Miami Spa Month

Miami is trying to market itself as a more high-end destination. Which is somewhat laughable and reasonable all at once.

However, when Miami Spice and Miami Spa Month are byproducts then I am all about it!

Vizcaya

This Sunday, El Hombre and I took advantage of the fact that the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens is free the last Sunday of the month for the summer. It is amazing and beautiful.

only one view of the amazing gardens


all kinds of people go to Vizcaya apparently. And this was a shirt I couldn't resist taking a photo of, especially since the owner of said shirt was a little old lady.




The back of the house


Why does this look like it could be Venice? Well because Miami was built on tourism. And the idea for Coral Gables was that people would be able to go around on gondola or boat from Vizcaya to all parts of Coral Gables. pretty cool!

For more photos, go here. We took too many to post

ghosts and ghouls

Having spent four years in Charleston, I now love the concept of ghost tours. I just think they are superawesome.

So when I heard about this from El Hombre, I was intrigued. However, I wonder if the ghosts are from Miami's past, or from ghetto doings around the grove.

I intend to find out one day

More Florida Hilarity

I know it's not South Florida, but it's still happening in our great state and deserves a mention. For all you born-agains out there, this is the perfect place for you - in Orlando. In the swamplands and orange groves that Disney built lays this masterpiece of American entertainment and fantasy. I hear they have live shows including The Last Adam and who wouldn't want to miss a "multi-media presentation" of Moses? I mean, really? Could Orlando get any weirder?

Hialeah Couple Sees Face Of Jesus In Sonogram

Does this mean it's the second coming?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25356383

South Beach nonsense

Of course this would happen on South Beach.

What else do you expect from an area promoted as a den of clubs, sex and drugs. Really

Check out this Hotness

Tonight I went out to dinner and was wandering around the bustling up and coming Mary Brickell Village area and what do I see? This piece of hotness parked on the street. Wow! And the more you look at it the more you see. It's got a Roman-Viking-Tribal-Pirate motif. It reminds me of the car I saw in Hollywood, Fla last year all decked out in dragons. If only I had a camera. Check out the pirate ship on the back door!

Hot Nights in the Bamboo Garden

These wonderful, delightful neon poles called the Bamboo Garden are in my neighborhood and I think they are my favorite installment of random downtown Miami art. Sometimes it's fun to dance dance dance with the lights. It's a good time. You should try it.

a typical summer day in Miami

this was taken around 1 p.m. last week.

Miami summer storms don't play. I have never been through a monsoon (thankfully) but I imagine this is the closest we will come.

It's pure exhaustion.

South Florida Crime

I realize strange things happen everywhere, but really, this is rediculous.

I wanted to have a mini-blog within a blog about odd news in South Florida, but But the Miami Herald has one already

Enjoy!

Weird SoFla legislation

Sometimes reading the news makes me shake my head

Seriously? This is what we are talking about between education budget cuts and the South Florida brain drain....

Sunset & Palms - SE 15th Road

This is my neighborhood, down near Biscayne Bay. It's may favorite place to go for walks. And I'm obsessed with taking photographs of palm trees at sunset.

Street Art

Downtown has all this crazy street art that I am obsessed with cataloging.



This was snapped from the car as we were jumping on 95....

Hunt for the bomb shelter

So we went to this park the other day in search of a bomb shelter but we never found it. but it was really peaceful and a beautiful walk.








this tree is really interesting because the bark is so red, and there were no other trees around it. I have decided it's on a Seminole Graveyard or something. It looks like it's screaming.

Coconut Grove church

I love this spot. Its the rock church in the Grove.

Meerkats at the Miami MetroZoo

Loveable, adorable Meerkats.

Scenes from the Artwalk - June 2008

I love this:

Cupcakes

This place is delish. I LOVE cupcakes and we stumbled across this store by accident, on our way to get a smoothie and go trampling around Coconut Grove.
yummmm

Miami Beach Botanical Garden

A little-known park across from the Miami Beach Convention Center. It's a pretty spot and it's free.
















Skankarella Statue



She liked it





The Holocaust Memorial is right behind the botanical garden.

culinary adventures

So this week is Coral Gables Restaurant Week which means that select restaurants around the Gables have a special menu that's cheaper than what they normally charge. So El Señor and I went to eat at Cacao which is an amazing restaurant. I did not want to stop eating. After looking at the list of restaurants, the only other two I would want to go to are Por Fin and Caramelo.

Miami has been trying to hit that niche market of culinary tourism, which brings wonderful things like restaurant week, the SoBe Wine & Food Fest and Miami Spice

I've never gone to any of the events before, but now I want to make an effort (besides, I'm getting tired of the same spots that I hit)

NKOTB in SoFla!

So, I finally mustered up the courage to make the decision to go to the New Kids on the Block reunion show but alas, I will not be in town. Maybe someone out there can go for me in spirit. It will be freakin' fantastic! Here's the link for their somewhat sold out (what? I know!) tour: http://www.nkotb.com/tour/

They're coming to the BankAtlantic Center in FLL on November 1st.

Juan de Alba

So the boy, his friend and I went out to eat in a little tapas restaurant in Little Havana about a week and a half ago, and as we were walking in, there was a guy who was dressed in what appeared to be a pirate costume. Of course, in my subtle manner, I stared at him in amazement as I walked past because I love pirates, I think they are fantastic. El boy hissed in my ear, "look sweety! a pirate! did you see the pirate?" once we were past.

After we sat down and discussed the pirate, he stepped on stage and started singing and dancing flamenco, and ripping on his sexual orientation in Spanish. He was awesome.




His name is Juan de Alba and is a regular flamenco performer in the community. Days later, el boy told me that apparently the pirate is famous in Miami and has been around for awhile. He was pretty funny, from what I understood, so I googled him. He has no website but he is on YouTube. So I present to you, Juan de Alba:



He doesn't really dance in this one like he did on his little stage. Nor is is pointing at people in the crowd like he did at el boy and el amigo. but he does get pretty into it.

Dirty Bingo

So El Señor and I went to The Standard on Miami Beach for dirty bingo on Sunday Night (thanks to the email from my compadre, Lauren.)

Admittedly I wasn't sure what to expect but it was really really fun, even though we didn't win a damn thing. We camped out in the corner and took turns getting cards. The service was awesome and the bingo hostesses were awesome.

In general I like the Standard and think it's a hidden secret for most Miami Beach tourists because of the its location (on the Venetian Causeway and one of the prettiest little bridges to jog, bike or drive on.

Anyway, back to bingo. There was a definite younger, trendy crowd. And lots of regulars. My recommendation? Get there early and camp out on the cushions. And go with a group of people so you can claim a corner. Also, they pass around free shots and if you win regular bingo with the money box, your group gets a free pitcher of mojitos. And the prizes are pretty decent. I personally covet anything involving the spa, since it's been top rated.

Downside of it all? Parking. But thats all over Miami Beach.

The Miami Metrozoo

I have to admit that I am completely amazed. Amazed by the Metrozoo. I had a bad impression of the zoo and for very good reasons: 1) It's a million miles away (that means down south near Homestead); 2) I heard it has lots of "land" which, in Miami terms means lots of swampy scruff land with some palms and lots of bushes and telephone wires; 3) I really didn't think Miami had its stuff together enough to actually plan something that made sense and 4) I heard the animals are so over it that they barely look at you when you gaze their way. I was completely wrong - again!

I went on a weekday which is highly recommended (No screaming kids, abnoxious kids taunting the animals - it was perfect). No one was around and it felt like we had the whole zoo to ourselves. The animals were curious wondrous creatures and there were so many species I had never seen before. I was spoiled in New Orleans where I lived a block from the zoo and could wander its beautiful paths anytime I wanted but found the Miami Metrozoo to be just as much fun and beautiful. The experience is like being in an animal park and an aboretum where you can see tropical flowers and vegetation growing like we live on the Equator. One of my favorite exhibits is the Meerkat habitat (it's no Meerkat Manor but it's close): http://www.nbc6.net/news/15033098/detail.html. The keeper feeds them worms and crickets and they dig around for hours looking for their meals. Sometimes, the keeper told me, people think that they are dead because they tire themselves out looking for their tasty morsels.

The Zoo is really a nice place to go. For $2 you can feed the giraffes. And right now there is a 3 month old there trying to figure out how to eat the leaves off the branches that you dangle in front of its face. It's adorable. You really have to go if you haven't gone before. I will upload some photos soon - and am contemplating becoming a member. Please visit the site and if you're in the area try to visit. If no one will go with you, I am always down: http://www.miamimetrozoo.com/.