As you can see from the link ninjamini provided, there are 40 stores in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. You have a couple of ways to approach this: Solicit input on the best of the 40, or you could simply (not really, its gonna be complicated) plan a route that allows you to see the most stores in the least time. Let me "help" (by which I mean thoroughly confuse) you with the second option, should you choose it. I am much more knowledgable about Miami Dade country stores, but I will give you a route that encompasses a few "must see" stores in Broward. Google Maps any other recommendations if you want to incorporate them. I will assume you are coming down I-95, but the Fl Turnpike works even better:
Your first decision: Big Als or not. Big Als is simply the biggest, baddest fish store in S. Florida. It is huge, they should charge admission for the gigantic display tanks alone. Big Als has its own gravitational field. I think it is a must see, but it suffers from the "chain store curse" of questionable quality. Anyway, I recommend it, so I include it in the route:
1) Well before you enter South Florida, while you are in the waste land of cenral east FL, along about Jupiter or Palm Beach Gardens, you will have a great opportunity to diverge off of I-95 onto the FL Turnpike. I recommend doing so. The turnpike costs money, yes, but it is far less crowded, has less accidents, and most importantly, works out for my route better. But if you stay on 95 that works too.
2) OK, now you are in Broward County. God help you. Exit The TP or I-95 at West Commercial Blvd (870) just south of Pompano Beach. go West young man.
3) Aftter a few miles, turn Right (North) on N University Blvd.
4) Big Als is a mile or so up on the right, 6820 N Uni.
5) Retrace your steps, but go al the way to I-95 vice the TP. Proceed South
6) Exit at Oakland Park Blvd (816) and go East for a couple of miles.
7) Exotic Aquatic is on your left, it usually has a weird inflatable waving man thing in front of the store. I don't know either, just ignore it. This is one of the top 3 stores in Broaward as voted by FMAS people.
8) Back to I95, not the TP.Go South.
9) Exit at Sterling Road which is a couple exits South of the 595 Ft Laudrdale AIrport exit. I am drinking. Typing suffer.s Go West, but onlyu fo0r a bit.
10) Now pay attention, this is tricky. You want to trun left into maze of storage like stores at 2840 Stirling. I think you have to cross the railroad tracks and make a U-Turn. Then come back at it and turn right. Anyawy, lets pretend you managed to get into theis clustter of strores. Drive all the way tto the back row. Stop your car. Get out. Begin yellihng: "Does anyone know where Coral Reef Farm is?" . Or look for signs, its back there, and it is EXACTLY what you said you want to see.
11) OK, Back to your car. Go NORTH on I-95. Dont worry, its only a mile. Exit at the next exit, Griffin Road (818), go West. Do not question my decision to due Coral Reef Farms and then go North. These are not the droids you are looking for. It shall all become clear.
12) OK, after a couple of miles, turn Right (North) at US 441/SR7. Almost immediately, turn Left onto Orang Dr.
13) Shoprtly after you cross underneach an overpass (Turnpike), you wil turn Right into 4701 Orange Dr, and visit Reef's Edge which was also voted one of Browards top 3 stores.
14) OK, back in the car, go right (west) out of the parking lot on orange. After a mile or so, you will want to zig zag left across the4 canal onto Griffin road. I recommend doing this at the 61st street light. YOuare trying to get onto Griffin still going West. Griffin is parallel to Orange. There is a canal in between them. Do not enter the canal.
15) After a few mile on Griffin, make a U-Turn at 87th street. Then turn right into the strip mall/plaza, and visit Reef Life the last of Borwards "Top 3 FMAS stores by voting or whatever"
16) Get in yoru car, get and lets get the heck out of Broward CXounty.
17) Turn right out of the strip mall, head East on Griffin rd.
18) Get on I-95 going South. Do not question me. If you were familiar with S Fl I would tell you to take the TP, but it gets complicated if you do, even if it is faster. So dont.
19) Take the Pametto Expy (826) erxt South. If you miss it, dont worry, there is a just as good alternativce. If yo miss it, jsut keep going south and take the Dolphon Expwy (836) West for a few miles, until it intersects Palmetto South.
20) Exit at Bird Road/40St. Go right. Trust me. Go right.
21) Up ahead after a mile or two on your right, you have 2 stores within 50 yards of one another. Yeah. I dont know either. Anyway Amazing Aquarium at 8343 GBird, and Stricly Fish at 8372 Bird rod. I remain baffled. Pck a parking lot, see both for the price of one.
22) Get in car, make a U turn, head back East on Bird Road. After you pass back underneath the Palmetto, be in the right lane and turn into the strip mall for Reef Aquarium II at 7390 Bird. No listen, across the street you can't helop but see a big fish store, but we will come back to it when it makes sense for our route. Ignor it for now, but drool if you must.
23) Turn right back onto bird, going east.
24) At about 67th or so, there is another store on the right: Aqauariumart trhere are like three of these in Dade county.
25) OK, make a U-turn, go West on Bird, and lets head for Exotic Aquariums at 7399 Bird Road. This is one of Miami-Dades top 3 according to some mysterious FMAS voting.
26) Turn right out of the store, and get over into the left lane, lets get back on the palmetto going South.
27) We have choices to make. The next main area has 6 stores in it, but some are harder to get to than others. And im tired of typing. Skp some of these if you want. Never mind, I cant type much more, Im gonna skip a couple of South Dixie HWY stores. Ask others if you are interested, they are small anway\
28) Palmetto drop syou onto US 1, go south (South Dixie Hiwy)
29) At 141st st, turn left into the giaganitc strip mall. there are 2 stores there. I kid you not. 2 more stores within 200 yards. And I skipped 2 stores less than a mile awayu. good god. Anyway: House of Fins at 14123 S Dixie and Atlantis Aquarium at 14321 S Dixie. One of these was voted top 23 for Dade. Not sure anymore which one.
30) I am done. I skipped some stores. At step 27/28 you could have turned North onto S Dixie and seen 2 more stores within a couple of miles Gable Aquarium and another Aquariumart. You also could hit two more stores as you are heading towards Houe of Fins and Atalantis Aquarium (between steps 28 and 29). You could turn left into a strip mall on 127th/128 and visit Coral Reef Aquarics. Continueing South on Dixie, you could turn right on 132 St, then immediately left onto 87 Ave, and visti another Aqauariumart But im tired so Im dont.
Hopew this helps.
