Weekends in Miami
June 27, 2015
For two weekends, I had the privilege of experiencing South
Florida as a tourist. Early Saturday morning, we packed sandwiches, fruit
salad, chips and water into a cooler and headed 1 hour south to John Pennekamp
State Park for a glass bottom boat tour to a nearby coral reef. After a slow
cruise out to the ocean, the speed picked up enhancing the excitement with wind
blowing in through the hair. We hovered over the reef for a sneak peek at the
sea plants and crazy cool fish. About 45 minutes later, we returned back to
shore eager to jump in the water. 
From my experience, the beach at John Pennikamp is far from
the best beach in South Florida. Instead of sand, the shore and water bottoms
are completely covered in rocks. Additionally, even though this is a place
known for snorkeling, the waters near the beach were completely dark making any
snorkel sights difficult. The one up-side of this beach was that we saw a group
of tarpon swimming periodically flashing their fins out of the water!
Next, we went to the well-known Tiki Bar in Islamorada—a
restaurant/bar right on the water with iguanas running around, cool swinging
tables, and the perfect view for a sunset.
The following day, we drove 20 minutes north to Hallendale
Beach. This turned into a well-kept secret with free parking, people-ready
beaches, white sand, and blue water. Unfortunately, the day was cut short once
we heard sirens and saw the black clouds approaching with only a five minute
warning. This was my first thunder storm of the season!!
July 3
I love holiday weekends—no work and something to celebrate.
This weekend was different than my other Independence Day celebrations. (In
2011, I was in France for July 4th, so celebrations were
non-existent. The French national holiday is the week after the American
national holiday, but my experience wasn’t filled with national colors,
red/white/blue foods, or unusual cheer—just wine, cheese, and a walk in the
woods. Still pretty cool, looking back, but that was the year I realized that 4th
of July is a cherished holiday! ) Last year, my brother and I went on an
awesome road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway. This year, I was with a
group of Peruvians who somehow are very patriotic even though the USA is not
their motherland.
Friday morning started out with one of my favorite Florida
activities—snorkeling!! We rode a catamaran out from Key Largo to Mosquito Reef
for one hour of snorkeling. The day had a blue sky, few clouds, brilliant sun,
and calm waters! I got to see some pretty cool underwater life, but I was sad
when we got back to land. (If anybody wants to go snorkeling, let me know!!)
After snorkeling, we drove 5 minutes down the road to Hobo’s
Café. I remember coming to this
restaurant as a kid when we visited the Keys. As expected, the fish sandwich
was great, but a looming storm hurried the meal.
Refreshed and satisfied (but still salty and sweaty), we
packed into the car en route to Coral Castle. Built in Florida City in 1920 by Edward Leedskalnin, this small castle is made
completely of coral using simple tools. The tour was great! The creator was 5
feet tall and weighed 100 pounds, so his carved reading chair fit me perfectly!
Since the thermometer read 97-degrees, it made sense for my deep craving to
jump in a swimming pool. Luckily, Tony has a little oasis in his back yard to
feel like a secret lagoon. J
Saturday, we took a boat
ride through the back waterways of extremely wealthy people’s homes. We passed
the houses of Marc Anthony, J. Lo, P Diddy, and some others. In the evening, we
laid out blankets on the lawn of Peacock Park and ate sandwiches and chips
until the night time fireworks show.
Sunday, we attempted another
beach day back at Hallendale Beach. This time, we were blessed with a beautiful
day and awesome waves but challenged with massive amounts of seaweed. By the
end of the weekend, my skin was bronzed and satisfied from the sunshine.
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