Walking, Nibbles, & the NBA

Today started off slow with lots of slow moving adults as we are tired and on vacation. We like to sleep. Who can blame us!

We ventured off to find the pier on South Beach and about a mile later we stumbled upon it. We passed lots of shops and sleepy stores as this town seems like it sleeps until noon. The water was beautiful and the park was clean and most empty considering it’s Monday. 

That kid might get her posing from her auntie ;) We ventured back and some took the beach path and some took the sand but an impending rain storm had us seeking shelter quick so we ran to the Lobster Shake where we had heard good things. A few oysters later, a lobster roll to go, and a quick game of patty cake led us on our way. 

We found an Italian pastry shop and had to grab a few sweets to power us up. At this point we had walked about 2 miles and realized we had still quite a bit to go…this was not intended to be a marathon morning. 

A quick trip to a CVS and we finally trekked back after 3.62 miles. We were tired and it was pushing 1pm. So we crashed, cuddled, played cards, watched some hockey, and raided the fridge since we gotta eat this food anyway. 

After a while some us us felt guilty for sitting indoors on vacation and decided to head off on a walk in the opposite direction that we’ve been walking during this trip. We saw beaches, more beaches, and quite a few fancy hotels. Our hotel is more of the traditional and historic type that the Arc Deco district is known for. 

We stopped and shopped for the obligatory souvenirs and then headed back to prepare for our night out. The Miami Heat is playing tonight and we have tickets! But first, food. I found this place on Yelp and it checked out. We wanted some burgers and they even had a happy hour so we stopped before the game. It was a hit. The service was personable, they gave us Uno cards and the kids had a good time before the meals arrived. And once they did. We got quiet. It was all good. Plates were cleaned. 

And then. The Miami Heat GAME!!!! It was fun and a real nail biter until the last minute when Toronto got up by 8 and it seemed out of reach for the Heat. It was a fun game aside from the 30 minute debacle trying to exit the parking structure. 

And that’s it. A full few days. Too short of a trip as usual. But fun nonetheless. 

Day 3 Let’s Do it All!!!

 Well I was up early! 6am to be exact. Once the rest of the crew started rousing we walked to the Botanical Gardens. Along the way we found a wallet! Credit cards and cash intact. So Tina decided to drive it out to the address and return it. Good karma, come find us!

The Botanical Garden was a beautiful and quiet place to spend the morning. It was shaded and tranquil and best of all free! 

We then walked over to the Holocaust Memorial which was incredibly well done. The sculptures were lifelike and heartbreaking. It was a good opportunity to talk about history with the kids. 

Afterward, we meandered down to Flamingo Park which had everything you could need in a public park. Tennis, baseball, soccer, playgrounds, iguanas. Yes, they are just found in the wild here. There were many piggy rides given today to the human with the most energy out of our crew. 

Next we walked to the Cuban Cafe where we got empanada, smoothies, and sandwiches. Just enough to hit the spot. 

Next we checked out the Art Deco museum, which is a bit of a stretch to say. It’s a room. And it took about five minutes to walk around and look at stuff. I enjoyed this salt and pepper shaker display. 

Then it was football time back at the hotel because we’ve already walked a few miles, filled our bellies, and tired our feet. Oh, we napped. 

And we napped a lot. We finally made the choice to move and grab some take out pizza for the kiddos. It was pretty tasty and hit the spot before they trekked to the beach for some fun in the sun. 

The adults, or I should say parents because we brought three adults with us on this trip, went out for a seafood dinner. Everything was wonderful and we even saw a snake and a monkey on the walk back to the condo. You heard me. A monkey AND a snake. Both required cash for photos so there are none of those. Just memories, which are free, and the food photos of course. 

And then our room was the loudest on the floor with a ruckus of card playing and talk of homesteading. So many shared ideas and memories that are priceless. 

Day 2 Positive Vibes in South Beach

 Ah, waking up at 8:30am should have been great but after going to bed at 4:30am it was rough. Two cups of coffee later I was still groggy and wondering when the rest of the crew would rise. Check out was noon so people had to start moving around 11:30. It wasn’t easy but by the stroke of twelve we left the very nice Hyatt and Uber XL’ed across town and over a bridge to South Beach Miami, our destination for the week. 

We easily found our hotel and the Uber driver was nice and a his Chrysler Pacifica had a good transmission. Two good things after yesterdays clusterfuck of a day. And the hotel, they let us check in EARLY! At 12:45pm no less. Bless them. Each and every one. 

It felt like winning the lottery for the day. We figured that we would have to check our bags at bell hop and wander around for a few hours until the magic hour arrived. But the rooms were ready so why not! 

Food. The crew needed food. Our hotel is right along Ocean Drive so we had every option in the world and the kids scoped about a place and we immediately plopped down for some grub. Street tacos and pasta were the choices and everyone walked away with full bellies and a little less grumpy for only four hours of sleep. Oh wait? That was just me. 

Photo taken right before a glass of water was spilled. Live action photo was very hilarious. 

Exploring was next and we walked along the road and checked out all of the old architecture. The Art Deco vibe is strong here. 

We caught a Drag Show and yes I got a video, saw a massive iguana bearded dragon thing, and walked in numerous shops for trinkets and souvenirs. 

The rest of the crew arrived and the excitement of seeing cousins ensued. It’s been over a year which feels really long when we used to all live in the same state. 

They got some grub while we tested a bit in our ocean view room. Very nice. Those four hours of sleep were probably not enough, but what do you do when your body wakes up? 

And then it was gelato time! Yes, we love ice cream. Any kind. Any country. MamaMia Gelato was a good stop with some tried and true flavors along with some funky ones. Everyone was happy and that’s what matters  

And off to the beach we went! A million photos later and lots of Instagramable lifeguard towers, this city knows how to drum up business. Colorful and vibrant, the idea is to give them a spot to tag Miami Beach and the city has done it! Smart move!

And then the sun went down and the mommies plus Gemma went to Publix and got all the foods and drinks. Then I took a quick bath, thanks to darling Katie for drawing that for me, and hit the pillow at 8:30pm while others were watching some baseball. Yup. This mama can’t run for long on four hours of sleep and twelve hours awake and running was about all I could muster. There’s always tomorrow!