Miami, Part I

Well, I've put it off for long enough ... here is the long-awaited (at least in my imagination where people actually read my blog and are interested in my life) Miami trip recap post. Actually, posts, plural, because apparently I don't have enough time to do it all at once!

In case you weren't aware, the reason I was in Miami was because my good friend (and an incredible athlete) J was running the marathon, and my lovely friend A and I decided we'd go down there to cheer her on and make a little vacation out of it. It was a splendid idea and a wonderfully fun trip.

After spending about 6 hours at the airport trying unsuccessfully to get on an earlier afternoon flight, J and I arrived in Miami late on Friday, and pretty much only had time to check into our hotel and crash. The hotel (Circa 39) was pretty cute. We were in a suite, which was like a little apartment, and ended up being the perfect size for three girls. There was a little courtyard right outside our room, too. The lobby was very pretty, and there was a small bar that had a free happy hour every evening, and a small cafe with a surprisingly large breakfast selection every morning. The pool area was also very pretty, though the pool itself could have used a little TLC. Aside from the fact that every 24 hours our key cards would stop working and we had to get new ones, the stay at the hotel was very pleasant. It was farther north than the action of South Beach, which was nice because we knew we'd be able to go back to the hotel at night and actually sleep. Although the neighborhood we were in ... well, I'll get to a story about that later.

Saturday morning, the two of us got up and headed down the beach to the Expo where J had to check in for the marathon, which would be the following day. As we walked out of the hotel, we discovered that we were literally across the street from the ocean, and there was a gorgeous boardwalk all down the beach, so that's what we took to get to the convention center. The entire journey down the beach, I just soaked it all in. I'd never been to the Atlantic before, and I wanted to make sure I experienced it fully. The weather was beautiful, if a little cool at times, but it was just what I needed at the end of January. :) The Expo was pretty cool, with all the different vendors selling their fitness-related wares. J bought a new pair of sunglasses for running, and I got to try a ... cube thingie. I forget what they're called, but they are these little energy cubes that runners eat while they run to replenish nutrients they may be losing. It was tasty. Oh, and we also got to see where they were setting up the press area for the Super Bowl! That was cool, and only one of the many Super Bowl themed things we saw that week. As we left the Expo, we noticed a cute little Botanical Garden across the street, so we took a stroll through there and became one with nature. Okay, maybe not, but we took some very pretty pictures of flowers. Then, after a failed attempt to find a grocery store (Don't people actually LIVE in Miami Beach??), we stopped off at a local convenience store for provisions, then headed to the beach to wait for A to arrive.

J had read about an Italian restaurant on Espanola Way, called Hosteria Romana, that she wanted to try (needing pasta the night before her race), so when A arrived, we headed down that way again for the most entertaining dining experience I had had in a very long time. I knew it would be fun when the host insisted we hold his elbow and be escorted to our seats. Everyone who worked there was Italian, or so it seemed, and they shouted back and forth to each other in Italian throughout the evening. The waiters were all adorable and flirty with the customers, and A even succeeded in getting a couple phone numbers! There was a man with an iguana on his back at the bar, and a snare drum at the entrance that the staff would occasionally beat out a tune on. And yeah, the food was awesome, too. :) After dinner, J decided to head back to the hotel to get her beauty sleep before her race, so A and I went to the bar at the Delano for a drinky. That place was absolutely gorgeous, and I'd go back there in a minute if I could. As are many of the bars/clubs in SOBE, it was outside, with a pool with beds surrounding it, little cabanas for small gatherings of people, and just a beautiful beach atmosphere. We ended up meeting some really cool people that night, who were in Miami for various reasons. We met some gentlemen from Washington DC in town for a golf tournament, and a couple of guys from L.A. in town on business (direct marketing). These were very fortuitous meetings, too, because those cool people led us to some cool clubs and fun events throughout the rest of our stay in Miami. Having satisfied ourselves with a couple drinks and a few more phone numbers, A and I called it a night.

The next morning was the marathon!! Unfortunately for J, it was raining all morning, so we were worried her run was going to be miserable. After a cab ride into the city with the most friendly, accommodating cabbie I've ever met, A and I camped out at the finish line so we could see her as she crossed. When she did, we were like proud parents!! I thought she did so well! Hell, just FINISHING one of those things is a major accomplishment. Apparently it was a very difficult run because of the rain and the humidity that followed, but she made it!! She was drenched to the skin, but she did it! Yay! I was proud. And now it was time to party. :) I think the rest of the afternoon was spent either hanging out at the pool or the beach (where the wind was blowing sand in our faces/hair/clothing/ears), but that evening, we were ready for a night on the town. We had been invited by the L.A. boys we met the night before to a club called Opium Garden for a party they were hosting with free food and drinks, so we decided to make that the first stop of the evening. Then, we planned on moving to Nikki Beach, the supposed Sunday night hot spot, where we'd meet up with the DC fellas. Opium Garden was beautiful, and the free drinks and food were pretty sweet. :) The L.A. boys were surprised and happy that we actually showed up, and they informed us that their plans were also to head over to Nikki Beach later that night, after one other stop they had to make. So after the freebies were over, we went to the "place to be" on a Sunday night in South Beach (who knew??), and what do you think happened? More freebies! Never in my life had I had such an ego trip because of all the people willing to buy us girls drinks! Nikki Beach is another outdoor venue right on the beach (sand and all), and after exploring for a bit, J and A and I settled into a couple of couches and observed the scene. It was ... interesting. I was having so much fun that night that I didn't notice it too much, but the superficiality of the place is such that I wouldn't want to spend any long spans of time there. But for a vacation to escape the everyday humdrum, it was perfect. It was not long at all before a local gentleman (relatively speaking) approached us and offered to get us upstairs to the restuarant and lounge, Pearl, that we had noticed was roped off. We accepted his offer, and his mojitos. :) And I'm sure glad we did.

Up next: Part II, in which a certain Chicago Bear makes an appearance ...