Category: Music

And I am back from another fun-filled vacation. This was a 6-day / 626-mile adventure right here in South Florida – oh – and also up in Central Florida. More on that part of the trek in a few weeks. This will be the start of a 4-week series here on #TravelThursday, so let’s begin about an hour before sunrise on Thursday March 03RD 2022 (last Thursday).

That’s when I placed my travel bags in the trunk of my car – and I went to work – as in my workplace. WHAT ?

That was my plan. My 6-day vacation would start at my workplace – where I worked for almost 6 hours in the morning. And then I declared the official commencement of SPRING BREAK 2022 !

I proceeded northward to Broward County (the neighboring county north of Miami-Dade County). My first stop was at a popular outdoor shopping center in Pembroke Pines. I ate at a place called “The Pub“. It’s a British pub (or tavern). They’ve won awards for having the best fish and chips in the U.S., so naturally I had to experience it for myself. I had the “wee” size (for Lunch). It was good. It wasn’t the best ever. The best ever was actually over in Britain when I lived there 35+ years ago. I spent a lot of time in British pubs back then, and I enjoyed some great food in those pubs. One thing that The Pub had going for it is that it actually smelled like a British pub. That aroma (both positive and negative) that I remembered from all those years ago was right there.

After I walked around the shopping center for a little while I drove over to my hotel (also in Pembroke Pines). It would be my home for the next 4 nights.

That night I drove almost 20 miles into Fort Lauderdale for the first time since the Summer of 2019. I saw The Beach Boys LIVE in concert at Broward Center For The Performing Arts. Nowadays they are fronted by co-founder Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. Mike’s been a Beach Boy for the past 61 years, and Bruce for the past 57 years. Mike is 81 (next week), and Bruce will be 80 later this year. Mike and Bruce and the touring band look and sound great together. They plowed through no less than 35 of their hits over the years from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. They were on stage for more than 2 hours combined (before and after about a 20-minute intermission).

I was singing and swaying along to the music from start to finish. It was cool to see all age groups represented at the concert. Of course most of their fans are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, and they were well attended that night, but there were also kids, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s there too – enjoying a night of classic surf pop and rock. It was a fun, fun, fun night with so many good vibrations. I can’t wait to do it again. It was actually my 2ND Beach Boys concert. (My first was near Fort Lauderdale at the Hard Rock 6 years ago.)

Now I need to buy some Beach Boys singles on iTunes. I can’t seem to get “Help Me Rhonda” out of my heart (and mind).

Next #TravelThursday I’ll share Days 2 and 3 of my Spring Break Vacation 2022. I’ll tell you all about my morning at one of Broward County’s top tourist attractions that’s not the beach or a shopping mall. I’ll also tell you all about my 2ND concert in as many nights featuring one of the biggest-selling trios of all-time – sort of.

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