Time to destination 1 hour

‘Breakfast’ has just been served, although I apply the term loosely. A wholewheat croissant, jam, a packet of raisins and a berry and almond granola bar.  Mmmhhh delish.  Sure I felt a tooth crack upon eating the granola bar and who in their right mind ruins a perfectly good croissant by making it wholewheat??? Never mind, I suppose it could be worse but I’m having a hard time thinking how. Oh wait a minute, maybe being sandwiched in between two complete strangers, one a loud mouthed Danish bloke who spends his time shouting to his wife seated half way down the plane.  Oh joy, and it all started off so well.

Our last day in Miami dawned and the sun is shining. As our flight isn’t until early evening we have a whole day to fill.  Maybe we should go shopping :-).

So we bid farewell to our hotel and travel 300m  to the burger king for breakfast, just too far to walk.  Sorry but pancakes, maple syrup and bacon is hard to resist.  After breakfast we ended up at Miami International Mall which isn’t that far away from the airport.  Lots of good shops but  we were the only non hispanic people in the whole mall! Everyone was staring at us. 🙂  But that didn’t stop us shopping!!  We ended up spending hours wandering around.  By the time we were finished it was time for a late lunch/early tea. So off we went and we just happened to find an Applebees!  Decision made.  So I had my last portion of sweet potato fries while watching the celebrations at Leicester City Football club. Who would believe it, they won the premier league! And had Andrea Bocelli performing at the stadium. A bit of class!!!

After eating we drove around for a little bit longer then headed off to the aiport. We were quite early, dropped off the car without a problem and headed inside.  Considering our experience last time, I should have anticipated that something would happen but I thought it had been a one off. I was too optimistic.

It all started at check in.  Last night via the BA app I received a message that we could check in.  Good idea, I thought. Log in, click on the three names and then on the check in button, then collect boarding cards at airport.  Simple right?  Course not.  Since when does it ever work painlessly?  Well when I opened the app and the ba.com logo flashed at me, that was painless.  For one brief second when I clicked first on Theo’s and then my name I was lulled into a false sense of security.  Dumb dumb dumb because of course there was no way to click on TJ’ s name. A bit of a sick feeling came over me.  Surely not again. Looked online and his flight was still there but couldn’t check in.  Not a disaster as such.  You can do it at the airport.  Just means you can’t choose your seats beforehand, they will be allocated.
So there we were 4 hours before the flight and although the flight wasn’t even showing on the monitors we could check in and dump the suitcases.
Great.  Except that we get the inexperienced doughball.
I tried explaining that we couldn’t check in online but she wasn’t interested.  Then she hit the problem that I was afraid of.  The two Theos in the booking. She couldn’t see who was who and couldn’t check in.  Doesn’t matter that we use for Theo his first and middle name and for TJ just his first AS ADVISED BY AIRPORT STAFF LAST TIME AT MIAMI.  Doesn’t matter that we have made countless flights since 2010 without problem even flying with BA.  Also doesn’t matter that we checked in online and flew out in the same booking. No.  At Miami they can’t tell the difference.  Like I said STOOPID.  Finally they got us checked in (although I heard a remark that Theo wasn’ t showing as checked in for the Heathrow to Brussels flight but we’ve got a boarding card nah nah nah nah nah).  Downside is that because we couldn’t check in yesterday and choose our seats together we are now dotted around the cabin in middle seats.

So not a happy bunny and to top it all off there is probably no slot for us at Heathrow and we will probably be late.  Considering we left Miami almost an hour late I was half expecting it but we had made up the time.  What a lovely way to end your holiday!

Anyway moral of the story is: they are all blooming stupid at Miami.
Rant over.

Keys to Miami

So today it was time to bid farewell to the Keys.  It has been a lovely week although I don’t really feel like my batteries are recharged. Yet against the weather is glorious as we head back up Highway 1.  

Despite the road being busy all week it is surprisingly quiet as we pull away from the hotel and it’s not even that early. Driving back up the road, the water is calm and blue with the sunlight dancing on it, a perfect day to go sailing. I must admit the idea of a house or condo with a dock and a boat for a week or two is looking more and more appealing.  Oh well, maybe next time.

An uneventful drive brought us back to Homestead and to Denny’s for lunch.  Buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup for me!  Oh and don’t forget the bacon!  It just so happens that Denny’s is right next door to a Premium Outlets!  What a coincidence.  We may just have to have a wee look.  🙂   So the next few hours were spent browsing through air conditioned shops like Guess Outlet (watch for Theo and bag for me), Levi Outlet (jeans TJ) and Tommy Hilfiger ( shirt TJ).  While in the Hilfiger shop I had a lovely conversation with a German lady. Well she spoke German and I spoke Dutch but we managed to understand each other quite well!  All this while waiting on my son as he tried on 5 different white shirts (5!!!!!). Mission accomplished we headed back to the car.  By this time Theo had moved to the shade and the car was lovely and cool.  I just hope I can fit everything in the suitcases.

According to google maps it is a 25 mile journey from here to the hotel, a journey which should take about 40 minutes.  But that is not taking into account the evening traffic. Schools were out and it was busy everywhere. Car horns honking as we crawled from traffic light to traffic light but in the sunshine and with a bit of Enrique on the radio it wasn’t so bad. Approaching tea time, we finally arrived at the hotel.  It only took just under 2 hours.!  

After checking in, we headed up to our room on the fifth floor.  We have a huge balcony and a beautiful view towards the airport in the north and Miami City in the East. Tearing myself away from the view we headed down stairs for dinner.  There is a fish restaurant next door and the hotel has a restaurant ( which happens to be closed) and a bar with meals and a happy hour with cocktails. 🙂   It was a difficult choice!!  So after debating for a while we decided on the bar. Obviously we had to have cocktails as a starter and although the menu was limited we had a lovely dinner.  After dinner we just headed back up to our room. As the orange sky slowly darkened and the street lights flickered we stood out on the balcony watching the planes skimming just over our heads before landing. Our last evening in Florida is drawing to an end.

Windy City

High winds no boat key west

The rain had eased and glorious sunshine had replaced the dark clouds but the winds were not playing ball. By 9 am it was clear that our afternoon boat trip wouldn’t be happening and, disappointed, we sent Vicky an email explaining our decision. The high winds meant that snorkelling from the boat would be impossible and we had no wish to end up running aground or cause damage to the boat. Oh well. A good excuse to return don’t you think!:-) 🙂

So, how to fill our day?? Despite the wind the sun was lovely and warm so a bit of sun worshipping icon the cards but first a wee trip along to Key West. Leaving just before 11 am it is obviously too early for lunch so a bit of shopping is months cards. Another visit to Ross’s beckoned. Last time I managed to find a lovely dress and this time a couple of pairs of jeans and a pair of shoes. Better watch out or I’ll end up with no room left in my suitcase and there is still shopping to be done in Miami!

We headed into Old Town, parked the car and walked passed the marina towards Duval Street. There has been a songwriters festival being held while we’ve been here and at virtually every restaurant or bar we pass, the twang of country music is carried along on the light breeze.
We decided to surprise TJ with a visit to the Hard Rock Cafe on Duval. Luckily it was still relatively early and we could be seated immediately. Our table was indoors and we were grateful for the airco. A surprisingly good lunch followed made even better by the 10% discount we received by Showing our Card! We could even use it in the shop! Bargain.  

So one T-shirt coupled with a rather nice Hard Rock paper bag richer we sauntered, basked in sunshine, back to the car.  15 minutes later, after stopping briefly at McD for our pudding, we were back on Highway 1 heading back to our hotel.

It was still early and the sun was still shining so the rest of the afternoon was spent next to the pool with a cocktail.  I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon.  

As it turned dark we packed our suitcases for tomorrow and had an early night.

 

Storm is a comin’

Before we left on holiday our to do list consisted of relaxing, visiting Dry Tortugas, sun worshipping, bit of snorkelling and hiring a boat. Not a great deal to fit into a 10 day holiday. Unfortunately we hadn’t taken into consideration that the weather may have other plans.
Having been to Dry Tortugas, today we wanted to either go snorkelling out on Looe Key or hire a boat but watching the wind whipping the once turquoise sea into white tipped dark grey waves we soon changed our mind! The forecast for tomorrow is a bit better so we amended our plans.
Via internet we had found a small boat hire company really close by and after sending a couple of emails back and forth we decided to go and have a look. Venturing out under a dark overcast sky we headed towards Big Pine Key. The marina we want to visit was on Summerland Key, just a few miles up the road. The owner, Vicky, seemed very friendly and we were looking forward to making her acquaintance. After a bit of effort we finally found the office, hidden away behind another building. A quick knock on the door and it was clear she wasn’t in so we headed further along the road towards Big Pine, all the while looking for somewhere new and interesting to have lunch. Well the new and interesting ended up being old and familiar, back to Boondocks! Not that we regretted it for one minute. Boondocks was excellent once again.

By the time we left the restaurant there was still little improvement in the weather. If anything it was getting windier and darker. The radio suggested that a storm was on its way with thunder and lightening forecast. What ever happened to the sun???

Heading back towards the hotel we thought we would try the marina again and this time we were in luck. Vicky gave us a nautical map of the local area to help prepare ourselves. The Keys are known for their shallow waters and sand banks so taking the boat out should be quite challenging and a good test of our navigational skills!

Map in hand we headed back to the hotel, the last few miles in the pouring rain! We had no option, the rest of the afternoon and evening would be spent in our room watching repeats of NCIS, listening to the rain battering down on to the roof and watching the lightening dance across the bay.

Dry Tortugas National Park

A picture speaks a thousand words and can bring back a hundred memories.  As I pore over today’s selection of photos I had an overwhelming sense of warmth.  I can feel the warm breeze on my skin, the taste of the salt on my lips, the sun’s warming caress and the sand burning the soles of my poor feet.  Amazing memories of a quite perfect day.

The alarm clock did its duty and, grumbling ever so slightly, we rolled out of bed.  Aaawww, I thought this was supposed to be the holidays!  
By 6:45 am, with 28 degrees showing on the car screen and the only sign of morning being the flimsiest ribbon of orange in the east, we headed west and further into the darkness on Highway 1.  We parked the car, fought with the ticket machine and headed to the docks to check in and by now the sun had decided to join the party.  It was going to be another hot one.
Having checked in, we ventured into the departure hall seeking out a free chair amongst the hoards of people.  It was really, really busy, something that hadn’t occurred to us.  Having been given a 10 minute pep talk about the safety rules and regulations we, together with the rest of the 200 or so passengers, boarded the Yankee Freedom, the catamaran taking us on the 70 mile journey to Fort Jefferson.

Leaving Key West behind, we passed the mega sized cruise liners, and headed out onto the open seas.  It was truly glorious weather and very calm (thankfully as I’m not the sailor in the family).  After our lovely buffet breakfast the rest of the 2 hour journey was spent reading, tracking our journey via gps and standing outside revelling in the vast emptiness and peacefulness of the Gulf of Mexico.  While TJ and I were standing at the bow, the captain announced that the small brown dot shimmering on the horizon was actually Fort Jefferson.  Our journey was almost over.  
Getting closer, you can see just how amazing the structure is.  The beautiful turquoise waters surround the fort, providing a stunning contrast to the red brown coloured stone.  We sailed around the fort and docked on the south west side, next to the sea plane.

We decided to give the guided tour a miss and headed off to explore.  It was only about 10:30 am but it was warm, really, really warm.  We had been advised to seek a spot to leave our bags and snorkel gear and we found a lovely little tree shaded spot with a beautiful view.
Bags dropped, we headed into the fort.  Having taken the madatory photo of the national park sign we spent the next 45 minutes exploring.
Inside the fort, the thick, stone walls provided some welcome shade and coolness but we occasionally ventured outside into the sun to admire the stunning views.

It was time to return to the catamaran and back on board lunch beckoned and we ate cocooned in the coolness of the airdo, watching the silver tarpon springing from the crystal clear sea.
After lunch we collected some extra snorkel gear and went to reclaim our spot. Theo went snorkelling in the shallow water, while TJ walked barefoot along the white sand beach and I baked in the sun admiring how the clear, blue ocean dissolved into a clear, blue sky. We are so lucky to be able to experience this little piece of heaven. The time passed ever so quickly and before long we had to head back to the boat.  Onboard showers let us freshen up and get changed before we left the peace and quiet of the key far behind.

During our journey back to the mainland we chatted to a couple from New York, who were now retired and living in Florida.  Before we knew it it was 17:30 and we were back at Key West, disembarked and had dropped our bags back at the car.  
We sauntered into Old Town, along the tree lined streets, to look for a restaurant for dinner.  The choice fell to Red Fish Blue Fish, the same restaurant we visited last time.  Located next to Mallory Square meant that after dinner our next destination required no discussion.  Sunset at Mallory Square is one for the bucket list.  Unfortunately we arrived a bit too early and having waited for 30 minutes we decide to abandon Mallory Square (been there, done that) and head back to the car.  We walked back via the marina, weaving our way through the moored mega yachts and countless restaurants lining the quay.
As we arrived at the garage, we were treated to a stunning view of the rapidly descending sun, casting a glorious orange glow over Old Town.

A quick stop at Burger King for dessert and a shopping trip at Ross’s ( we finally found it) ended our evening in Key West.

By now it was dark and upon arrival back at the hotel the clear skies meant the stars were out in all their glory and yes it was still 28 degrees. The floodlit pool looked tempting but bed won and we headed indoors.  lights out by 11. A lovely end to lovely day.

Monday morning blues

Early starts are a recurring theme on this holiday as are days filled with doing nothing. I belive it is better know as relaxing!  The downside is that it leads to a very boring blog.

So our day went like this.  After getting up we managed to move ourselves from the room down to the pool.  Then to recover from the strenuous 10 metre walk, we had to spend a while lazing on a lounger in the sun. Needs must!

Getting peckish we decided to head about 5 keys up, back to Big Pine Key. Being one of the bigger towns in the area we were hoping to find a restaurant for lunch.  Whilst getting shopping Theo noticed an outlet next door called Bealls.  Never heard of it before but a quick nose inside showed it to be similar to TJ Maxx.  Definitely worth a browse.  As usual the boys found nothing but I managed to find a pair of denim shorts!

We didn’t see any interesting lunch spots so decided to head back to a restaurant we had passed by on the journey down.  Didn’t know the name but it looked good.  Situated at the roadside and boasting a straw roof it was easy enough to find again and that’s how we ended up at Boondocks.

There was no shade in which to leave the car and with the temperature a warm 32 degrees we hastened towards the dark interior of the bar. Inside instead of windows, multiple tv screens adorned the walls showing everything from baseball to football, sorry soccer, the air being cooled by the breeze rather than airco. I loved this place already and that was even before we had eaten.  Lunch was typical sports bar fare.  Onion rings to share, pulled pork & burgers with fries and we managed to squeeze in a pudding too.

Having eaten far too much, it was back to the hotel to spend another few hours pool side. And that was pretty much all we did for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We are being literally forced into doing nothing.

By 21:00 darkness was descending, time for lights out as we have an early start in the morning.

Mile Marker 0

Having fallen asleep by 9pm you would have expected us to be up at the crack of dawn, but no, we stayed in bed until a very respectable 7 am.  As I open the patio doors to the balcony, the blast of warm air paying testament as to how well the airco is working. Apparently it remained 28 degrees last night but we never noticed!  After a leisurely breakfast of coffee and krispy kreme doughnuts (ssshh, don’t tell) it was pool time.  You don’t even need to wait until the air warms up here, 9:30am and it’s more than warm enough.  Just before we left the room the chattering of our ground floor Mexican neighbours caught our attention. They were feeding some lizards or iguanas, no idea what they were.  There were 4 or 5 fighting over the scraps, each a different size and colour (lizards that is!).  One was vibrant green from head to toe, another was sporting an orange comb.  About 3,5 foot from top to tail, with an aggressive stance, this was clearly the alpha, chasing the others if they dared come near.

Some of the residents

Trying not to disturb them Theo managed to get some lovely photos. I kind of went close but they are fast little blighters so I restricted myself to a comfortable distance!  Now it is definitely pool time.

Blue sky

Lying under a cloudless blue sky, next to the pool, feeling the warmth relax your muscles, the temptation to allow yourself to cook for a while is great.  Thankfully lathering on the suntan lotion has helped and we’re not burnt (yet) although Theo and TJ have a matching pretty pink line on their tummy.  Then again certain parts of your body are only shown the light of day once a year so it’s no wonder!! 😄

Not wanting to overcook we dragged ourselves away and decided to go out for a late lunch coupled with a little bit of retail therapy (that bit was my idea!)
It is only a leisurely 17 miles down to the starting point of Highway 1 and our destination for the day, Key West.  Most of this part of the Overseas Highway has water bordering both sides. The shallow depth and the oh so white sand helps intensify the colour of the sea making it the most beautiful azure blue.  It is truly breathtaking and photos can’t do it justice.

Upon entering Key West the only thing that has noticeably changed is the amount of cars. It is busy, really busy. We took North Roosevelt Street, passing the hotel we stayed at last time and driven onwards towards the centre. Noticing a TJMaxx and being ever the bargain hunter, we went in for a wee nose. Luckily for Theo, it ended up being a very inexpensive visit, they had nothing interesting. Rubbish shop, give me Ross’s any day. But to soften the blow there was an Outback right next door. Lunch! Hoping for a slightly better experience than last time we headed through the heavy doors, the cool blast of airco welcoming us into the dark interior. Having been settled into a booth we instantly had a good feeling about the restaurant. Good service, delicious food including a version of a blooming onion, yep definite improvement.

After lunch we decided to head further into town. We have an excursion planned for Tuesday and wanted to check out the parking situation beforehand.

Passing one of the many marinas we headed towards Old Town. Despite it being 6 years since we were last here it appears that nothing has changed.  Tree lined streets filled with tourists and cars, the warmth made pleasant thanks to the ever present breeze. Painted, wooden panelled townhouses with a rocking chair or swing on the tiny verandahs. Relaxation is the key.  Not a bad philosophy.

Key West

Having found the car park and the departure point of the boat.  We drove around Key West, passed Mile Marker 0, Fort Zachery State Park back onto Duval Street, passed Ernest  Hemmingways House, passed the street long queue of tourists waiting to take their photo at the”Southernmost Point” marker and passed Smathers Beach.

Key West

By now the wind was whipping the waves up, giving them little white tops.  Glad I’m not out on the water today.

Having left Key West far behind the traffic started to thin ever so slightly.  We decided that before heading straight back to the hotel we would investigate the other side of Sugarloaf Key.  This side is mainly residential with the vast majority of the houses bordering on the water and having a sea wall where you can dock your own boat.  That idea certainly appeals to me.  Sugarloaf doesn’t have many rental properties but the next keys along do.  A house and boat for a week may just be the way to go!!

Sugarloaf Creek

We drove along as far as the bridge at Sugarloaf Creek but, unfortunately, there was little to see.  Any sea views were obscured by the row of houses along the shore front.

Only 32 degrees

Our arrival back at the hotel coincided with a drop in temperature to a pleasant 32 degrees.  Nothing for it, we headed down to the pool but not before I took yet another picture of the view.

View from our room

 

Guarding the Tiki bar

Dinner tonight was a simple picnic consisting of leftover pizza and sandwiches while watching the sunset from our room.

Peli-can be a pest

Although we were in no hurry, we were up, showered and at breakfast by 7:30.  We weren’t the only ones with an early start but managed to find a table no problem.  Pancakes and bacon smothered in syrup were the choice of the day.  If we just ignore the dishwater coffee, it was a good choice.
After breakfast we headed out to Walmart for some supplies (ie. peanut butter, coffee and beer) for our stay on the Keys.  Back at the hotel we packed the suitcases into the car and checked out.  It was 10:45 and the temperature guage was springing between 30 and 31 degrees. What we would do without airco!
Being a Saturday morning Highway 1, the road to the Keys, was really busy.   We drove slowly passed Key Largo, nothing we wanted to see there so didn’t stop.  At Tavernier we spotted a McD and it was frappe time.  I don’t know if the girl behind the counter was having a bad day or not but she had great difficulty in understanding what we wanted.  It turned into a 5 minute discussion just trying to order a mocha frappe.
1 mocha frappe please
1 iced mocha.  Anything else?
No, a mocha frappe
You don’t get mocha frappes.
It’s on the menu.
No that’s an iced mocha.
No you have an iced mocha and a mocha frappe and we would like a mocha frappe.
We don’t have mocha frappes in this MacDonalds.
But it’s on the menu.  Look.  Frappe mocha flavour.
Oohhh.  You want a mota frappe?  OK.  Anything else??

Aarrghhhh. Oh well,  Theo said it tasted good so it was worth it.

Off we went further down the keys.  The roads were still really busy probably with day trippers.  The Keys are a group of islands linked together by a road and countless bridges.  Sometimes it’s hard to tell where one island ends and the next one starts.  Thankfully each island has a big sign welcoming you and there is only one way in and out so you can’t get lost no matter how hard you try. Some of the islands are just big enough to contain the road and a row of houses or hotels.  Virtually every building is on the waterfront on both sides.  Not a bad place to live.

As we gradually got closer to Key West, we were leaving the rest of the world behind.  The faded, weather beaten shop fronts interspersed with marinas and hotels, everything is water orientated.  We were planning on stopping at a Fossil State Park but missed it so that’s one for on the way back.  Next stop was Robbie’s.  This is a cafe/restaurant where you can feed the tarpon.  These are huge (and I mean huge) fish.  We saw the sign and turned in to the car park.  I had heard a lot about it and was looking forward to stopping but what I hadn’t anticipated was how touristy or large scale it would be.  There were 4 car parks and we found a place between the trees in the shade.  There were stalls selling local art work, trinkets, clothing that sort of thing. We got to the entrance and bought a bucket, which consisted of about 6 pieces of fish.

Going out onto the narrow dock is like taking your life in your hands. There are hundreds of tarpon in the crystal clear water and at least 30 people crammed onto the creaking dock. And then there are the pelicans, the vicious, greedy, can’t tell the difference between fish and a hand and I don’t really care pelicans.

The signs advises you Not to feed the Pelicans or they become aggressive. You don’t have much choice.

While trying to feed the tarpon they grab the fish out your hand. When you try to walk passed them they make a grab for you, fish or no fish.

And they are blooming big too.

I am not too proud to admit that I was rather nervous. So much so that Theo had to come to my rescue. So it’s official, I don’t like pelicans.

 

 

 

 

Leaving that traumatic event behind we went looking for a lunch spot. A quick u turn, middle of the road and Theo had found a lovely place between the trees, right on the waters edge.

Lunch Time. I have to admit but this makes it feel like the holidays. Picnicking. It’s something we’ve done since our very first holiday and I can’t imagine a holiday without it.

We even had a wee visit from a friendly wildlife ranger who was checking fishing permits! They take it all very seriously down here.
After lunch we drove further south, crossing bridge after bridge, leaving a good deal of the traffic behind.

We still had a bit of time before check in and seeing as the beautiful crystal clear turquoise water was looking so inviting we decided to stop at Bahia Honda State Park to do a bit of snorkelling and to try out those huge fins that TJ was been dragging around with him. Unfortunately the queue of traffic extended from the entrance right out onto the main road so the idea was swiftly abandoned. We’re not having much luck!

Our next stop was Key Deer refuge. This is situated on Big Pine Key, just a few keys up from our hotel. Stopping briefly at the visitor centre, we were de greeted by a cockerel, wandering around the car park. Wierd. A quick stop to collect a map then on to the Blue Hole, one of the only places in the lower keys to play host to an alligator. And we are going to see an alligator no matter what.
The Blue Hole, a fairly large, deep, watering hole is just a 10 minute drive from the visitors centre and is teeming with fish, birds and wildlife. Standing at the viewpoint a couple of turtles came over to say hello.

Oh and we saw an alligator.

Well it was the back leg and tail of one partially submerged but it was there and it was alive!

By now we were ready to go to our hotel and pulled up just as the clock struck 15:00.
Sugarloaf Key is about 17 miles from Key West. The retro style hotel is situated on the edge of a bay facing north towards the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the view from our room. Not too shabby! This is to be our home for the next 6 nights.
After dumping our bags it was time to try out the pool. While not particularly large it was lovely and clean and surprisingly warm. With palm trees swaying in the warm breeze it had a tropical feel.  As there is a restaurant on the premises there was no argument about where we were going to eat.

A walk along the waterfront to the tiki bar and on to the restaurant. Theo decided on pizza, TJ a burger and I had a philly cheesesteak.

 

We took it back to the room and dinner was eaten while watching the sunset.

 

 

See you later Alligator

Something startled me out of my sleep.  Bleary eyed, I turned to the clock.  5:15 am stared back in all it’s green LED glory.  Theo and TJ were sleeping peacefully, no cockroach fighting last night.  The airco buzzing gently in the background was not enough to waken me and there was no one wandering around the hallway.  This is so not funny.  I lasted 10 minutes in the dark before deciding to get up.  I’m awake.  I used the time wisely and updated the blog while my boys slept beside me.
It wasn’t long before they too were awake, one of the downsides of jet lag.  Without rushing we got ourselves ready, packed our bags and were ready to check out well before 9am.  Yet again the sun was shining and it was already 28 degrees.

Marseille Hotel

Collins Avenue

Theo collected the car and off we went.  We followed route 1A1, in the direction of the southern most point in Miami Beach.  Set back from the beach, this is one of the more well known areas of the Art Deco district and home to The Beacon and Colony Hotels.  Every building each with its own distinct style but with the one common theme.  Between the hotels and the beach there is Lummus Park, a belt of green whose trees offer some well needed shade from the relentless sun the road via the docks, where the gigantic cruise ships were moored, and on to the real city centre with its towering skyscrapers.  This is an area of Miami people rarely know of.

Lummus Park

City of Miami

Port of Miami

We continued following highway 1 and we were taken through neighbourhoods of the real Miami.  Houses are very understated and of normal proportions.  Miami is a lot bigger than you think and is no different to any other US town or city.  I felt quite at home.  Miami Beach reminded me a little bit of Vegas, not quite as brash and glittery but it’s also a city that thrives on tourism and feels like it has been manipulated to give the people what they want losing some of its identity along the way.  In some ways there is a certain fakeness and genuine lack of authenticity, a trait common to both Vegas and Miami and maybe even LA centre.  I like being in the places untouched by tourism or at least places where tourism has been limited.  But, nonetheless, Miami has been a wonderful experience.
Getting a little bit peckish, we stopped at Denny’s for breakfast.  Who can resist fluffy hot pancakes with lashings of maple syrup coupled with bacon, sausage and egg, washed down with some fairly acceptable coffee?  We couldn’t and I’m not ashamed to say it.  It was lovely.

After breakfast we continued on the road down to Biscayne National Park.  We went off the highway and drove through what appeared to be a farming area, growing from what looked like tomatoes right through to Palm trees.  By the time we reached the visitors centre at Biscayne it was 33 degrees but the ever present breeze keeps it bearable.  We wandered around the visitors centre, where I picked up another map for our collection, and took a walk along the boardwalk which meanders around the edge of Biscayne bay giving views over the southern point of Miami Beach.  As more than 99% of the park is water, it is difficult to view most of it but we seen what we could.
From the entrance to Biscayne National Park it is only 20 minutes drive  to our hotel.  Check in was possible from 12 so thought it would be a good idea to drop the suitcases before heading off to the Everglades.
Having stayed in this hotel last time we were here, it was nice to see that very little had changed.  Except the bedrooms, they have all been upgraded and are looking great.  Apparently check in was actually from 3pm but they had a room available and we could access it straight away.  Now that is service.

So bags dropped, a quick freshen up and it was off to the Everglades. Having spent quite a bit of time here last time we were just planning on a quick visit.  By the time we arrived at the visitors centre the temperature was up to 34 degrees.  A few weeks ago there were wild fires not far from the entrance and seeing the arid ground in the area and fanned by the constant breeze we have experienced it is not surprising to see why.

Next stop was Royal Palms Visitor Centre.

This was where we did a Ranger led walk last time and were hoping for something similar this time.

 

 

Unfortunately there were no rangers present and a great deal of  work going on.  This noise from the vehicles had scared away most of the wildlife and we saw few birds and no alligators at all.  This was really disappointing.  Last time Royal Palms was teeming with all sorts of wildlife and now we were limited to some turtles.

Feeling a bit deflated we headed back to Florida City to do some shopping then on to Appleby’s for an early tea.  A brief stop at Krispy Kreme drive through for dessert and it were back in the hotel by 5pm.
Even though it was early evening the temperature gauge was still showing 34 degrees.  The boys had  a quick swim while I sunned myself in the suns last rays.  As the clouds gradually rolled in we headed back to the room for a quiet evening.

Miami in the evening

The siesta did us good.  Didn’t manage to sleep but rested for a bit which helps too.
We started our post siesta evening at the happy hour downstairs in the bar.

Relaxing in the lobby sipping cocktails, if hunger hadn’t been creeping in, I could have stayed there all evening.
Venturing out onto the sun drenched street we dodged people and cars off on the lookout for somewhere for dinner. It has become a little bit cooler now being nearer 27 degrees. 😂 Even though it wasn’t any later than yesterday the palm tree lined streets were far busier with people dressed to go partying mixing among the tourists.   Miami is gearing up for the weekend.  People-watching is fun and in Miami there are certainly plenty of people to watch.  What I like is the mingling of all shapes and sizes from all walks of life.  The Miami vibe is starting to rub off on us as we sauntered slowly along Lincoln Street, going in and out of shops on the way.  There is a distinct lack of diversification when it comes to eating establishments with you having the choice of Mexican/Cuban, Italian or fast food.   Our wandering this morning had unfortunately given us no inspiration so here’s hoping we find something tonight.
Lincoln Street is a well known area with high end shops and restaurants. This morning I personally couldn’t see what the attraction was but by evening it all comes alive. The empty boulevard was now filled with terraces where dining al fresco is the only way to go. Walking along there is a constant barrage of people trying to tempt you into their restaurant with money off vouchers. Well I have to admit it worked. Having seen that the restaurant prices were on par with one another (ie. extortionate ) we were caught in the trap. Sporting a 25% off entree voucher we took our seat at an Italian Restaurant called Aura. It was actually a rather good choice. It was by now after 7 but this was still early for most people and the terrace was quiet. Our waiter, a Sergio Aguero lookalike, was a lovely lad very polite and friendly. Having placed our order: Mahi mahi for Theo, spaghetti for me and a burger for TJ, he returned with a basket of fresh warm focaccia and gave us time to eat it, something that doesn’t always happen in the US. Dinner was lovely and relaxed. There is no rushing in Miami and you are forced into following suit.

By now darkness had fallen and we were landed in the Miami of the films. Art deco mixed with Spanish, warm with a slight breeze, people walking around just wearing bikinis (although some of them really shouldn’t have been!), people walking around carrying snakes and lizards and even a Maki (think Madagascar), Spanish music playing on every street corner, every hotel with a glowing neon sign, bright but not garish. Luxury sports cars and limos cruising the streets. The overall atmosphere was one of pleasure and relaxation. Yep, Miami South Beach gets a big thumbs up.
The short stroll back to the hotel found us back in our room by 9. I made a feeble attempt at writing but sleep got the better of me and by 9:20 pm I was asleep.