Weekend in Miami area

Our room was very nice and clean, with one king-size bed and a sitting area. The bed was about what you would expect for a hotel. The only problem I found with the room was that it was on the first floor across from the conference room and near the pool. We could easily hear the events happening in the conference room and people going to the pool late into the night. The good thing about the place was that there was a free deluxe continental breakfast. You could even make your own waffles! The location was great since we went to the Everglades and Key Largo too.

Mango's Tropical Cafe is more than just a restuarant; it is a bar and nightclub. They have live music and dancers on the bar. The food was pretty good, but the entertainment is why you go there. If you are not into dancers (both men and women) with very tight clothing, dancing on a bar, then don't bother coming here. There was a range of food to choose from. Both of us ended up with Italian dishes. Then, after dinner, you can go down and join in on the dancing action. The only problems are that there are drink minimums, and since there is live music, don't plan on having a huge conversation with the people with you. I would go back again for the unique experience. For more information, their website is www.mangostropicalcafe.com.

While looking around Coconut Groove, we came across Green Street Cafe. It is with all the rest of the restaurants near the center. We had the option to eat inside or outside. The outside they had set up on the curb like other places in the area, with these great heaters/light posts around to keep everyone at a comfortable temperature at night. The food was good. It was nothing too exciting, but all three of just left stuffed and happy.

The only problem I had with the place was our table. They put us outside on a step, so it seemed like we were on display. At our table there was not much light, so it was hard to read the menu. Most of the other tables had enough light because of the heater lamps. Overall, it was good.

We were in Coconut Groove for a second night after the Arts Festival and decided to walk down the streets to find something to eat. Near the end of the major restaurant road was Tuscany Trattoria. They had tables inside and outside. We chose to eat inside. They had many tables tightly squeezed into the place. The tables were also rocking.

The food was good, nothing special but good. We both had enough to eat, with more to spare. The service was okay, but it took forever to get our drinks (water and a soda). Our waiter was running around like crazy. I think he had tables inside and outside. Almost every time he came over he said that he was sorry it took so long for him to get to us. It seemed like they needed a few more waiters.

Overall, the food was good, but the service was not that great and the room was crowded.

This is a very large and pleasant zoo. There are so many animals, and most of them are in enclosures that do not have any fencing, just a large dry moat. You can tell that the animals have been given great places to live.

The only issue is that this is a large zoo, so be ready to walk a lot unless you rent a bike or use the tram. There is a lot of space between the enclosures, almost as if they plan to one day place new enclosures between the existing ones.

Even though the enclosures are large, you are still able to see the animals. Of course, the animals are more active in the morning than in the hot midday sun. Throughout the day, the zoo gives different shows and talks, and you can even feed the pelicans. There are also a few exhibits for kids to play in. There is so much to do. If you plan on walking everywhere and seeing all the animals, make sure you leave at least 2 to 3 hours to see that place. We had a great time visiting this zoo and would love to go back.

Every year, Coconut Grove puts on an arts festival in the downtown streets on President's Day weekend. Artists from all over the US attend and set up in a bunch of personal tents. The art ranged from paintings to photography to sculptures to jewelry and everything in between. There were over 330 artists there. It was nice to be able to look at the work and talk with the artist that created the piece of art. We only had less that 2 hours there and probably only saw half of the art.

The admission fee was $5 a person. There were also artists set up outside of the official area with works you could see for free. We have a great time but wished we had more time to enjoy all the art.

We went to both Shark Valley and to the main entrance and walked a few trails. At Shark Valley we took the tram tour, which was very informative. If you don't care to take a tram tour, you can rent a bike for the 15-mile round-trip road. At the main entrance we walked a few of the paths (Ahinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails and the Pay-Hlay-Okee Overlook). At both the Ahinga Trail and Shark Valley we saw a number of animals, including birds, turtles, and alligators. The reason the end of February is such a good time to go is because it is near the end of the dry season, so all the animals are hanging around the remaining water holes. If you go after the wet season, it would be harder to see some many animals since they will be so spread out. I believe the dry season ends around April. One other good thing is, if you keep your park entrance ticket, it is good at all entrances for the next 7 days.