By Samantha Chapnick
My family still hasn't found a Fort Lauderdale hotel or Miami hotel, for that matter, that's free. But combine these fabulous freebies with the cheap airfare being offered and you'll have a Florida vacation even Sam Walton, of Wal-Mart fame, would condone.
NATURE
Fort Lauderdale is home to many small nature enclaves and parks, all free and all wonderful. My family's four favorites are
1. John Lloyd Beach State Park: One of the best ways to live the cheap life luxuriously is to stay at one of those budget Fort Lauderdale hotels way off the beach, and then spend your days in this park with several miles of tranquil beach, mangrove, cafes and playgrounds. With a $5 car entry fee (or with a $78 yearly pass you get in free), that beats the resort fee at most ocean-front hotels any day. Showers, picnic tables and restrooms are all available.
2. Secret Woods Nature Center: Appropriately named, this teeny sanctuary is a few feet from the airport, making this perhaps the world's most peaceful — and noisiest — butterfly garden in the world at the same time. When there is no plane flying overhead, all you can hear are the birds and wind in the trees.