We recently went for a week-long visit to my nephew in southern Florida, who has called it his second home, following the completion of his graduate studies there, and landing his ‘first’ job. It is a long way from California, his first home, which sits on the opposite side of the continental US, on the periphery of the Pacific. Florida is on the eastern coast of the Atlantic, also with miles and miles of beach, warm weather, vibrant life, and adventure. I guess you can call it a tropical paradise.
During this visit, we just bonded together at his place, happy to see each other face-to-face again. He showed us around his favorite hang-outs and his workplace. Met some of his friends, and THE girlfriend. We had dinners out. We also took a weekend trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Yes, much like California, the state of Florida is also home to Mickey and Minnie, you know - the “happiest place on earth”? I will tell you all about the details in this and in future blogs. I broke it down into three parts.
But first, let me tell you a little story in the backdrop. We actually planned a surprise visit last summer, on his birthday, excited to film his reaction for Tiktok. 😊 But as fate would have it, we could only go as far as the airport. Why? Because right, when we were already at the gate, after check-in and screening at the TSA, Spirit Airlines, canceled our flight! Bummer! So we, along with all the passengers on that flight, had to go back to the airline counter and line up to re-book. And before we could even do that, we had to collect our checked-in luggage which they already unloaded into the carousel. It was a mess! It took us a good two hours to get re-booked on a different flight.
And yet, within a few hours, they canceled it again. The crazy thing is that we actually got to board the plane, but it never took off the ground! We just waited and waited, until the pilot announced that his crew - having already worked for so many hours past the ‘legal limit’ - whatever that meant - were advised to disembark, and a different set of flight crew would be called in. Long story short - all passengers were sent back to the gate and told to wait for a new set of pilots and flight attendants! We had been waiting at the LAX airport for almost 24 hours! Sleepless! It was craaazy! We just gave up, asked for our money back, and headed home.
This time, we had much better luck. Our five-hour flight from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, Florida was uneventful and comfortable, with an attentive crew, lots of movie choices, drinks, and snacks. Here are a few snapshots I took during take-off, on the plane, and on our arrival at the Fort Lauderdale airport.
We were welcomed by a swarm of birds while waiting for our Uber ride. Such a warm welcome.😊
It was nighttime when we reached my nephew’s place. He met us with a big smile and the tightest bear hug. I forgot how this once husky high-schooler has become a hunk of a man. He’s got big ”guns”!
Here’s a view of the skyline on the eastern coast.
My nephew had to work the following days, but he planned on taking us to Disney World on the weekend. In the meantime, hubby and I busied ourselves exploring what Florida has to offer.
Day 1: We rented a car and drove to Miami, Florida
Miami is one of the more popular vacation destinations in the nation, offering warm weather, pristine beaches, and vibrant nightlife. It is an amazing place for family fun, outdoor adventure, and exotic food and culture. It is about a 30-minute drive to the south of Fort Lauderdale.
It’s also the home port to many of the world's cruise lines and it is dubbed the "Cruise Capital of the World".
The Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, and Carnival are some of the cruise ships that dock at the Miami Port. Cruise destinations range from World Cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas.
It also houses some of the biggest national and international companies with its skyscrapers.
We passed by some interesting structures with a colorful murals.
Have you guys seen anything like this parking structure where the cars are mounted on the walls?
We also went to Little Havana, the epicenter of Cuban Culture in the city of Miami.
Roosters Rule Here
When you see the giant and colorful roosters in front of the restaurants, you know you're in Little Havana in Calle Ocho to be exact. The rooster has a significant symbol in Cuban culture.
You can score Cuban cigars too.
We went for lunch at one of the Cuban restaurants that were suggested by our Uber driver the day before. Popular for the locals, it must be good, La Carreta.
Purple rice, salad, plantain, and the famous ropa vieja (translation: old clothes) beef flank with strands of shreddy fibers. Delicioso! We had a good time getting to know downtown Miami even just for a day, and we made sure to drive back before the rush hours, cause we sure know how traffic logjams can ruin one’s day. Till the next blog, guys. Thanks for reading.
//]:# (!pinmapple 25.77216 lat -80.21358 long little havana d3scr)
How I wish to see this in real but thank you for bringing up me there with your blog!
!BEER
For now enjoy the virtual tour, who knows very soon you'll see it in person. Fingers crossed @olivia08.
Amen🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻, thank you sister.
What a nice adventure you've had! We experienced Miami International as a very organized Airport. That was because Delta has its own terminal there and before we could reach the luggage conveyor, our luggages were already waiting for us lined on the area. Thanks for sharing your nice experience with us.
Good to hear about your nice experience in Miami. Did you like too, the city's ambiance?
Wow! The skyline is so beautiful love the hues of the skies, I guess it was taken during the sunset.
So sad about your mishaps on your always postponed trip... The second one was really funny and disappointing, imagine already on board sitting comfortably on your chairs only to learn that the flight will be cancelled.... Haha. You just have to laugh at whatever their reasons were.
I am happy that your flight was now a go go go...😍😍
That parking building is really something and the facade is really unique. Love the colors.
oOoOO! That diner and the food is what I really love... For after so much walking and admiring the area will really make one hungry. All the food looks so delightfully delicious had me drooling now for I just fasted because I needed to have some lab work done and they just finished extracting some samples for me while waiting got the time to check on hive and I happen to see your post... Now I am hungry 😄😂
Have a wonderful day and enjoy Miama!
We were about to surprise my nephew but we were surprised instead by the turn of events. We finally reached Florida at a later date and had a great time. We enjoyed the bonding, the sights and the food. Thank you for dropping by.
jezz! Love your post as always, good to know that Miami Florida is a fascinating place. The museum with cars mounted in walls is so awesome!
Thank you for the compliments @jurich60. The facade of the parking structure is truly a wonderful work of art. Thank you for dropping by.
Ooooh those cars mounted on the wall looked interesting. Are they real old cars I wonder? I bet the insides of the Garage Museum would look amazing too.
Awwww, I guess I am hungry now as it is lunchtime down here, my eyes were glued for a while on the rope vieja and the salad. YUM!
Those mounted on the walls are bodies of cars in metallic gold and silver. The food was great especially the ropa vieja.
I love the Garage Museum part; the design of the building is just fantastic! I enjoyed learning about Miami by reading your blog.
!PIZZA
I find the Garage Museum both amusing and amazing because of the cars mounted on the wall and they were turned into a work of art. Thank you dropping by @cindee08.
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