Bayside Miami

Posted on February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 by Dusty Roads | 6 Comments

At the Bayside we were herded off the bus and led through the complex of shops, stalls and retail outlets to the marina. Before we boarded our boat for the Boat Tour we had to have our lunch.

The Tradewinds was expecting us with special menus geared to quick preparation and service. The Tradewinds is outdoor dining on a covered deck. You are protected from a passing rain shower but not from marauding sea gulls , as I was about to find out.

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I was sitting with a mother and daughter who was visiting America for the first time. We had a bit of a language barrier but there were still lots of smiles. I am not a big taco fan so I ordered the fried shrimp which came with tons of french fries. I’d just settled my plate and had a shrimp in my hand when I was dived bombed from behind. Something hit the back of my head and tumbled over my shoulder. It was a big old seagull! (Mine, mine, mine).

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It landed right on my french fries, grabbed a beak-full and took off. Everyone at the table froze in shock and then we started to laugh. We spent the rest of the lunch on high alert protecting our meals.The restaurant wouldn’t replace my french fries but that was ok. I only wanted the shrimp anyway.

As everyone was gathering after lunch to get ready to trek over to the boat I went in search of the parrot man we’d passed on the way in. I love these beautiful birds but could never have one as a pet myself. They would outlive me for sure but I can enjoy them when I run across these folks who share their pets (for a price).

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Time to board our boat for the views of the Islands of Biscayne Bay and the homes of Miami’s rich and famous.

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Once again we passed the “Fast & Furious” bridge. The drawbridge was open this time.

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As we slowly cruised by these beautiful homes our tour guide played the music associated with the stars, maybe a theme song from a movie or if the celeb was a musician one of their hits. He shared a snippet about each property. Everything from the price tag to the history of the ownership. It was relaxing and enjoyable although not being a big celebrity follower, I couldn’t tell you much about who owned what.

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As we headed back to the marina everyone crowed the bow for pictures of the Miami skyline.

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Meanwhile back at the Bayside some free entertainment was getting warmed up. It was time to salsa and I don’t mean on chips. I spent the rest of my afternoon there while my tour companions scattered to shop or drink.

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Eventually it was time to catch the bus back to South Beach. It was a very nice day!

A Double Decker City Tour

Posted on February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

After a relaxing and sunny day on Wednesday I was ready for a new adventure. So on Thursday I was headed out for the City Tour on the Double Decker buses. It would take most of the day and include lunch and a boat ride through the islands to look at the million dollar homes of the stars. Miami really loves their movie stars.

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The bus picked up right in front of the resort and I headed to the open top.

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As we wove our way along Ocean Drive and Collins Ave the driver pointed out all the Art deco buildings, a restaurant where Will Smith was spotted having breakfast, (of course he wasn’t there when we drove by) and the famous Versace Mansion where the clothing designed was shot and killed in 1997.

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As we passed one hotel and restaurant after another it seemed they were all owned by famous actors and actresses. Miami Vice was mentioned many times. It seems scenes from the show were shot all up and down Ocean Drive.

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Turns out this was the prequel to the actual tour. We reached the ticket office on Washington Ave and all filed off the bus to trade in our vouchers for the real tickets. Then it was back on the bus for the real tour.

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As our tour began we headed off the Island (Miami Beach is an Island in case you didn’t know) via the MacArthur Causeway. Along the way we learned of the hazards of riding on the top deck of the bus. We did a lot of ducking. We ducked for overhanging palm fronds, electric wires, signal lights and even a bridge. That one was the one that took your breath away!

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Even so this was a super way to get pictures. No window glass and an elevated view!

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As we traveled along the MacArthur Causeway we had the Port of Miami on our left where cruise ships from every line start and end their voyages. There was only one ship in port as we passed by. To our right was the Venetian Causeway.

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The tour guide says this is the bridge from the Fast and Furious movie. I’ve never seen the movie so I’ll just have to take their word for it. But there was the famous Miami Skyline to enjoy from multiple angles.

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South Beach Miami

Posted on January 23, 2016January 23, 2016 by Dusty Roads

I knew South beach would be a big change from Orlando. I wanted to get to south Florida so I could visit the Everglades again and maybe, schedules permitting, visit some relatives. The only condo available was right on Ocean Drive, South Beach. Part of me liked the sound of that and part of me reminded myself that South Beach is where the “Beautiful People” go to vacation.

The other drawback is the parking. It’s a minimum of $47.00/day to park so I would be stuck either taking public transportation, cabs or walking. I felt that paying more for parking than I was for a rental was not the smartest way to spend my vacation bucks. I was hoping there’d be some tours to take me where I wanted to go that might pick up at the resort.

My first surprise was the resort itself. I am used to Diamond Properties having large lobbies and a feeling of spaciousness but “Crescent Resort on South Beach” was tiny. It’s in the heart of the Art Deco district so there are restrictions on what they can do to the property.

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As for the service, the staff had the same welcoming attitude of all the other Diamond Properties I’ve visited. I arrived 2 hours before check in. It was raining and I’m sure I looked more like a drowned rat than a “beautiful people” but they were very gracious and let me check in right away. Then they told me I could get a 20% discount at the Purple Penguin next door as they did not have a restaurant.

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Considering the weather this was a perfect solution.

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I was still fighting the cold I caught back in October while on vacation in San Antonio & New Orleans so I welcomed this dreary day as a “down day” so I could relax, nap and do nothing once I got checked in. I was glad I had a couple of books with me.

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My room was small but I loved the accent wall in the bedroom. It’s the same color as my living room at home.

End of the Line

Posted on February 17, 2013February 17, 2013 by Dusty Roads

After viewing the gorgeous sunrise

as we pulled into Miami we headed into the Horizon Bar and Grill for our last breakfast while the ship docked and prepared for our disembarkation.

We’d tagged our bags and left them in the hall outside our cabin the night before. The tags had been left by the staff and each bag had a number. Ours was 23. That would determine when we could leave the ship.

Everyone congregated on the Lido deck by the pool to wait for their number to be called. It seemed to take forever to get to 23 but once it was called we were processed off the ship pretty quickly. We were disappointed that at no time did we collect a stamp in our passport. The passport was essential but I guess traveling by cruise ship accords some shortcuts and one of them is by passing the custom stamp.

One glitch. We left our cell phones in the car because I had heard that even if the phones were off if a call or text came through to voice mail that we could still be charged for international calling (roaming). Not wanting any surprises on our bills we left the phone behind. Now we were standing in front of the terminal with no way to call for the shuttle to the Park & Cruise. There were no old-fashioned pay phones anywhere and no courtesy phones either. Tensions started to rise when I had an inspiration. I approached one of the security personnel with our parking tag and explained our situation. She chuckled a little and made the call for us . Within half an hour we were back where we started, loading up Joe’s car.

Next stop is Fort Lauderdale Airport where I have a rental car waiting. That’s where Joe will drop me off and head back to Orlando and I will head into Fort Lauderdale to find my hotel. I’m going to spend a couple of days here in hopes of getting to the Everglades for some serious photo opportunities.

We found the car rental return but not the pick-up so Joe dropped me off at the return and I hoofed it to the lobby. It’s not even noon yet. With luck I’ll have most of the day to explore.