Getting around Fort Lauderdale is half the fun: One of the city's main drags is a river (the New River, to be specific), so you can hop on a water bus or taxi and take in the sights. This South Florida city's extensive system of waterways and a reputation for gracious living have made it one of the country's largest yachting centers. Restaurants and bars overlook the canals, and several of the city's special events -- including a winter holiday boat parade that draws local, national and international celebs -- revolve around boating and the water.

Redevelopment in the 1990s left Fort Lauderdale awash in museums, art galleries, restaurants, hotels and chic sidewalk cafes. An elegant beachfront promenade attracts upscale vacationers from all over the world (and not the scruffy college students of Where the Boys Are , the 1960s beach movie for which the city is often remembered). More sedate than it used to be (but livelier than Palm Beach, its classical-music-loving neighbor to the north), Fort Lauderdale has more to offer visitors than most beach towns.

Sights -- Las Olas Boulevard , Rodeo Drive or Michigan Boulevard with designer shops, cafes and beautiful people; the Riverwalk promenade through the city's historic area; Bonnet House , an art-filled oceanfront estate; the Everglades' "river of grass"; the sunrise over palm-fringed beaches.

Museums -- The Museum of Discovery and Science; the Museum of Art 's major collection of CoBrA artwork; the International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum; the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum.

Memorable Meals -- Waterfront dining at 15th Street Fisheries; imaginative "Floribbean" cuisine at Cafe Maxx and Mark's Las Olas ; breakfast at the Floridian ; home-style cooking at Ireland's Inn.

Late Night -- The lively beachfront Elbo Room; the popular Bahia Cabana Bar, with its nightly music and view of the yacht harbor; people-watching at Lester's Diner.

Walks -- The Broadwalk at Hollywood Beach, filled with characters, cafes and shops; beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach; the quiet nature trails through Hugh Taylor Birch State Park or Anne Kolb Nature Park; the Riverwalk , a promenade that meanders past some of the city's earliest buildings.

Fort Lauderdale's winter temperatures, averaging 60-76 F/16-24 C, attract visitors from northern reaches (known locally as snowbirds) November-April. In winter, cold fronts do occasionally sweep down from chillier climes, which can drop temperatures abruptly. Summers are hot and humid (average temperatures are in the low 90s F/32-37 C, and humidity is often 98%), with frequent brief thundershowers. A high-SPF sunscreen is a must. A hat will help, and an umbrella comes in handy to protect against rain and sun. Hurricane season is June-November.

The metro area is laid out in a basic grid system, and only the hundreds of canals and waterways interrupt the straight-line path of the streets and roads. Nomenclature is important here. Streets, roads, courts, and drives run east-west. Avenues, terraces, and ways run north-south. Boulevards can run any which way. Las Olas Boulevard is one of the most important east-west thoroughfares, whereas Route A1A -- referred to as Atlantic Boulevard and Ocean Boulevard along some stretches -- runs along the north-south oceanfront. These names can be confusing to visitors, as there are separate streets called Atlantic and Ocean in Hollywood and Pompano Beach.

The boulevards, those that are paved and those made of water, give Fort Lauderdale its distinct character. Honeycombed with more than 260 mi of navigable waterways, the city is home port for about 44,000 privately owned boats. You won't see the gondolas you'd find in Venice, but you will see just about every other type of craft imaginable docked beside the thousands of homes and businesses that each have a little piece of waterfront. Visitors can tour the canals via the city's water-taxi system, made up of small motor launches that provide transportation and quick, narrated tours. Larger, multideck touring vessels and motorboat rentals for self-guided tours are other options. The Intracoastal Waterway, a massive canal that parallels Route A1A, is the nautical equivalent of an interstate highway. It runs north-south through the metro area and provides easy access to neighboring beach communities; Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach lie to the north and Dania and Hollywood lie to the south. All are within a 15-mi radius of the city center.

For the most complete weekly listing of events, read the "Showtime!" entertainment insert and events calendar in the Friday South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "Weekend," in the Friday Broward edition of the Miami Herald, also carries listings of area happenings. The weekly City Link is principally an entertainment and dining paper with an "underground" look. The New Times is a free alternative news weekly that circulates a Broward-Palm Beach County edition. East Sider is another free weekly entertainment guide.

A 24-hour Arts & Entertainment Hotline (954/357-5700) provides updates on art, attractions, children's events, dance, festivals, films, literature, museums, music, opera, and theater.

Prices are per person for a main course at dinner.

Food critics in dining and travel magazines agree that the Greater Fort Lauderdale area offers some of the finest and most varied dining of any U.S. city its size. You can choose from the cuisines of Asia, Europe, or Central and South America -- and, of course, good ol' America -- and enjoy more than just the food. The ambience, wine, service, and decor can be as varied as the language spoken, and as memorable, too.