FORT LAUDERDALE LIVE: VACATION IN YOUR OWN BACK YARD

Not all resort vacations require travel. Those of us lucky to live and work in Fort Lauderdale need not travel far to experience a bit of stress-relieving decadence. I've conducted some "back yard" research and discovered luxury weekend vacations are only a coconut's throw away.

Beach side resorts were my target for this search. I started south by the Port Everglades Inlet and worked north. I predict the first "back yard" vacation could begin in the long-established oceanfront resort, Lago Mar, at 1700 South Ocean Lane, nestled between the beach and Lake Mayan in Harbor Beach.

Rated one of the best resorts in Fort Lauderdale by Zagat, Lago Mar will restore your serenity with their "hidden" tropical location, their 6000 square foot, state-of-the-art spa, a specialty restaurant offering Northern Italian cuisine. Visit www.lagomar.com for more information.

A short jaunt north on A1A brings me to the Marriott Harbor Beach Spa and Resort. Located on the ocean at 3030 Holiday Drive, this Marriott offers a family Spa Package where for an annual fee you can enjoy the resort amenities at a discount whenever you choose. For our weekend getaway, however, indulging meals at any of the five, fabulous restaurants (room or beach-side service for the truly hedonistic), booking a spa day or lounging at the beach or lagoon pool makes for an excellent vacation. Cocktails while listening to live jazz at night ends the perfect day. Visit www.marriottharborbeach.com to learn more.

I imagine Jimmy Buffett cruising along A1A as I travel to my next get-away. The fabulous Ritz-Carlton (www.ritzcarlton.com) at One North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard offers spectacular overnight packages to accommodate spa, romance or family requirements to meet the most discerning or extravagant budget. The sheer luxury of the Ritz makes the weekend get-away that much more memorable.

Finally, I found The Atlantic Hotel a few more blocks north also meets my luxury-meter for a weekend escape. Their in-room message treatments are superb. The Spa Atlantic uses native products crafted from, in their words, "the world's most natural ingredients." How can one resist? Their ocean view restaurant, Trina, is a place to indulge in fine cuisine while enjoying open-air luxury. Visit www.atlantichotelft.com to get away that much faster.

Each of these locations includes waterside activities, such as diving, parasailiing, or just plain basking in the sun. Would you, too, like to indulge in a get-away in my back yard?