Miami

The Fontainebleu Resort on Miami Beach is one of the area's oldest, fanciest, and biggest hotels. It opened in 1954 on 22 acres of oceanfront property. My parents came here on their honeymoon in 1958 and were so impressed they named their first pet after it!

It used to be the hangout for famous movie stars like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Back in it's heyday, it was THE place to stay. It was known as the crown jewel of Miami Beach. Then it got out of fashion and began to go downhill until Hilton bought it back to life in the '80s.

It is a huge hotel with classic South Beach style. The lobby is expansive and exquisitely decorated with crystal chandeliers and beautiful staircases. The lower level has a little shopping center with a beauty shop, too.

The pool area is just awesome, and very relaxing. The main pool is very big, and decorated with a very tropical theme; there is even a rock waterfall by the main pool. There is another pool on the seventh floor rooftop!

For accommodations, they offer one- and two-bedroom suites and a penthouse with an awesome view! The shape of the hotel is curved so that every room has a great ocean view.

The hotel is right on the beach, so it's a quick walk to the sand and ocean water.

This is a very nice hotel!

It is currently undergoing a huge renovation project that will complete in 2008.

Monty's on the Bay is a relaxing outdoor dining restaurant located right on the Miami Bayfront. Gentle bay breezes make this an extremely relaxing environment. The smell of the ocean really enhances the rustic atmosphere. Monty's is a good place for lunch or dinner.
The eating area is large. Each table is covered by either the thatched roof, pergolas, or individual umbrellas over the table. Some tables are close to the pier, some are in the middle of the eating area, some are closer to the stage, and some are close to the bar. There are bar stools at the bar, too. Most of the tables are large picnic table-style with an attached bench and no back. They are dark wood with a varnished, shiny finish. The tables on the side are regular tables with chairs.
If you sit at the tables toward the back, you can look at the boats docked next to the restaurant.
The menu is varied with different American-style food options. It makes sense to get a seafood dish since you are right next to the water! The food is delicious, but the breezes can cool it off quickly.
During the evening hours, there are usually local bands for entertainment, mostly Calypso-type music or steel drums. Some people dance in a cleared area in front of the stage.
After your meal, a stroll through the docks is fun to get a closer look at the boats.
Monty's is a good place to go on a date, gather with a group of old friends, or to even meet some new friends.

This is one of the nicest beaches in the Miami area. The drive out to the Crandon Park beach is really very pretty! You pay a toll to cross the bridge to get out to the key. The bridge rises high so the boats can go under it and then you get a lovely view of the Miami shoreline in the distance. I like looking at the tall buildings of the condominiums and offices on the shoreline.

When you get to Crandon park, there are three separate parking areas to choose from. There is a parking fee, but you can leave and return the same day with your ticket.

Be sure to bring beach shoes. The parking lot to get to the beach is made of a sharp coral-like pavement, it can be rough on tender bare feet! Then, the beach sand is hot, and NOT free of garbage deposited carelessly by previous visitors.

There are beach huts with bathrooms, showers, and changing areas. Expect the floor to be wet and sandy. There are concession stands open sometimes.

The beach area is very big, so you'll nave no problem finding a place to plant yourself.

The water is extremely warm, in the 80s during the summer months. The water is also very shallow, you can walk a long way out with the water still only up to your knees. But beware, there are also steep drop-offs, so that when the tide is low, you can actually swim out to the sand bars.

When you go to Crandon Park, bring a picnic and plan to spend the day!

Historic Old Cutler Road is one of Miami's secret treasures. It is an old, quaint, two-laned road winding through huge old hammock trees. It's a very relaxing and scenic drive.

To get on the road from the Biscayne Bay area, take Biscayne Boulevard to Coconut Grove. Biscayne Boulevard will take you past Mercy Hospital, then the marina on the left before curving right up into Coconut Grove.

In Coconut Grove, take a left on Old Cutler Road. Enjoy the sights of Coconut Grove while you are there, you might even want to park and do a walking tour! Coconut Grove is a unique, hip, small town with lots of character. There are plenty of shops and sidewalk cafes, a mall for the rich and shameless, and lots of nightlife!

Old Cutler Road continues on past Matheson Hammock Park. This is a state park, so there is an admission fee. It's right on the ocean, but you can't swim in the ocean, only look. There are salt water swimming areas with sandy beaches though.

Continuing on down Old Cutler Road, you'll drive past huge, beautiful, expensive mansions right on the water. You can't see the water because the mansions are the huge old hammock trees block it. Some of these homes are very old, and some are fairly recently built.
There are also, smaller, normal houses along the way, nestled behind the big hammock trees and bushes that make Old Cutler Road so beautiful.

Along the way, you'll come to a traffic circle. Don't be like Chevy Chase in the movie European Vacation, stay to the right lane so you can get out of the circle! Old Cutler Road continues on the other side of the circle.
Old Cutler Road finally ends at a red light. Go left to head to Cutler Ridge. Turn right to head to South Miami. A block to the right is a park that used to be Parrot Jungle.

Don't go during rush hour, because everyone else does, too. It's a popular rush hours commute route, probably because people want to relax after a long hard day. There was a move to widen the road years ago because of the heavy rush hour traffic, but there was an uproar from the community because they took it during rush hour for it's scenic and relaxing qualities. Widening the road would also mean the big trees would have to come down! The people got their way and the road was not widened.

If you don't go during rush hour, the commute time from the traffic light to Biscayne Blvd is about 45 minutes. Rush hour will add more time, so will Friday and Saturday night.

So next time you are in Miami and want to take a pleasant drive, head to Old Cutler Road!