We took a road trip to South Florida in March 2022. Our itinerary included Miami, Everglades National Park, the Florida Keys, and Fort Lauderdale. On our way back home, at the northeast corner of Florida, we spent two nights in St. Augustine. This post includes our time in Miami, which was my favorite part of the trip. Part two will include Everglades National Park & The Keys, and part three will include Fort Lauderdale and St. Augustine.
I first stopped at Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, South Carolina. I visited my youngest brother Robbie and his partner Rob at their new house in Columbus, Georgia, where we commiserated over politics, ate sushi and chile rellenos, and drank sake and margaritas. I bought beach cover-ups at Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
I met Mike at the Miami Airport and we strolled through the Art Deco Historic District on South Beach, saw an adorable pink lifeguard tower, and spent a feisty evening on Calle Ocho in Little Havana among roosters and coffee stores. Mike puffed on a cigar at Guantanamera. We immersed ourselves at Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum of funky international street art. We wandered among orchids, coral trees, palms, cyads, and a rainforest at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. We spent a barefoot morning lollygagging on South Beach, admiring the colorful art deco lifeguard stands then spent the afternoon basking in the sun at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. We returned to Little Havana for another night of Cuban food and a history lesson on the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion (April 17, 1961) and paid tribute at the Eternal Torch in Honor of the 2506th Brigade, many of whom lost their lives or were incarcerated in horrible conditions in Cuban prisons.
I recommend watching on YouTube for the best experience.
Our top experiences in Miami were:
7) Coconut Grove
6) Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
5) Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
4) Wynwood Walls
3) South Beach – the beach itself and the Art Deco lifeguard stands
2) South Beach Art Deco Historic District
1) Calle Ocho in Little Havana
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~ wander.essence ~ 
So colourful! I had no idea Miami was like that.
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We didn’t either! We loved it. I’m not a fan of Florida in general, so I was pleasantly surprised by Miami. π
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Einen “Florida-Roadtrip der etwas anderen Art” habe ich 14 Tage vor unserer Heirat gemacht: zwei Tage hin [von Fredericksburg nach Tampa], eine Uebernachtung, und in zwei Tagen wieder zurueck.
Das kam so: damals spielte ich (noch) mit dem Gedanken, mir ein Segelboot zuzulegen, und ich hatte in Tampa ein gebrauchtes gefunden, das mir zusagte. Also habe ich mich auf den Weg gemacht, um es mir anzusehen. Dort angekommen, gefiel es mir auch ganz gut, und haette der Eigner mehr Zeit gehabt an diesem Spaetnachmittag und nicht zum Flughafen gemusst, um seine Tochter abzuholen, so haette ich noch an Ort und Stelle den Kaufvertrag unterschrieben. Ich erinnere mich noch gut, dass ich – nachdem er schon weg war – noch eine ganze Weile in der Kajuete gesessen und mit Mary telefoniert habe. Dann bin ich in eine Motel, und dort – waehrend der Nacht – kamen mir dann doch Zweifel, ob ein eigenes Segelboot denn nun das Richtige fuer mich waere, und ich habe mich umentschlossen. Am naechsten Morgen dann bin ich also zum Eigner und habe ihm mitgeteilt, dass ich es doch nicht kaufen wuerde, und ich habe ihn um Entschuldigung gebeten. Er hat sich aber gar nichts daraus gemacht, denn er hatte schon einen weiteren Interessenten, den er nur vertroestet hatte, weil ich ja nun die weite Reise aus Texas unternommen hatte. Er hat dann, wie er mir spaeter in einer Email geschrieben hat, das Boot noch am selben Tag verkauft. Ich bin dann also wieder zurueck, und Mary war absolut ueberrascht, dass ich ohne Boot ankam. Was aber ein Vorteil fuer sie war, denn wir haben das Geld statt fuer das Boot fuer einen schoenen Hochzeitsring verwendet.
Ansonsten steht Florida noch auf unserer Wunschliste, denn ausser dieser Tour war ich nur einmal dort, mit Mary, im Panhandle und in Jacksonville, zum Radeln.
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Interesting story, Pit, and I guess it’s fabulous that Mary ended up with a beautiful wedding ring instead of you getting your sailboat. Where would you have sailed your boat in Fredericksburg? Would you have moved close to the water or is there a lake near you?
Too bad you didn’t write it in English so other people can read it! π
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The street art at Wynwood Walls was my favourite part. Looks like you had fun making the memories, Cathy.
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Thanks Jo. It was lots of fun. Wynwood was great, but for us the best experience was Little Havana. We loved the Cuban scene there. We were really surprised by how much we liked Miami. However, I don’t ever plan to return to Florida again. Can’t stand the politics there!
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Lots of fun in this post, Cathy.
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Thanks, Carol. It was so much fun! π
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Brilliant trip!
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Thank you, Sue. We loved it much more than we thought we would! π
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Always a plus!
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Always associated the blue waters with Miami but now I see so much colour as well. The street art is really fabulous, Cathy.
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It was much nicer in Miami than we anticipated, Sheetal. We loved the street art, the art deco, and the lifeguard stands. All so colorful and quirky! π
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[…] a florida road trip {part one}: miami May 25, 2022 […]
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