Miami -- Back in the USA, or are we in Cuba???

Jane Bailey and family explore South Beach

 We said goodbye to the Celebrity Century on the 8th of November, and hello to Miami Beach in good ol' US of A. Our hotel, the Essex House, had an excellent location near the beach and right in the heart of the action in South Beach. We actually felt as if we were still in a foreign country. Spanish, not English, seems to be the first language here, and almost everyone who lives here came from a Spanish speaking country originally. As we walk the streets of South Beach, we hardly ever hear a language we can understand.



Exploring South Beach with the Baileys









  The Baileys (the British family from the cruise ship) had most of the day to spend in Miami before their flight back to the U.K., so we suggested they store their luggage in our hotel room while they roamed and explored the area. You have to understand that Anne had cancelled and rebooked our Essex House three times to get a better rate. (Obviously, the hotel already knew we were cheap.) When we checked in with the Baileys (and all their luggage), the hotel staff probably thought we were taking in boarders -- or, at the very least, charging them a storage fee for their luggage! At any rate, we shared an afternoon of laughter with this fun family.



Art Deco dominates the South Beach area

Here in South Beach, the dress code is shorts and flip-flops, and Art Deco is all the rage -- they have the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the U.S. Art Deco is an artform of the early 20th century that is simplistic, and almost machine-like with no frills, no ornate features.

We took an Art Deco walking tour to learn more about this intriguing architectural style that incorporates a basic nautical look (portholes, waves, fountains, etc.) with Egyptian and Mayan motifs. It turned out that our hotel was a stopping point on the tour, and a perfect example of classic Art Deco.



Versace Mansion where Gianni Versace was murdered


In many ways, South Beach is a typical beach town loaded with hotels, fun restaurants, shops, and lively nightlife. However, now that we had a better appreciation for the architecture, we could see that the Art Deco style really sets this town apart. That plus an undercurrent of something that feels dangerous (or maybe we have just watched too many episodes of CSI: Miami and Miami Vice!).



Gloria Estefan's Hotel (The Gardoza Hotel)

  On our last night, we took a bus to mainland Miami’s Bayside Marketplace, a colorful assortment of shops and restaurants lining the harbor ( a lot like Baltimore’s Inner Harbor). Anne tasted her first Mojito and Frank enjoyed a lime-adulterated Landshark beer (similar to Corona).  We ate Cuban-style fish with plantains as the sun set over the yacht-filled harbor and the backdrop of downtown Miami skyscrapers.



Winterhaven Hotel where Al Capone used to spend his winters


We had an uneventful flight home -- that is if you don’t count the loudmouth punk kid who was kicked off the plane in Miami for bad boisterous behavior, and the passenger who required a doctor’s care during the flight! At any rate, it’s good to be back home again.

Bayside Marketplace and Marina