There are places here, where we live, that are mysterious to us. Strange and inexplicable locales that are like unanswered questions just sitting out there. It is all exciting, new, and available, so we go and see. Something spurs us into getting out and discovering all that is weird and wonderful around us. Instead of crossing continents, we take a trip to here.
For many people a trip means getting away from problems. Leave the job pressures behind and crank up the engine. Turn your back on them and go. Get outside that so-called life and move beyond.
But for us exploration is in the genes, and it needs to happen on a regular basis. It can happen around the world or around the block. And we are also driven to write about it. By keeping a record of our experiences in a journal, we can fully appreciate the spiritual journey that comes with the physical stimulation of travel.
Often the goal of a travel journal is to seek out the notable qualities of what we see and do and put them on paper. A celebration of the people, places, institutions, businesses, and ideas that make the place worth examining. We let our senses explore what is around us. Our eyes are peeled and our fingers, ears, and mouths are ready for sensory stimulation. When we get information about what is great, or at least good, we like to write about it and pass it on.
And so it is with the second annual Best of New Times Broward/Palm Beach. These "Bests" represent the choices of our writers, editors, and contributors. We don’t need a committee to decide what we like, and we’re not into what is merely popular. We simply hope to write well about that which stimulates us. That’s it.
Our readers contributed too. Hundreds of you have placed your votes for your Bests. Those results have been tabulated and are printed in each section.
We've also given some space to journal entries we've kept along the way. You may notice we especially go for the wacky in South Florida: a shipwreck, a botánica, a bunker, and more.
So dive in and capture the feelings and experiences of our trip.
