Miami Beach beach; or, our last day

 Miles driven: none

Steps taken: 11,240

Calorie units: 1,400

It’s our last day (obviously tomorrow, which is breakfast then all travel, doesn’t count) and it was a perfect beach day.  So we went.

The hotel advertises a beach shuttle; the front desk person told us “it’s only two blocks.”  When we asked about towels and chairs, we were told they were complimentary, but at the stand at 21st and Collins.  The hotel is in the middle of 23rd and 24th on Collins.  I was skeptical about 2 blocks.  OC, it turned out the stand was ON the beach, which was more than a block off Collins.  

But we got on the beach, got our gear, and sat down on the beach. 

It was 86, feels like 95 (this is Miami in July), with few clouds.  At one point a squall blew threw, sending the umbrella next to us rolling away.  But it came and went.  

The water was warm with barely a wave.  There was a lot of seaweed, but that was the only downside. 

Here goes the photo ops:

You can see the aquamarine water and then the infamous rows of high rises.  That’s it.

We were back in the hotel in time to see the second half of the Euro Cup final and to watch England lose a game it looked so long, and again at the end, like they had won.  Yeah rah Italy.

Dinner was at a very Cuban place.  We started with guac, which came with plantain chips!

Then we got the mixed grill for two for our main course. 

Closest to you, in the bowl, is the pork; to the right is charrasco steak; that’s a variation of chorizo center left, and in the distance is chicken asada.  The pork might have been the best (not a pork fan), but it was all delicious. 

As we sat there, an unexpected storm came by and poured — absolutely poured — for maybe ten minutes.  They had to move the receptionist’s stand away from the doorway and all the tables near the outside into the restaurant.  Water ran across the table around us.  It was something. 

And then we made the long trek home, surviving both heat and some sprinkles.  Miami in July. 

And that is Miami in July.  After 10 days, we return home tomorrow.  Like Bridget, I am not really looking forward to stepping on the scale, even with the rules about vacation calories. 😂 But it’ll be good to be home.  Until next month, when we go to LA.  You know, like Randy Newman, I love LA. 😁

Poor Alexander! And how the other halves live

 Bridget #s

Miles driven: 80

Steps taken: 8900

Calorie units: 

Today did NOT start well. 

The bakery that was supposed to provide breakfast a block from the hotel was closed, so we picked a spot from Yelp! (I do NOT recommend this) on the fly on the street. 

First, we both ordered Eggs Benedict.  I actually pondered what the Benedictines would think of how the restaurant handled this — mine was cold and they were “sparing” with the hollandaise.  Not good.

Then I double tipped the waiter.  Not out of graciousness or kindness but because I missed that there was 18% already added to the bill. 🤬

I wanted a second cup of decaf, but was told I had to pay for it.  😕

As we walked back to the hotel, there was a “Joe and Juice” so I said “I want another decaf” and went in there.  When we get to the front of the line, I’m told “we don’t have ANY decaf.  How about hot chocolate?”  She got our order wrong…and RR’s cold brew was not good. 🤬

Breakfast made me sick. 😡🤮

Enough?!?!

[Because some of you found it amusing yesterday, I have to report our original tops matched again this morning. 🤦🏻 RR changed so we didn’t go out both in…lavender? 😂]

After that bad, late start, we made for Little Havana.  Calle Ocho was full of noise and people.  Do I have a picture with a rooster with a cigar? It seems to be a thing there.  I don’t know why. 

There was more than one stop for Cuban street food.  Since those calories don’t count (the walking and eating theory of caloric intake; Bridget would approve 😂), there are no pictures for evidence.

Our second stop for the day was the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. 

Vizcaya was built as a winter home by the guy who owned International Harvester (out of Chicago) in the early 20th c.  He had too much money.  The place is amazing.  I’m not sure there’s a picture that does it justice.  Here’s the courtyard. 

Or this one of the “breakfast room” upstairs, with its Chinoiserie.  

Or, in case you want to go out, a little waterfall in the garden.

Let me just note this: when Deering (the IH guy) built the place, Miami was a village — approx. 10,000.  I guess he liked the weather.  And the place sits, of course, right on the water (okay, another pic)…

Let me also tell you this: what they say about Florida in the summer is true. It was “only” 86 today, but the real feel was 95 — you know, humidity of 70% does that.  And that’s AFTER an overnight shower “cooled” things.  Rather made them more sultry.  

If I fumbled breakfast, dinner was just silly.  Turns out I made reservations on Open Table for the restaurant in OUR OWN HOTEL!!! 🤦🏻. 

It could have been A LOT worse.  Actually, because there was dinner.

For appetizers, there was this:

This is chiCharon, crunchy shrimp in a sweet and spicy sauce (the jalapeños on top might be a clue).  It was mild till…in the back of your mouth, heat!

For our main courses, I had…okay, I don’t know.  The server said the special was something and “it’s like sea bass” and I ordered it.  It, too, had a spicy sauce.  In case I haven’t mentioned it, it was a Latin American food place.  So, spicy was to be expected. 

Obviously, RR had rack of lamb. With some kind of spicy Demi-glaze.  And potatoes with goat cheese in them. 

And then she had this.  It’s called “deconstructed key lime pie” and it was very, very good. 

That is your food porn for today.  Enjoy.  

Tomorrow…well, I know we are having Cuban for dinner.  I don’t know the difference between that and tonight, but then I don’t really care. :) 

Take Me to Miami; or, don’t get stuck in the middle of Florida!

 Bridget #s:

Miles driven: 280

Steps taken: 8,083

Calorie units: 1,659

The day started on Siesta Key and ended on Miami Beach, from one island/peninsula on one side of Florida to another on the other side.  What fun. 

It was a gorgeous morning on the beach at Siesta Key. 

Came back and went to check out.  The woman from the front desk met us and said how cute we looked in our matching pink shirts.  I must say that MINE was white with some not-pink-but-red-raspberry lines, and it was a Father’s Day present from KG.  Peter Millar.  Nice shirt.  NOT, I repeat NOT, matching!!! 

Then to brunch.  RR had a spiked cold brew while we waited half an hour for a table at the Egg place (again).  Here’s her country fried chicken steak Benedict.  I merely had pancakes. 

Oh,  yeah, and the delicious beignet biscuits.  

Then off to Miami.  

It’s a long way from Sarasota to Miami.  There’s almost nothing to see.  And the trip from Naples to Miami on I-75 is pure…well, there are high fences with barb wire much of the way. To keep the animals at bay, it seems.  There are like two exits the whole way across.  DON’T BREAk DOWN!  We didn’t. Whew.

Then an hour’s worth of red lines to the hotel.  The most annoying thing (okay, in a list) was Google maps took us up Collins Avenue, but you can’t make a left it wants you to make into the hotel.  So I made an ugly u-turn.  Later I saw the valet disappear up the road and come back from a block up the road and back on the correct side.  Why doesn’t Google maps know this?

We had tickets to the Marlins game.  The stadium is very interesting, with some Art Deco kind of architecture on the outside — maybe these pics give you the idea — and a glass wall behind centerfield with a view of the Miami high rises in the background.  Many thumbs up.

And there were great food choices.  We went for tacos and these 

In fairness, they weren’t as good as they looked.  (Empanadas, ICYMI). But they had sushi, ceviche, Argentinian bowls, and, OC, Cubans. 

So, it was a big thumbs up. 

No one planned further than tonight, so what we really do tomorrow, especially if it rains as much as predicted, is an unknown.  But we have reservations tomorrow night at a highly rated Latin cuisine restaurant here on Collins.  I don’t know what Latin food is (I thought no one had eaten that since the Huns), but I guess I’ll find out. 

Manana (as they say here)

US’s most beautiful beach; but, nothing like food porn

 Bridget Jones’s Diary:

Miles driven: ~20

Steps taken: 10,900

Calorie units: 1,950

Today was a postcard day at the beach in Siesta Key.  It got up to 88 (with a real feel of a charming 99) with almost no breeze and almost totally sunny.  A day for sunburns.  We both have spots like that. 🤬 (btw, RR isn’t reading this, who knows why, so I can say stuff like that without concern about rebuttal). 

Here’s the best pic I got of the day.  It was NOT a good picture day (because no one was on top of taking them, not because there wasn’t a good day to shoot)

Along with that one, there’s this one, which brings back memories of lost Snickers bars at Bandon Dunes two weeks ago 

And here’s your requisite lizard shot.  If you’ve never been here, this kind of lizard (you can convince me it’s a gecko) is ubiquitous.  If you were wanting to, you could sit around our pool and catch 20 in no time. I haven’t pointed this out to RR bc she’s not a fan.  But they are everywhere here. Rah.

No one remembered to take a photo of the mini donuts we had for lunch, which we warm and quite good.  In part, I think, because there was a phone call as we sat down to eat them.  🤬 

Dinner was at a sports bar, as no one had the energy to stand in line, or fight for parking, etc, at the good eateries here on the beach.  I was told NOT to take a picture of what we had.  So.

But we did go to the organic gelato place in Siesta Key and had these delicacies.  

On the left is RR’s “Teacher’s coffee” and the picture is to memorialize the “tiny cone” on top.  I had the lemon lime and puckered for the next hour.  

RR pointed out that in back-to-back nights we had ice cream from the top two places here.  Bravo!

I’ll finish our last full day here with this pic, which might capture some of the place’s beauty.

The middle day; or, wind, beach, and food porn galore

 Today’s measurements:

Miles: almost none.

Steps: 10,800

Calorie units: 1990.

We woke this morning to find it was dry outside, though windy (this will come up later).  Elsa was well north of us and it was a beach day!!! This was the FIRST one in two beach trips (we spent some time in Galveston on a not very nice day, but it didn’t really count).  

But first, breakfast.  There’s a place here in Siesta Key, Another Broken Egg (it’s a Florida chain), that does a good breakfast.  And we got right in (which isn’t the norm). 

I had the seasonal special: lemon curd stuffed French toast. 

It was as good as it looks.

RR, a benny aficionado, had this version.

It’s the first time I’ve seen someone’s interpretation with a full on slab of ham across the English muffins. 

Full to the brim, off to the beach. 

The “luxury apartments” we are staying at provide beach towels, umbrellas, and chairs.  We discussed taking an umbrella.  I pointed out it wasn’t supposed to be sunny AND the wind was like…well, it said “between 30 and 40 mph from SSW”.  So we decided not to. 

This was the day’s amusement. 

But first the beach.  Siesta Key claims, on many signs, to be the “most beautiful beach in the US.”  I don’t know who said so.  Here’s a good pic today.  

The sand is supposed to be white and supposedly never gets hot.  It was good.  Not sure it’s what they say it is, but it is good. 

We watched one person after another come to the beach, pull out their umbrella, and epically fail.  The one older guy had a shitty little one and it bent in sideways — not much shade.  At least he got his up. 

A younger guy with his partner pulled his out, got it up, but it kept coming apart in his hands.  He never got to sit under it but gave up.

Better yet was the couple who came, he screwed it into the sand, and he never even got it up (double entendre intended), even with his partner’s help, before giving up and recasing it and putting it away.  In all, no one had one up that worked.  😂😂😂

We went for a walk about noon and found this remnant of yesterday.

The way north was easy; coming back into the wind was harder.  Much harder. ☹️

We adjourned to watch England win the football match (I’ve been rooting against them since 1977 and probably won’t change that on Sunday, though rooting for Italy will be a struggle, too).  

We went to the best Italian place on the key for dinner, Gabbiano’s, which lived up to its rep.  

But RR reported the table next to us was obnoxious, from dissing both the drink she got (a strawberry basil daiquiri) and the salad (with poached pear, “who puts pear on salad?”), to not knowing poo about wine (you all know RR is a wine snob).  Live entertainment. 

Dinner was excellent.  I had the salmon sole mio:

RR had the special for the night, grouper something Italian. :) 

And here’s the bruschetta, which was as good as it looks.

It was a good eating day.  But no lunch.  Just so you know (and don’t think the calorie count above is a lie). 

Day’s don’t get much better, despite the wind.  

We hope for more tomorrow.  Supposedly starting with the local mini donuts.  😁

Manana. 

Hide or Elsa; or What to do in a Hurricane

 The count:

Miles driven: 75

Steps walked: 3445

Calorie units: 1494 (with some cheating)

Not much to tell, well, in any detail, about Day 4: we spent the day 1) figuring out where the tropical storm cum hurricane was going and when, 2) figuring out where to settle to avoid it, 3) settling to avoid it. 

Breakfast was donuts and a bagel sandwich on the run; lunch was sandwiches in the apartment; dinner was picked up Panera (it was raining hard then).  

The storm tracked all day towards us up the west coast of Florida.  We are staying in Siesta Key, about an hour south of St. Petersburg (or west of Sarasota), less than a block from the ocean.   Which can be good news, but can be bad (in this case).

We were allowed into the apartment 3 hours early, having stopped on the way for groceries, and settled in. It rained so hard on the interstate coming down that everyone had to stop in the middle of the road once. 😕 

During the NBA game at 11, the local weather came on and said Elsa was now a hurricane and it was 25 miles off Siesta Key.  Great!

At 6 this morning, RR got up, walked around the bed and said “I guess the roof didn’t blow off in the night.”  

And so we made it through.  

And now to the beach. 

Steps; or Criss-crossing the Swamp

 A la Bridget Jones:

Miles driven: 220

Steps taken: 10,895* 

Calorie units: 2115

I will begin with this: I’m not really a fan of bed & breakfasts.  There is, for one, an expectation (usually) of using some of the 7,000 word per day average with STRANGERS at breakfast!  Then there are the peccadillos of such places; last night it was the “Victorian” bed and the claw foot tub.  Who can raise their legs that high?!?!  Well, first thing this morning RR rolls over and says “you know I think that stool in the corner is to help you get in and out of the bed.”  Huh.  I point out that I have done so, with a certain pain, five times already. 🤬  But I did use it to get in the shower, as she warned me that she actually had to CLIMB in.  

But it was a lovely enough place and the manager was nice and not overly in your business.  And I’ll concede breakfast, an individual sausage quiche and biscuit with side of fruit, was good.  

But that was last night. 

The reason for going to St. Augustine was to see the old town, especially the fort (known, OC, as the Castillo).  It is the oldest masonry fort in North America, finished in 1695.  The settlement dates from 1565, but there were wooden forts till this one.  

It is an amazing structure, all in tact.  I’m not sure one picture does it justice, but this one will have to do.

You can OC see a long way across the water from here. 

Our next stop was the lighthouse, which you could see from the Castillo. 

It only dates back to the late 19th century, but the thing is you can still go up in it.  The sign said 219 steps.  We consulted.  We agreed we didn’t have to go ALL the way up. 

But we did.  Neither of us died (though, admittedly, I thought RR had in the bathroom [which was air conditioned] afterwards 😂) and it was surprisingly easy.  So easy the f***ing Fitbit did not give me credit for stairs!!!!  GEEZ.  Here’s the “best” shot from up top — you can see the Atlantic from there (obvious Steve here).

From there, it was across the state, through territory…well, I know why not much of anyone was interested in it till the 20th century.  There’s a pond or full culvert everywhere.  Can you say “swamp?”  And then there is the monstrosity of Orlando; you know none of this s**t was there till Disney decided to build there in the 60s and…it’s just amazing the condos and hotels.  And not little hotels.  5, 10 story hotels.  Massive structures.  

There was a +12 and red line on Google Maps (for those of you who use it and know such things) in the center of Orlando, near Disney.  Sigh. 

We had lunch at Zaxby’s.  It was our first time.  They did not live up to Chick fil a’s service standards, which are amazingly high.  RR is attempting to try every FF place’s chicken sandwich: she is a fan of Chick-fil-A’s.  Still thinks it’s #1, though she thinks KFC is close.  We have to try Popeyes on this trip to finish her survey.  

Dinner was at Tropicana Field.  This is ballpark 25 for us.  It is the only fixed roof stadium left in MLB, which came in handy with the beginnings of a hurricane coming through (they’ve already postponed tomorrow’s game).  The wind was blowing at least 30 mph as we went in to the park early.  

We sat the field (two rows up) and at one point RR almost took a foul ball in the head as it bounced off the  “ground” in front of us and hopped over us, but other than that, which I see as somewhat positive, I found little to commend the stadium for (though, really, being out of the Florida summer is a very big deal).  

First, the seats were small and uncomfortable,  including having no cup holders (and you know how Americans love their cup holders).  Next, the food choices were minimal and abominable.  I guess there was a small stand selling pre-made Cuban sandwiches, but otherwise it was hot dogs, burgers, chicken (RR refused to eat another chicken sandwich 😂) and Papa John’s pizza.  And they had (due to Covid, no doubt) NO beer on draft.  Black marks all.

OTOH, it was quite a ballgame, with the hometeam coming back from two down and finishing with a winning rally in the bottom of the ninth.  Yeah rah Rays. 

FYI they color the roof orange when they win.  You’ll have to look up why.  IDK.  Or C. 

There were lots of Indians fans there.  Strangely.  I guess they travel somewhat well. 

I will leave out the troubles with the hotel (we had a room, but didn’t have a room) and numerous other peccadilloes (a word I have just “learned” how to spell) of the day and leave this cliff-hanger of sorts: tomorrow it is predicted we have 100% chance of rain all day.  Not exactly a beach day.  I’ll let you know where we hunker down.  First up is a place a few blocks from the hotel that supposedly has great breakfast.  It may be the last food porn till Miami…

Manana. 

It’s Old; or, a Long Way from Atlanta

 [Ed’s note: Since I am teaching Bridget Jones’s Diary in the fall, entries will begin to imitate (somewhat) hers there]

Miles covered: 400

Steps: 8,300

Calorie intake: 2076

So today began slowly after y’day’s long day, today began late and slowly. 

In terms of miles covered, it is a long, long way (over 4 hours on the road) from Macon, GA, to St. Augustine, FL.  In case you missed it.  BTW, I told my mother we were going to a city today older than she is. 😂 She thought that was somewhat funny. 

On the way south, we stopped, as in pilgrimage, at Buccee’s, the only one in Georgia.  If you don’t know Buccee’s, it’s a Texas business that is a cross between theme park and convenience store.  As I waited on kaloches (don’t ask; the sign on the wall said “bread, meat, cheese = kaloche. 3 major food groups”  😂), the woman behind me, with a shopping cart full of stuff (did I say shit?) said “this ain’t like no other convenience store.”  Uh huh.  

And then south. 

We spend the afternoon walking historic St. Augustine.  You all know it’s the oldest city on the North American continent — bragging on tee shirts about 1565 (a pirate on one tee said “party like it’s 1565” — little did I know that was such a good partying year 😂)  The historic district is pure tourist glitz — tee shirts, ice cream shops, eateries with hand food, coffee shops, boutiques, and more tee shirts.  They are big on both the pirate and Spanish iconography…although pirates weren’t really that big here (unlike, say, the outer banks or the islands) and the Spanish have been gone since the mid 18th century.  Oh and the one local hotel, and a local street, is the Ponce De Leon.  There’s a fountain of youth here, OC. 

We found a quality place for dinner, the Forgotten Tonic.  Food porn to follow.  RR had the shrimp and grits. 

They were out of the crab cakes, which I wanted for dinner, so I had apps.  But I made up for it with this monstrosity from next door — the “Peace Pie.” 

That is their chocolate peanut butter cookie dough. It was a mess.   But delish. 

Two days down. 

A hurricane is on the way.  We hope we avoid it.  News later. 

And, finally, we could see the town fireworks from our balcony, through a tree.  Happy 4th!

Day 1; or Long Day of Ball and Food

 [Ed’s note: I don’t know right now how to change the sub header, but I will when I figure it out, and this trip’s “thing” will be semicolons in the titles, because, well, you know. :) ]

Day 1 of RR’s (now standing for “Really Retired”) second trip of the year was a good day.  With these exceptions:  we got up to be on a 609 flight at 330.  Ouch! ):  Stood in line at the Thrifty rental counter for, I’m not exaggerating, TWO and A HALF HOURS!!!!  And, in minor irritants, Starbucks in Podunkville GA was out of almost everything, then didn’t know that a mocha gets 4 pumps of syrup!!!!  #FirstWorldProblems

FYI this is a “baseball trip,” so Day 1 included a 410 game at Atlanta’s stadium.  There’s a rift here on why stadiums have stupid names, here it is Truist Park, which begs for a bunch of jokes, but there it is.  

I should start there.  It was a beautiful day at the park, sunny, and about 84 degrees.  It was a hike straight up a hill for 15 minutes (acc to Google), so we were warm once we got there, but that’s a different story.  (Overheard on the way “I’m 60 and overweight and so no I’m not in shape” :) ). 

Acc to RR, who was reading I think Wikipedia, Truist Park has the seats that are on average closest to the field of any in MLB.  The word “cantilevered” was used. We didn’t sit where that seemed to matter.  The park reminded us a lot of Philadelphia, with greenery in centerfield.  The same construction.  It is brick on the outside, which is probably a plus.  It was nice and a pleasant day.  A highlight, for some, is they have a big kids play area on the walkway in right centerfield, and that was a big attraction.  Including a climbing wall and a zip line.  I said I guessed they wouldn’t let us zip…but we saw an adult on it later, so maybe they would. (Where’s the crying laughing emoji?)

So, it was a good day at the park.  Here’s the requisite pic.

We were supposed to meet one of RR’s former student workers for lunch, but the car rental thing nixed that. 

But we ended up in what we think of as downtown at Joy’s Cafe, which was on Dinners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and which we went to on our trip here in 2017.  

So, here’s your food porn.  It did NOT disappoint.  

That’s chilaquiles.  The green sauce, made with tomatillos, was excellent.  A bit spicy, but not too much for brunch.

And here’s the chocolate caramel cake.  OC I had to have some after 330 AND the car rental line.  

Finally, I will mention Logan.  This is the guy who sat next to me at the park and talked incessantly.  I saw a story on a new study that says men average 7000 words a day, women 20,000.  (No footnote) Logan used his, mine, and at least one other guy’s.  Nice guy, first MLB game.  Had a good time.  But it wasn’t a quiet, solitary game. 

And, amongst the many lines of the day, a winner was the counter person at Thrifty, when I got there, asking “do you need a driver?”  After 2 and a half hours, I didn’t get it.  I had just given her and gotten back my license.   She repeated it.  “To Miami…I’d drive you.”  I told her I wasn’t ready for a joke. 😂

Today St Augustine