Sunshine State

Last weekend Agnes and I were able to have a bit of a mini vacation. She was in Miami for a conference that ended Friday at noon. So we decided that I should fly down Friday and spend a long weekend discovering Miami and the Keys, without the kids. The first thing we did after I picked Agnes up was head to the beach. After soaking up a couple hours worth of sunshine, we headed to Key Largo for dinner and a good nights rest.

The next morning, after sleeping in a little later than normal since we were without children, we checked out John Pennekamp State Park. We did two short hikes here. The first was the grove trail which winds through the hardwood forest and then opens up into a large grove containing key lime, mango, avocado and guava trees. The other hike was the mangrove boardwalk trail that snaked through the eerie mangrove trees growing over the water. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for a little outdoor walking.

Once we wrapped up at the park we headed down the Overseas Highway to Key West where we would be spending the night in an amazing bed and breakfast Agnes found two blocks from Duval Street. After checking into the B & B we tracked down a Cuban sandwich shop we had heard about on the island. We scarfed down the delicious sandwiches and took a stroll around Key West to check out the local color. While out and about, we signed up for the "Reggae and Rum, Sunset Snorkel Cruise". The water was a little cold but the sunset and cocktails on the trip back into harbor were worth it.

We decided to spend our last night in South Beach, Miami. We didn't know that two little events were taking place that weekend called Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference, which showcases electronic music and brings in about 165,000 thousand people to the Miami area. While the events made for interesting people watching, we found out after checking into our hotel that they were a participating venue for the Winter Music Conference. As such, they had a DJ spinning electronic music from noon till 5 am. So we attempted to fall asleep to the soothing sounds of thumping bass accompanied by the soft hiss of the smoke machine blasting manufactured fog onto the dance floor that was exactly one story below our room. It didn't make for the most restful night, but hey, it is Miami after all.

Ironically, one of the best parts of any vacation is coming back home. As soon as saw both my boys and took in the familiar smells of my drafty old midtown house, I knew I was where I was supposed to be.