leisure & recreaTion
r&r in the Tropics
lisa keeney
Boca Ra ton is w ay mo Re than a w
alk on the
Beach.
a ctivities at l ion c ountry s afari
B
oca Raton is a great place to visit, but it’s even better when you live here. Whether you are walking through the dunes near Red Reef Park, watching the sun shimmering off the ocean at the end of Palmetto Park Road or driving down palm treelined Camino Real, the view is breathtaking. No matter what you are looking for—a day at the beach or the park, tennis or golf, a luxurious spa experience—you will find it in our internationally renowned city.
Beautiful Beaches The 70-mile stretch of coastline from Palm Beach through Broward County attracts visitors from far and wide. Water temperatures are almost always in the 70s and 80s, so swimming in December and January is a favorite pastime for vacationers. Each mile of beach has its own characteristics, from pristine stretches fringed with sea oats, to those with bustling beachside shops and restaurants. More than 30 years ago, the City of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County had the foresight to purchase land for oceanfront parks that led to the creation of South Beach Park. In 1974, the 38 |
Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District was formed to ensure funding would always be available to maintain the parks. The result is a system of incomparably beautiful beachfront parks. Lifeguards are on duty at these parks from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Parking fees are charged for all beachfront parks, although there is no charge for pedestrians and bicyclists. Park entry permits are available for residents owning, leasing or occupying homes within the district. For more information, call the Boca Raton Community Center hotline at 561/393-7806.
a mazing athletics College athletics are growing in popularity at an exciting rate. Over the past few years, Boca’s own Florida Atlantic Owls have been competing and winning against powerhouse schools. FAU sponsors 18 NCAA Division I-A sports and has achieved athletic success in many of them, including two bowl wins for the football program in its first four years at the I-A level. The football team recently moved into a state-of-the-art, on-campus stadium that is certain to generate even more interest in the college and our city. Call 866/FAU-
OWLS for more information. Lynn University’s Fighting Knights have won 19 national titles: eight NCAA championships and 11 NAIA national titles. Seven different Lynn programs (baseball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s tennis) have won national titles. For more information on Lynn athletics, call 561/237-7000 or 561/237-7281. The Miami Hurricanes have been on the collegiate athletic national scene for years. Call 800/ GO-CANES for ticket information. South Florida is one of 10 metropolitan areas in the United States fortunate enough to be home to all four major professional sports: football, basketball, baseball and hockey. The Miami Dolphins, an NFL mainstay since 1966, won Super Bowls VII and VIII in the early 1970s. They play their September-throughDecember home games at Sun Life Stadium, 40 minutes south on Florida’s Turnpike. Call 888/ FINS-TIX for ticket information. The Florida Marlins have twice captured the World Series (1997 and 2003). Their regular season runs from April to October, and they also play at Sun Life Stadium. Call 877/
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