How the other half lives

One of my favorite things to do in Ft. Lauderdale is to take a boat ride through the New River and Inter-Coastal Waterway sections of the area. It is especially nice at night, when the weather is cooler, and I can enjoy the time alone with my wife while the kids are at home with their grandparents. The outing has become a much anticipated part of our annual Thanksgiving trip to South Florida.

Several outfits run mini-cruises through these Ft. Lauderdale waterways. Probably the most famous is the Jungle Queen Riverboat cruise that includes dinner and a cheesy, Vaudeville-type show at their “jungle” destination. I prefer the cruises that simply work their way through the canals, pointing out interesting tidbits as they go. This past year, we got a discount fare of $11 per adult for a 90 minute cruise – not bad.

Besides the unique, sometimes jungle-like foliage along the banks of the rivers, the most interesting thing about these cruises is seeing all the mansions and the yachts “parked” out front. I have never seen such wealth on display as I have on these cruises. The homes are just unbelievable! One family had to buy a new home with a hundred foot dock because the dock at their old home was too small for the new yacht that they had just purchased for their daughter’s birthday. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our children….

At any rate, when cruising through these multi-million dollar neighborhoods at night, it is often possible to actually see into the homes as you float by. The lights are all on and many of the homes have large picture windows that are left uncovered. Many times you can actually see the owners inside. Sometimes they will even wave to you. Do you know what most of these millionaire owners were doing as we infringed upon their evening? Watching TV or eating. All these millions of dollars and they spend their time, for the most part, doing the same thing that most everyone else in Ft. Lauderdale does. The only difference would be the cost of the TV and room in which it was watched. Sad, really.