When in Miami... alone.

It's my Spring Break!! Spring Break 2014!! I am getting to spend it in Miami, Florida with just me, myself and I. What's that you say? How did I do that? Well, I asked my son b/c it's his break too, and he said, "no, thanks." I asked a few friends, and they couldn't come with me either, sooooo, it's me and me alone.

Since I didn't get to the condo until after 6:30, I did not try and go to the beach. Instead, I unpacked and then walked a few blocks to this great little Italian restaurant I found when I was here last summer. It's called Specchio's. You can read about it here. The food is delicious; the atmosphere is quaint and it has an intimate feeling and the wait staff are super nice.  I decided to have pasta with asparagus and crab meat with this yummy garlic butter sauce. It was scrumptious! After dinner, I walked to a nearby grocery store for a few necessities. By the time I got back to the condo, it was after 10pm. I was tired and ready for some relaxation and a good night's sleep.

Sunday, I hit the beach...

I am actually in Surfside. This is a little bit "out" of the hustle and bustle that is Miami. I'm glad.

Ahhhh, the sweet feeling of "relaxation" at last! The sun is intense here and sadly for me, I did not have much sunscreen. I tried to stay under the umbrella most of the time, but I still got some "burn," especially on my shoulders and back. About 4:30 I decided to take a beach walk to try and find some pretty shells and sea glass. (this is the only beach I've been able to find sea glass!) Well, I must've been completely engrossed in thought and with finding my treasures, that I completely lost track of time and lost where my umbrella and chair were located on the beach. This entire time, I kept my head down looking intently for what I might I find. I didn't bother to look up and notice any landmarks that would let me know where to look for my "home spot."  This is embarrassing to admit, but once I figured out, "Um? I've been walking a really long time. I should be "there" by now," I was waaaaay off course. It was 6:45pm and getting past the time I wanted to be "lost somewhere."  I'm not gonna lie; I got a little bit uncomfortable and was beginning to feel the starts of some anxiety. I didn't have my shoes; my feet were killing me from walking so far and long on the sand and my legs were a bit tired. I did have my phone!! (always)  I had to call my friend who owns the condo and admit my stupidity. I felt so dumb, but it is what it is, right? I explained where I was (the best I could) and gave him landmarks of things that were around me. THANKFULLY he knew where I was and how to get me back on track. When he finally answered my call (the 2nd time), I felt like weeping for joy! Just to hear a familiar voice was enough to keep me from having the impending meltdown. Whew!! Crisis averted.  The upside to this little ordeal: I found a pocketful of sea glass!! Woohooo!!!

Monday, I got my rental car (a little white Nissan Versa) and decided I wanted to go out for lunch. I chose Red Lobster. Popcorn shrimp and those cheese/garlic biscuits were screaming my name. The meal was quite tasty. While at the rental car place, I picked up a booklet called "South Miami from A-Z." During lunch, I perused the book and circled places I thought I might like to visit during the week and could get to relatively easy considering I was by myself.  After lunch though, I went in search of some outlet malls called "Sawgrass Mills." One of the locals told me this is "where everybody goes to shop." Sawgrass Mills was North toward Ft. Lauderdale. It was a great drive and I enjoyed the scenery. Sawgrass Mills happens to be located in the city of SUNRISE. YES, that is the name of the city. Don't you just love it? I think it's the best name ever. "Where do you live?" "I live in Sunrise, Florida." It just makes me happy to say it. :) I'd like to say I live in a city called "SUNRISE"-- I mean it does fit with my name. (insert little dancing girls) I walked around and took it all in. I did notice something "different" at this mall, or perhaps it's a Florida thing b/c of so many tourists. People wheel around suitcases... carry on size to the really big luggage size pieces. They shop and purchase so much stuff that they need a suitcase to put it all in as they CONTINUE to shop. There are even numerous kiosks that sell luggage for this very reason. Whatever works I guess. One thing I didn't like while roaming the mall, was having people come up to me from those kiosks wanting to give me something, wanting me to try something, trying to lure me in to give me the speech and demonstration... and heaven forbid I make eye contact with one of them, b/c then it's "game on". So I did my best to look forward and keep on walking. I got snagged once, actually twice by the same guy, but as we spoke, very politely I might add, I just kept walking. :) It was aggravating and made the experience a little less pleasurable.

Tuesday was an all day Beach Day (I had sunscreen now). Beautiful weather and lots of time to read and ponder where I might venture to next.

The first letter of the "A-Z Guide" I chose was "B."  Bayfront Park right smack in downtown Miami. I had not been downtown before so this was going to be a big adventure. THANK GOD for Mapquest on my phone!! That thing is the 8th Wonder!! Not even kidding. I got around downtown like I knew just what I was doing! ha  Unfortunately the park was closed due to a big event Miami just hosted called, "Ultra Fest"... some huge electronic music festival. The worker woman I talked to said "there were a lot of people here, lots of crazy crazy people." She said the park wouldn't reopen until April 7th. :( Too bad for me. I would be long gone by April 7th. I did get this other sweet picture while there...

bayfront-downtown Miami

Wednesday morning I woke up and decided to go in search of the letter "R"... "Redland Tropical Trail Tours--specifically a Tropical Fruit Stand that is apparently very very popular. There are several attractions on this "Redland Trail Tour" but I was most interested in the Fruit Stand. I googled it and got the address, put it in Mapquest and took off. The fruit stand is in Homestead, FL--way south of Miami, on the way to the Keys. It was a good day for a drive. :) The fruit stand is actually called, "ROBERT IS HERE." How the name came to be is a great story... read it here. It's one of the reasons I wanted to go, that and the fact that I saw a picture of some strawberries. (ha) It took me about an hour and a half to get there. Here are some photos of "Robert is Here"...

Jackfruit????? 

I liked the sign that explained "Ugli Fruit." 

I love the mini bananas! So cute! 

"Robert" also has a small "zoo area" out back... the conditions didn't seem all that great to me and I felt a little sad for the animals. :(

I did purchase some strawberries, but to be truthful, they weren't all that great. Oh, well, I still enjoyed the visit. I was now ready for lunch. A place was recommended to me just a couple of miles down the road... The Gator Grill...

I was asked if I wanted to try "gator"... that would be "NO, thanks." The girl said it tastes like chicken and pork and is very good. Um, that would still be a "No, thanks." I got a yummy tuna melt with onion rings instead and ate outside under this big Tiki Hut structure.  A nice relaxing experience. It was nearing 3:00 and I wanted to get back before the major traffic hit. I wanted to get in some beach time before "dark."

Thursday night I decided I wanted Cuban food for dinner. This was my last night with the car so I had to get out and go or lose my chance. My friend said he always goes to "Little Havana" on Biscayne Blvd. I knew where this was!! Woohoo!! He also suggested what to order. The food was delicious. I ordered a chicken dish with black beans and rice and plantains. What are plantains, you ask? Here is a definition: Plantains are from the banana family but are much firmer than regular bananas. You can bake, boil, fry them and they taste amazing! The longer you let it sit and ripen, the sweeter it is.  
Or you can bake them in the oven in the peel until soft. 

See...

Plantains were my favorite--sweet and a little bit crispy. YUM!

There was enough food for two meals. I boxed what I couldn't eat and took home with me to have for dinner the next night. I did have to have a little something for dessert. I chose the Tres Leches Cake... whew... now that was good. So when in Miami, some authentic Cuban food is a must.

I spent my last day on the beach of course, just simply soaking it all in... the ocean, the breeze, the sounds and smells, and the sun. I got some "burn" but it will turn brown in no time. :D I walked along the shore looking for some treasures. For some reason the beach was covered in sea weed this week. It made finding sea glass and shells pretty difficult, not to mention it made the beach and the water pretty ugly in places. :(

I enjoyed my week here in Miami and I really did get a lot of rest and relaxation. I needed both badly. I knew this would be my last time on the beach and I had a terrible time tearing myself away. I just kept lingering and staring and contemplating... Here are my last pictures of the ocean...

I spent Friday night packing and cleaning up the place. My shuttle was due to arrive by 10:30 Saturday morning. My flight out of Miami was 1:00pm, stopover at Washington Dulles, then on to Greensboro landing at 6:00pm.  I'm grateful for friends who share. I am thankful for this wonderful get away opportunity to soak up some sun, especially after such a long cold winter. I will admit, I felt anxious to get home. I missed my kids. I wanted to be back in MY familiar.  I have so much to do this next week. This is "moving week" for me. I have a great deal of packing to do and with the packing, comes tremendous emotion. "One day at a time" is what I've been told.

Counting my beach days blessings!!!
D~