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| beachfront of our hotel, Newport Beachside Resort Hotel in Miami |
For Christmas we were at Treasure Island on Tampa Bay
Beaches so we decided to spend Valentine’s Day at the Newport Beachside Resort
in Sunny Isles, Florida just north of South Beach and other Miami beaches. We
have been to most major Florida cities, Orlando, St. Augustine, Ft. Myers,
Tampa, and Key West, but we hadn’t had the chance to explore the Miami
mystique. We wanted to discover what makes Miami the top travel
destination it is.
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| the spa lounge |
Newport Beachside Resort
Our brief getaway for Valentine’s 2012 proved to be a unique
experience. Our hotel is right on the beach with a most charming view of the
Atlantic Ocean. The palapas on the white sands below are even more inviting than
the glistening blue pool and sizzling hot tub. But
the best facility of the hotel is its exquisite spa with a strong seductive
aroma. There are also a fitness center and salon, the 5-star Kitchen 305 and hearty
breakfast buffet at the dining hall each morning.
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| preparations at the beach |
South Beach
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| high-rise condos along the coast |
But even if these facilities are top
class we spent most of our time out in the bright winter sun. First we wanted
to breathe the easy lifestyle of South Beach at the southernmost tip of the
barrier islands off Miami. We drove through Collins Avenue with its famous high-rise
condos and hotels on the beachfront and the specialty and tourist shops, chancing
upon a huge exhibition of boats, ships, and yachts on the Marina. On Ocean
Drive the sidewalk cafes were filled with happy people while meandering
to the
beaches were lots of scantily-clad beauties. And a beehive of preparation for the
night’s festivities was on.
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| South Beach sidewalk cafes |
Port of Miami
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| the freedom Tower across the Port |
Next we drove through the MacArthur Causeway (southernmost
of 5) that connected South Beach to downtown Miami, spotting the little islands
(Hibiscus, Star, Jungle, etc.) that are home to Miami’s millionaires (others
are on Millionaire’s Row of high-rise condos along Miami’s coastline). At
Biscayne Boulevard that parallels Collins on the mainland, beside the Port of
Miami, is the famous Bayside Marketplace but since we will be here when we go
on our Cruise in two weeks, we postponed the shopping. We simply stood in awe
of the Freedom Tower, symbol of the wave of Cuban immigration into the US from
the tumultuous Cuban revolution.
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| colorful residential homes |
Little Havana
So we spent Valentine’s Day in Little Havana, undoubtedly
the best known neighborhood for Cuban exiles in the world, characterized by a
robust street life, excellent restaurants, cultural activities, mom and pop
enterprises, political passion, and great warmth amongst its residents. About 20,000 households thrive in the many
blocks around Calle Ocho (SW 8
th St.) from SW 11
th to
37th. Bill loved his Cuban espresso and
sweet potato pudding for afternoon snacks at Versailles. Then we sampled authentic
Cuban goods (dominoes, roosters, hats, etc.) at Sentir Cubano whose mural
proudly declares, Miami, the 7
th province!
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| mural at Sentir Cubano declaring the city Cuba's 7th ptovince... |
Casa Panza
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| @ Casa Panza's sidewalk bar table |
Thus we decided to cancel our reservation at Kitchen 305 for
our Valentine dinner and looked for a tapas y tintos (Spanish appetizers and
wine) bar instead. On a sidewalk between intersections of SW 25
th
and 26
th Avenues, in front of Casa Panza was a throng of people
around a man who was making Valentines stuff with palm fronds. It was nice to know that part of his earnings
go to St. Gabriel Catholic Parish in West Palm Beach, Florida. Bill happily ordered
three roses for the most unique, long-lasting, and for a good cause Valentines flowers!
I was a happy girl!
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| our Valentine platter and my unique roses |
So we perched ourselves at one of Casa Panza’s sidewalk bar
tables and ordered the platter of jamon Serrano, chorizo Espanol, queso Manchego,
and aceitunes with a glass of house wine. We watched the unique lifestyle
unfold before our eyes: bikers plying to and fro on the sidewalk between the
restaurant and us. At the next table was the friendly Rafael, a friend of
Gloria Estefan who makes Hibiscus Island her home, waiting for his daughter who
was studying flamenco nearby.
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| Haiti's fight for freedom |
Little Haiti
Back at the hotel, we continued our celebration sipping champagne
while watching Blue Valentine and being what the world expects from two
lovebirds.. The next day, before we went back to our home at the campground, we
made a quick visit to Little Haiti. It was a more depressed neighborhood around
a smaller group of street blocks at the northeastern corner of Miami. But the
murals were bolder and more colorful. One that depicted the history of Haiti,
especially their fight to freedom in 1804 caught our eyes.
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| Star Island with millionaires' homes and boats |
We certainly discovered that the Miami mystique is the sum total of hot Atlantic beaches in winter, the rich and famous from the
high-rise condos and island mansions, the easy-going lifestyle, and the
vicarious sharing of Cuban and Haitian spirits! But our romantic getaway had to
end and we have returned to the humdrum of our cruising lifestyle, getting
ready for the cruise to the Bahamas, a gift from my children Trisha, Claudine,
and April! Watch for that next post!
