Greater Fort Lauderdale extends along a beautiful 23-mile stretch of the Atlantic Ocean characterized by pristine sandy beaches. Here's a look at five attractions and activities that gay visitors to Fort Lauderdale should make a point of seeing. Of course, this is also a major gay nightlife center, and you'll find plenty of great gay bars and clubs in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors as well. Given Fort Lauderdale's abundance of relaxing clothing-optional gay resorts and hip hotels, it can be tempting simply to check in to your accommodation and relax by the pool all day, but there are actually quite a few enjoyable diversions in the area, from lively neighborhoods for strolling to one of Florida's most popular gay beaches to just enough in the way of museums and performing arts venues to keep culture vultures happy. Not surprisingly, quite a few LGBT visitors have become so taken with this friendly and progressive community that they've moved here full-time. This largest city in Broward County, just a 45-minute drive north of Miami and the same distance south of Palm Beach, has steadily evolved from a relatively lesser-known gay getaway in the early 1990s into a favorite place among gays and lesbians for both quick winter getaways and longer seasonal stays. With a sunny and stunning location in South Florida fringed by sandy beaches, Fort Lauderdale and the adjacent inland community of Wilton Manors rank among the world's most desirable tropical gay vacation destinations.