Things to Do in Boca Raton

Just a mile into the waters off Fort Lauderdale Beach, the currents churn with migrating kingfish, tuna, marlin, sharks, and other fauna. With 40 years of experience on this crowded expanse of slate blue, Paul Roydhouse knows how to catch them. Aboard their 85-foot boat, he and his crew lead trip groups in drift fishing, a method that entails letting the boat float with the wind and current like a depressed seagull. They load up the drift-fishing vessel or a 48-foot sport-fishing boat with everything from bait and tackle to licenses and rods. Passengers cast lines from fighting chairs, buckling themselves in to battle mahi-mahi and sailfish in jeweled veils of spray. On the Mary B III, up to 50 patrons sprawl in the sunshine, clicking together beers brought from home; chartered vessels also can slip through the water toward the Bahamas. During nighttime swordfish cruises, Paul and his crew shut off the engines, letting lines baited with squid and glow sticks hang in the dark until the massive fish grab them and thrash through the water.

Xtreme Indoor Karting's 90,000-square-foot facility buzzes with the energy of Bowman Arrow karts as they whiz between the checkered flags that line the railing of the indoor go-kart track. All sporting Honda engines, three kart models take to the half-mile asphalt stage where child and adult racers show off their skills, reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. The racing theme pervades the facility, including the 18 holes of the indoor miniature golf course, which are peppered with half tires and watered with tears of joy from past Indy 500 winners. More than 100 different interactive games—including racing simulators—flicker inside the arcade, and rows of billiards tables line the black-and-white checkered floors of the Finish Line Sports Bar. Charged with fueling all of these activities, the kitchen staff at the Fast Track Café whip together burgers, wraps, and pizzas. For kid's-only entertainment, the staff supervise a day camp throughout the summer months, when all of the country's teachers traditionally lose their keys to the school.

A Romana’s Pilates certification is more than just a piece of paper. Named after Romana Kryzanowska, the hand-chosen protégé of Joseph Pilates, it reflects a tireless dedication to continued Pilates education and total mastery over the sport's mat exercises and varied equipment. Studying under Romana Kryzanowska herself, Pilates Space Florida owner Kerstin Korzekwa tallied the requisite 700 hours of training to receive her certification in only six months, adding it to a resumé that includes master's degrees in both physical education and dance performance.

Though Korzekwa doesn’t credit her previous career as a dancer and choreographer for her quick mastery of Pilates, it did provide her with an acute understanding of how the sport can benefit dancers, athletes, and everyday exercisers alike. Pilates gently conditions the body with a series of moves that shape and strengthen the core and tone the body without adding bulk. The routine—often aided by equipment such as a Reformer, chair, tower, or repurposed taffy pull—can also help practitioners to lengthen their limbs and straighten fatigued spines, and with continued practice, many note that they sleep better, stand straighter, and have more endurance.

It's 1980-something. Glen, a young boy, dons a pair of glasses with one blue lens and one red, excited by this new technology that's supposed to make things on the screen pop out at you. During the next two hours, Glen ducks swooping avians during the revival of Alfred Hitchcock's ¬_The Birds_ in 3-D, terrified, yet thrilled. This is one of Glen Gray's earliest memories about the theater his father built more than 30 years ago. Today, Glen lives out those moments each day as the proprietor of Movies of Delray, where the projectors roll a medley of Hollywood features, and foreign, art-house, and independent films.

Gold walls and burgundy curtains lend to the lobby’s art-deco air, and a large chandelier illuminates more than 60 pencil drawings of movie icons of yore, such as John Wayne, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe. This old-fashioned lobby disguises the updates within: brand-new bathrooms, granite countertops at the concession stand, and in the theaters themselves, digital surround sound and updated seating. Rows of black leather seats cushion moviegoers with high backs and wide benches so cozy that Glen claims guests have fallen asleep in them, only waking up at the end of the picture or when Bruce Willis turns out to have been a metaphor all along.

In celebration of film, professor Shelly Isaacs graces the theater with screenings of obscure Oscar-winning or Oscar-nominated foreign films. After each screening, he discusses the film with audiences, dissecting and analyzing the cinematography, characters, and plot.

Even in the midst of a recession, Drew Tucker couldn't ignore his passion for music. By founding The Tucker Academy For The Arts in 2007 and partnering with the Arts Garage to address the dearth of music education in South Florida, Drew built up a flourishing cadre of performers and educators at the Delray Beach music emporium. Programs run the gamut from private lessons to drum circles for kids, while a focus on performing inspires fledgling artists to share their talents with an audience not made up of only stuffed flamingoes.

At Boca Riding Club, friendly instructors lead riders through lush greenery and teach riders of any skill level through both English- and Western-style riding lessons. Veteran instructors tailor each lesson to students' individual goals, working on basic riding skills, advanced techniques, or highway-merging tips. Riders spend around 80% of their lessons on the horse, with the remainder of their time devoted to saddling and after-ride care.

The tree-and-lake-dotted ranch at Boca Riding Club also hosts public group rides and children's summer-camp sessions. Under the guidance of instructor and manager Elizabeth Constantin, riders walk, trot, canter, or ride off into the sunset, depending on ability and experience filming Hollywood westerns.