There is a term used a lot in Minnesota called “Minnesota Nice.”  It refers to the fact that most people are pretty law abiding, friendly, and helpful.  What we have discovered in Florida, at least here in Ft. Lauderdale, is that people tend to follow their own rules and definitely not the “Golden Rule”.  An example is seen often when we are walking.  In Minnesota, you can almost walk blindfolded across streets and in shopping malls.  If there is a marked crosswalk, you can always be sure that someone will stop for you.  On the contrary, here in Ft. Lauderdale we always hit the button at a stoplight and wait for the “walk” symbol to appear.  We stand alone, as everyone else pushes past us and they jaywalk whenever and wherever they please, even in front of the always present police.  Perhaps the police assume most people are tourists and they don’t want to “offend” anyone with a ticket.  In addition, cars ignore the walk signals and crosswalks so we have learned that looking both ways before crossing a street has taken on a whole new meaning. 

Ft. Lauderdale has two major industries - tourism and the boating industry.  If it’s made for a boat, it’s here.  I’m sure the locals know where to shop for the best prices, and we are finding those places, slowly but surely.  West Marine has its “flagship store” here, and it is a great place to look.  We have bought quite a bit there, and in some cases it’s because they have an excellent return and warranty policy.  They do offer a “new owner’s discount.”  But, we’ve found some other great places to shop with more reasonable prices.  Sailorman is a large, hot warehouse type store with lots of used and some new marine products.  We got a great anchor there, a USCG approved infant pfd (for $7.95), and a number of miscellaneous items.  We also got a lot of help at Boyes Gas with our Magma Grill, and Seafarer’s Marine is a lumber yard where we found an exact match for the wood to build the office at very reasonable prices. 

When it comes to fellow cruisers we have met, everything we heard is true.  They are friendly, helpful and it’s been a pleasure to get to know a few other couples here at Las Olas Marina.  “Minnesota Nice” could also be called “Cruiser Nice.”  I believe it’s very similar to being in the military - we’re all in it together and whenever we can help each other, we do.  The hard part will probably be sailing away from various ports along the way and leaving friends behind whom we might never see again.