MIAMI BEACH the most recognizable stop on my vacation aka "The holiday" (I heard Heidi Klum call it that....me likes!)
 
 
 
 
Miami South Beach at day break....breathtaking
I took this pic one night when I went down to South Beach. Ate at Fat Tuesdays....that was no better. We really do have good food in Baltimore.  
Versace's Mansion - steps where he was found dead They say his ghost resides in the house. They turned it into an exclusive nightclub...LOL! Only in Miami
"How many guys you know that can bring the travel channel to life, one day we on the autobahnSwervin drivin, next day we in the sun on the Virgin Islands, if you wit me ain't no time toSleep, especially at wet willies on Miami Beach...." *
Ludacris - Pimpin' All Over the World Lyrics
Was drawn to the restaurant upon seeing the name....
*
That is one of the beauties of rap music.... it aims to let you know what's poppin. THANKS, Luda
Their slogan "Support Global Cooling" was cute. They had like 20 different frozen drink to choose from. Huge machine sat on top of counters behine the bar. The vibes were very laid back...perfect for sunburned beach bunnies and boomer skirt chasers to get their groove on. The ocean breezes were better than AC....the swank roof top deck made for a great place to enjoy my lunch. I got a burger (it was alright, but really NONE of the food I ate while away was exceptionally good) and a pina colada (OMG! it was the bomb!...not as good as Bahamas Breeze's PC but damn tasty). I chatted with a nice security guard who put me down with a nude beach not too far away (you would like to know if I went...wouldn't you....mmmmmh!) as well as the numerous benefits of moving to Florida- ASAP. He'd come to South Beach after 9/11 in search of work- like so many others- and had found a place that satisfied his need for rejuvenating sunshine and fast cash.
 
Ocean Drive
THERE IS NO PLACE ON EARTH LIKE SOUTH BEACH. HOME OF ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! I FIT RIGHT IN!
 
Saw these shoes and instantly thought of OOH (Brown F.I.S.H). Dude has style. I know this pic prolly doesn't show these shoes in the best light....note: I took the pics through a window with the light behind me so that distorted the clarity tremendously. Very preppy, but with the right "hook up"....man o man....a man in these could maybe get it...LOL! The fact that I know they cost like $600 wouldn't reflect badly on him either. <---------- Does that make me sound superficial? I don't know if anyone else is like me, but the shoes are the very first thing I look at. They say aLOT about you. WORD! Clean shoes....usually a good indication of a clean arse...HA!
 
Collins Street
Lots of chain stores and European boutiques stocked with all the Gucci, Prada, Versace, Ed Hardy, etc a girl or fashion conscious guy could possibly want. It was quite amazing. Addidas has the best store in South Beach and the Sephoria store almost made me "die a little death" (grown azz womenl know what I mean). Got me a few tubes of lip glass at MAC and got these bombing arm warmers at Urban Outfitters. Most of the stuff was waaaaaay to expensive for me, but it was fun to window shop and imagine "what if" * Miami - South Beach was cool. Comparable to the Baltimore Inner Harbor as far as tourist attractions go.....give O'Mally (or like minded successor) the chance and the downtown shops will rival those of South Beach. That stuff was not for the average Joan. I am most definitely window shopping when I walk through the gallery. ...... after walking around in the heat for a few hours.....i was ready to get
* Back to the burbs.......................  
 
If you could have seen the bridge I had to drive over while taking this pic you would really respect my driving game...LOL! This bridge was beautiful and humongous (lol! That is a hell of a word) and those ships were huge....ready to set sail. They were probably on their way to Cozumel (Mexico) or the Bahamas...I wished I could have hopped on one. I took these pics for motivation as well. I plan to retire within 15 years and travel the world. * THIS IS WHAT I CALL MOTIVATION!!! WHO WOULDN'T WANT A WATER FRONT HOME? It says a lot when you have enough money that you can buy a house that you only plan to live in less than half the year and that's ALL FREAKIN RIGHT!!!! OMG! nothing but motivation all around me. *   * The landscape and beaches varied so drastically. It was amazing how each city was uniquely designed around the water. Intercostal draw bridges went up on the half hour to lets the ships pass...LOL! & cars had to wait too. Boats, Yachts, motor cycles and mopads were commonplace. And fitness was really important. I saw very few overweight people...LOL! I stayed in an area that is mainly residential with few massive high-rise building that lined most of the coast line (from West Palm Springs to South Beach). They were inching their way in tho...you could see it ALL OVER. Big Business is COMING! The homes that lined the road between the coast (beach) and the intercostal (the water way between the mainland marina) were mansions. I was in love with this house that I was told belongs to the man that owns Lions Gate Films. All the homes were light colored with huge windows (no curtains....LOL!!) and huge palm trees. You also see shutters on all the windows to protect the windows during strong winds. Very different from the brick facades of our buildings. * No ....I did not visit the "hood"....nor would I advise anyone to do that when visiting Baltimore...simply because you like hip hop music and can identify with the "struggle". MI-YAYO (did you know that Rick Ross actually trademarked that word...LOL!) is no place to be lost. Sure we have crime in Baltimore.... This guy tells the world all about it in great detail and wit.....but our crime is usually black on black..."man found slain in alley or in route to Johns Hopkins Hospital"...LOL! typical ish. Things that are imaginable he he! * ....while I was in florida I heard about thier openly gay republican (of all parties) congressman, Foley, sending nasty messages to underage boys during their summer internships....then the Catholic priest who molestedhim, comes out in published reports and admits that he fondled but never penetrated the young Foley, but they skinny dipped together, shared sensual massages and that they shared a special bond. O ooh, by the way, the priest now lives in Malta and at this point can say whatever because he will never be prosecuted ( Maltese Islanders Back Accused Priest ) IF THAT WASN'T CRAZY ENOUGHT.....a family of 5 (including children) were shot and left on the side of the highway....armed gunman ran up in a children's birthday party and started spraying...Killing children too.... and last (for the purposes of this post) but not least.... another freak accident involving a stingray. A stingray jumps into an elderly man's boat into his lap (what are the chances....OMFG!) and pierces his barb in to his heart. WTF? LOL! this is some psy fi shit. They said it was a one in a million occurance when it happen to the crocodile hunter. I think the fish only the first one's to start revolting....we (humans) are starting to mess up the balance of the Earth...we are taking out more than we are putting in. Its just crazy....This prolly has something to do with the shrinking of the ozone layer, but I don't know. Anyways....my point is...Every city has their issues. I think I will take my chances with ours......& Stick to the main roads unless you have a trusted guide - yu heard me?
* Check this out.....DRIVE -THROUGH STARBUCKS!!! LOOK AT THE LINE....he he! They are putting something "extra" in that stuff. It was like 90 degrees outside.
On my next to last day I went to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino which was located on a Seminole reservation. That was kinda fun. I won $75 off of $5 ($1 slots)....not bad IMO. I got the hell out of there after that...LOL! I know that trap. Most folk end up putting all their money back in the machines if you stick around the casino long enough. One could make a whole trip out of visiting the reservation. From what I gather..they have tours of the swamps, alligator and crocodile demonstrations, art galleries, gift shops, restaurants and more....i didn't get to see all that, but if I ever make it back to this neck of the woods I will def make it my biz to stop by again.
* There was so much to see and so much to do.......BUT I chose to spend the good majority of my time like this:
......I want to let all the women out here who feel that they can't travel because they have no one to go with them......grow a backbone....get some cojones! Sike, solo traveling is not for everyone....but if you like solitary time (or like me...was on the verge of beating the fur off of a random stranger) and the type of person that likes to do your own thing when you want to do it.....YOU CAN HAVE A BLAST. You get to meet so many interesting people and you can really cover a lot of territory because the only person you have to satisfy is YOU! * My residence had it's very own private beach a mere 50 feet away from the building. Look at that water....have you ever seen anything more inviting? Felt great too....warm and salty (man...was it salty...LOL! I found that out the hard way). I acted a big ass fool on more than one occasion. Went out and bought me some big ass purple framed goggles and explored under the water. Made damn near a day of searching for "perfect" sea shells. I was doing handstands in the water too....LOL! That was the best. I would of made sand castles, but I didn't have any buckets... It felt so great to act like a kid. *
For the first time in about 4 years....I sat around and did NOTHING that I didn't want to do. It was the best thing the doctor could have prescribed. I ate turkey and cheddar sandwichs (sometimes hot, most times cold with mayo and a lil mustard), potato chips (Lays - NO DAMN UTZ) and Dole orange mango and peach juice - breakfast lunch and dinner - for like 3 days straight LOL! Watched all epidoses of Flavor of Love ...OMFG! That show deserves its own post. Watched all of Project Runway...LOVED IT!!! I wish Micheal Knight would have won, but he really didn't bring it like he could have during the Olympus Fashion week show IMO....watched several weeks worth of Jefferson's, Good Times and Welcome Back Carter reruns....it was great! Had the history and cooking channel on quick review.....felt like summer break during the middle school years. As adults we get so caught up in being grown up that we forget how fun it it to just frolic and play......
* When I would sit out on the beach (just about everyday) I was so at peace......that image and feeling of serenity are etched in my brain...... * from now on ...when I get stressed I am going to pull out this pic (below) and get my mind right. Its all mental.
Check out my tootsie tips....chillin. From this point forward..............Life is just a series of events until the next holiday. Im gonna try much harder to not let the journey stress me out. * There is no way that I can sum up my whole trip in a tidy post...so I'ma end it right here. Despite the beautiful scenery and absolutely wonderful weather the whole time I was there (75-90 degrees)....I missed Baltimore so much and longed for HOME. I truly realized during my time away how much of a Baltimore girl I am. There is truly something special about this place.....sometimes "special" ina bad way...LOL!, but most of the time I love it all....good with the bad. Its Baltimore Baby! * We got a show coming up......11/29 @ SONAR.....I'll be back in a few with details and line up!
Frolic and play..mmmmmmmmmh |
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