Port Everglades

Michelson visited the port at Fort Lauderdale twice, as well as I can remember, during the summer of 1964. At that time Port Everglades provided shoreside facilities for oil tankers, break bulk cargo ships and the navy. Containerized shipping had not yet reached many US ports. Cruise ships were starting to use Port Everglades, probably due to its being near the Fort Lauderdale airport and the relative proximity to Miami.

Being the setting of the movie Where the Boys Are, this was a favored liberty port. The beach was really nice.

Photos from a Lenny's souvenir post card.

There were several different types of bars in Fort Lauderdale. I counted four distinct varieties: regular bars, night clubs, places that stayed open all night and bars that opened only when all the others closed, one of which was called The Five O'Clock Rendezvous. This one opened at five AM! What an amazing party town!

Lenny's was renown at the time, but now seems to be forgotten. Located just outside the port on route one, there was non stop live music, with bands playing on a revolving stage. The Twist was popular then and the place was always packed with young people. Anybody who went to Lauderdale in the 1960s went to Lenny's if only to see what it was all about. It was the first stop ashore for Michelson sailors.