spanish River Park for some of the bluest water in South Florida.  And, with lifeguards and clean public bathrooms.  It’s a win.  

 

Red Reef Park

For a full day with lots of variety, hit Red Reef Park on A1A where you can snorkel, swim, fish, golf and check out the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center within the park.  At Gumbo Limbo, you can tour the outside marines and see all kinds of cool fish and sea creatures including the ultra-cool sea turtles.  Admission to Spanish River Park is free and Gumbo Limbo will set you back a whopping $5 if you go with the suggested donation, but you should pay more.  It’s cool and worth it.

Eat

I don’t know about you, but I love to eat.  Eating great food and trying new restaurants is one of my all time favorite things to do on vacation (or anytime!).  Finding places to eat yummy food is always part of my travel plan.  Even though Boca is known for being a pricey city to visit, we talked to locals and got the inside scoop on some  great places to try for awesome, inexpensive, non-chain food.

HAPPY HOUR

My favorites this trip included:  Dubliner Pub at Mizner Park for happy hour.  We sampled their flatbread special and had a couple glasses of Pinot for under $25!

We also hit Las Fajitas Restaurant on North Dixie Highway for a really cheap,  tasty lunch.  I highly recommend their chips and homemade salsa –so fresh!  Get the  loaded beef fajitas and you’ll be in a food coma in no time.   Yummo.   Our awesome lunch for 3 was under $25!  Score.

For breakfast, you can’t go wrong with Flakowitz Bagel Inn.  This place serves up really quality food at a great price.  It’s a Jewish deli with a New York-style menu ranging from large sandwiches to bagels.  Read my review of Flakowitz and go check it out for yourself!

 

Shop

I personally like to shop.  I just don’t like to buy.  Why does it hurt so much to fork over those greenbacks?!!  So when I say shop, I usually mean just that, shop.  Not buy.  I browse to get ideas.  I love to look at beautiful things, but I prefer to buy at consignment stores whenever I can.  Of course Boca does have some nice thrift stores.  Check out the Levis JCC Resale Boutique on NW 20th for some deals.  I recently saw a vintage Marc Jacobs bag for less than $60.

Whether you like to shop at consignment stores or at upscale malls, Boca is a shopper’s paradise.  There are shops everywhere that sell everything.  And, for upscale, I really like Mizner Park because it’s not just another mall with the same old stores.  And, it’s not an indoor mall.  It’s a big, beautiful outdoor mall with tons of shops and restaurants.  This is the kind of place where there actually  unique boutique type stores where you can find something different!  yeah!  I especially loved Sugarboo & Co.  They have a great selection of art prints, jewelry and kitchen accessories.  Check it out, you’ll be glad you did.

Town Center Boca Raton  This is a great high end mall with upscale stores like Coach, Gucci, Kate Spade and Louis Vuitton.   If you’re into pricey shopping you’ll find it all here.  And if you’re not (like me) they do have a nice selection of casual restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen, Macy’s Taste Bar at Macy’s and Mariposa at Neiman Marcus.

I love books.  Last time I was in Boca, I found this great little used bookstore.  I can’t find a site online for the store, but believe me when I tell you that Bookwise is a gem of a used bookstore in Boca Raton.   So, if  you like used books, check it out.  The prices were really reasonable and the selection was huge.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So there you have it.  You can have a good time and find plenty to do without breaking the bank, even in one of the most posh cities in the country.  If you take some time to plan your itinerary with your budget in mind, you’ll have plenty of fun in the sun without spending a fortune.  Let me know what you do in Boca!

 

 

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