December 16 – Miami, USA

pool time

Weather – 23º, sunny, still windy

beach

Steps – 10.080

Humidity – 64%

Miami Beach is known for its Art Deco architecture. Art Deco buildings are all around as we walk in Miami Beach. These buildings are easy to identify when you see them, but I don’t know exactly why. Today we learned.

The tour wasn’t until 4PM, so we spent late morning/early afternoon at the hotel pool. The weather was nice to sit and read, but not nearly hot enough to get me
actually INTO the pool. We had planned to leave the hotel for lunch, but sitting at the pool was so lovely, so we ordered lunch to our chairs.

The Betsy Hotel

Our hotel has direct-ish access to the beach. Just beyond the pool is a grassy area where the pool bar and restaurant are, then across a public walking path is the beach. The last 2 times we stayed in Miami our hotel was across the street – those were certainly nice, but this kind of access even just to the path is nicer. We aren’t particularly beach people, we’re more for pools, but will likely spend some time at the beach later in our stay.

sangria at the Betsy

After lunch we wandered to the Betsy Hotel, where our tour would be starting. We figured by the time we got there, places would have their happy hours going – why pay 2x the price?? We’re retirees after all!

the Cardoza is Gloria's

After sitting at the Cordozo Hotel with a happy hour beer people watching and then another stroll along the beach we made our way to the Betsy. As soon as we arrived, it was obvious that we were the only ones – a private tour. There are pros and cons to this…we are the guide’s sole focus but also can’t really hang back and just listen. I’m happy to have to be more involved if it means there is no chance of having that annoying tour participant in our group
– of course we are never that person.

Art Deco on Ocean Drive

Sitting in the Betsy’s lobby, we got to know Janinha our guide, while sipping on our first cocktail, a sangria – a bit fancier than the one we had on our first night here…delicious and full of fruit. Good thing we’re getting vitamins some place, they sure haven’t come from what we’ve been eating!

With the sangria (and fruit) done we set out for a wander down Ocean Drive. We learned that Miami’s Art Deco district has over 900 Art Deco buildings. Janinha

inside the Carlyle

told us that Mumbai and Shanghai have more than Miami, but the internet says Miami has the most of anywhere in the world. Who knows, there are always things guides tell us that we are skeptical of, but who really cares?

The Carlyle

Anyway, the Art Deco movement started in the 1910s, most of Miami’s buildings are from the 30s and 40s. Although these buildings are easy to spot, it’s hard to say what exactly


makes us know they are Art Deco, that is until Janinha tells us what exactly to look for…symmetry, port hole windows, embellishments, many buildings have fireplaces no longer in use, and “eyebrows” which are like shelves over doors and windows. She also tells us about various elements inside buildings, like diamonds shapes in the floor that indicated secret casinos…this one is one I’m skeptical about.

more Art Deco

Versace mansion

We visit inside many of these hotels including the Carlyle Hotel where the Birdcage was filmed, and the Cordorzo Hotel owned by Gloria and Emelio Estefan, where Something About Mary was filmed. The Cordorzo Hotel is also where we went 3 TIMES yesterday.

One of the 3 times was for a mojito on the tour. I’ve never been a huge fan of a mojito, although being a not-so-sweet drink, I should be. However…this one
was terrific! The lime and mint were blended and then strained so the colour was green, there were no leafy bits and the flavour was intensified…I will be trying this at home.

We see Gianni Versace's house where he was killed in 1997.

We continued wandering, hearing Janinha’s stories, and looking at architecture before ending up at the

best mojito ever

Rakija Bar, a Balkan bar in the Kent Hotel for a Sex on Miami Beach. Rakija Bar was cool…kinda like a tiki bar, not sure what it had to do with Miami or Art Deco, but the cocktail was good – sweet, but good.

live music in the WIND

This is where Janinha left us. We found ourselves at a ‘Sports Bar’ that we saw had Taco Tuesday. Once inside, we realized the atmosphere wasn’t for us…not exactly sure why, we had a margarita and left.

This is how we were at the Cordoza for the third time. They had happy hour, outdoor space on Ocean Drive, heat lamps, and live music…trouble was, that it was WINDY. We tried finding the best out of the wind spot but forget it! We were cold and didn’t stay long. After a drink and a bite, we left.

Back at the hotel for the night, I took a long hot shower…a rarity for me!