Sunny Florida 2008

We were in Orlando, when we checked the internet for a hotel in Miami. Many hotels were sold out or were really too expensive. Eventually we came at the Courtyard by Marriott Miami Beach Oceanfront. The website gave us a good impression of the hotel and also the reviews on Tripadvisor were positive. The hotel is on Tripadvisor number 10 (of 196) in Miami Beach. We’ve stayed at the Courtyard from Wednesday May 14th till Saturday May 17th . The price was $151 per night. We had a room on the street side. For those three nights I did not need the luxury of a balcony and with ocean view. I exchange my balcony rather in for an evening at Ocean Drive. Go and have fun in Miami. It isn’t the place to stay at your room.

Our room was a little bit tiny (New York sizes). I think because of the price and the fact that we have chosen at the last moment for this hotel (many rooms were sold out). The room had everything what we needed; a flat screen TV, a large bathroom (almost exactly as large as the chamber), a good bed etc. We’ve used the valet parking ($25). The space in front of the hotel to deliver your car for valet parking, was what on the tight side. It was many times crowded with cars. The hotel has a beautiful (compact) swimming pool with beach chairs and umbrellas. Towels is ensured. There is a garden with hammocks, palm trees and beach chairs. Just great spot to relax. By day the Tikibar is opened for lunch, cocktails and late afternoon snacks. Behind the boardwalk is an access to the beach. At the beach the hotel provides beach chairs, umbrellas and towels.

The location was good, but we did take the car to Ocean Drive and parked it in one of the garages. We never have a problem to park our car. You seem be able to walk it also. One person say it’s 10 minutes, the other one says 20 minutes. I really didn’t find it a good idea to walk, because of my high heels. The only negative of this hotel were that we had wait very long for our suitcases. Those would brought up by a bell boy, but after three quarters wait (if it already was no longer) my boyfriend went down to get the car with our stuff. This can be more rapidly, because it wasn’t that busy when we arrived.

In my opinion it’s fine hotel with a pleasant staff. That expressed itself for example that they always wish you a good day/afternoon or goodnight when they keep the door open when you enter the hotel. Also at the reception we were well received and the staff was very friendly.

What about the future? We think it’s great to try different hotels in Miami (not the same every year), but if we have to go to this hotel again, than it’s fine by me. I dare advise the Courtyard Miami beach Oceanfront certainly at family and friends.

This is a 4-star hotel and a enjoyable hotel! The hotel is located located across the entrance of Universal Studios. You can walk, approximately 10 minutes, but there is also a shuttle to the park. The hotel has been largely set up and has been entirely renovated. The rooms are spacious. The bed/pillows (several types of pillows) are great, just like you use to have in a Doubletree/Hilton hotel. The room has a flat screen TV and refrigerator. You must, however, look for it, because it’s integrated in the room. Perhaps a stupid subject, but the toilet is super. It is exactly as if you impregnate the toilet in a plane.

When we checked in, we got hot cookie (with chocolate and notes). The staff is very friendly. The hotel offers valet parking (14 dollar), but you can also park your car by yourself. The last option costs 9 dollars. You can only go in or out with your room key and the parking lot is monitoring by the hotel. In spite of that this a large hotel, I found it very quiet. In the hotel have you several shops and restaurants. There is also an established of Starbucks. Next to the hotel you’ll find restaurants, for example TGI Fridays. Next time, when we go to Orlando, we certainly return to this hotel. We paid $85 for a room per night. It’s a reasonable price for the comfort and service we’ve got from the hotel. I have no photos of the hotel, because it was our departure day and I didn’t have the time for it.

Morada Bay Café in Islamorada

Still our favorite in The Keys. This year we had lunch and dinner at Morada Bay. It was a great evening. The temperature was perfect and the sunset was very beautiful! It is the strength of this restaurant; the location! Where can you eat with your bear feet in the sand. While you’ve dinner, you can watch the sunset. It’s just perfect and very romantic! We didn’t make a reservation and know we had the change that we had to wait for a table. Where can you sit more perfectly and wait for a table….exactly at Morada Bay. Adirondack chairs are available on the beach. After half an hour (or maybe a few minutes longer) a table was available. We had a table at the beach with a view of the sunset and palm trees. There was live music; someone was singing some Island songs. Very laid back. It couldn’t be better!

Even if the food wasn’t that good, I would still have a great evening, because of the ambiance. Not a bad word of the food. It was delicious! The food is a little bit Caribbean and a little bit American with lots of seafood and fresh ingredients. To be honest, the fact is that the food can't beat the outside seating in the sand with the sunset.

If want to go to Morada Bay Café for dinner, you have to keep in mind that you probably have to wait. People who are already had dinner, but still sitting at a table, will wait until the sunset. After the sunset there are more tables available. If not sitting at a table during the sunset, you can order something to drink and sit in one of the chairs on the beach.

We had lunch on the way back from Key West. Again it was a warm day and although I prefer a table on the beach, it was too warm this time. We decided to sit on the porch in the shadow with a fan. From here you still have a great view of beach, palm trees and bay. We both had the Tuna Burger (it was prepared like a crab cake sandwich, only with tuna) served with fries and a small salad!

There are a lot of activities at Morada bay. There was an invitation at our check for the Full Moon Party ( a week later). With great food, drinks and firework. Keep that in mind and check the website for special activities organized by Morada Bay.

This is what we had for dinner:

Main course: Flounder (N:$29), Sea Scallop (J: $32)
Dessert: Key Lime Pie ($7)
Drinks: Casillero Sauvignon Blanc ($26), Espresso ($4)


It became one of my favorite restaurants ever!

Location:
Islamorada at MM 81.6

Hours
Sunday - Thursday, 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Friday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

We didn’t plan it to have lunch here. We were just walking around the harbor and we walked by Turtle Kraals. We decided to have lunch here, because of the great view of the warf. From your table you have a perfect view of the harbor and boats.
The waitress was friendly, but a little rushed. I don’t know the reasons for that, because it wasn’t that crowded. They seem to have turtle races. I think that is over the top and so touristic. Leave the turtle alone!!

This is what we had for lunch:

Lunch: Mahi Mahi Sandwich
Drinks:Diet Coke

The Mahi Sandwich was delicious. Fresh lightly battered fish with a tarter sauce. Simple yet tasteful! You can read many different review about Turtle Kraals. From really bad food till great meals. It’s hard to recommend this restaurant when we had only (a simple) lunch here. Our meal was good, fresh and everything we wanted for lunch. I think you have to experience it yourself.

You can also go upstairs to the Turtle Kraals Tower (second floor patio). From here again a great view of the harbor. I heard that it can be very busy during sunset. You have to keep that in mind if you want to have dinner in the evening. They seem to have turtle races in the evening. I think that is so over the top and very touristy. Leave those turtles alone.

I think the location and the open air dining makes this restaurant a success. It has a good atmosphere; just right for a casual lunch. I had a fine lunch, but I don’t think I will go back again. I prefer to try other places for lunch. Turtle Kraals, been there, done that!!

Make sure you walk down the area of Turtle Kraals. You’ll find some great shops and you can watch the beautiful boats.

Note: It is a dog friendly restaurant. You’re allowed to bring your dog and let the dog sit under the tables.

I can’t visit Miami, without a dinner at Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne. The Rusty Pelican is a waterfront restaurant with view of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline. I love this place. The location is perfect. Dinner during sunset…how romantic! Boats are in the water and the skyline lights up when it become dark. We did make a reservation earlier that day ( we were in the neighborhood). Our table was outside, like we asked, near a fire basket. The view is so wonderful and the outside area has a great ambiance. I like this restaurant because of the outside dining.

Our waitress was young and very nice and polite. I had the feeling she wasn’t experienced with serving. However she did a great job. Only one point of criticism. When she opened the bottle of wine, she didn’t remove the metal foil first. She twisted the wine opener through the metal foil and cork and pulled it out. Normally you do this gently, but she had to work hard to get the cork out of the bottle. This is not how you suppose to open a bottle of wine, because this way the metal can touch the wine.

About the food; this is what we had:

Main course: We both had the Sea Bass ($34.95 per meal)
Dessert: 1 Key Lime Pie to share ($5.95)
Drank: A bottle of Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc ($30)

Before the main course we got some bread. This bread is delicious. It is with melted cheese. I always have to look out, that I don’t eat too much of this bread. I don’t want to loose my appetite. We didn’t order an appetizer, so we got our main course. The Sea Bass was fresh and tasteful. It came with assorted fresh vegetables and noodles with Asian Citrus Broth. The plate wasn’t warmed up, so we had to eat fast, otherwise the food got cold. We European people like to eat slowly. After the main course we asked for some time, so we could finish our wine first. That was not a problem. After that we had a key Lime Pie to share. Nothing to complain about this piece of pie. The wine was good and gladly without metal pieces.


Positive:
View
The outdoor terrace
Food

Negative:
A huge parking lot, still not many parking space. Valet parking is taking a lot a space.
No warm plates (main course)


Hours
Lunch: Mon - Sat 11:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Dinner: Sun-Thu 5:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M
Fri - Sat 5:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.


Website:
http://rustypelicanrestaurant.com/

Because of a recommendation of a friend of us, we had dinner at Hemmingway’s. Hemmingway’s Retreat is located on St. Armands Circle. It was I think 9:30 pm and there were almost no people in the restaurant. Only two other tables. We didn’t want to look further, because we were hungry and wanted to eat something. We sat outside on the balcony with a view of St. Armands Circle. The interior inside has a tropical style. I didn’t like the ambiance, maybe it was because it was very quiet that evening or that most tables had no linens.

About the food; this is what we had:

Main course: Pecan Tilapia ($22)
Fra Diabola ($26)
Dessert: Key Lime Pie ($6)
Wine: Neil Ellis Sauvignon Blanc ($30)

The food was well prepared and tasteful. When we asked the waiter about the wine, he didn't had an answer. He was very honest about it and said that he would ask the manager about the wine. He came back quickly and helped us furter with outr questions. I appreciate that people tell the truth, even if he can't help us.

Overall:
Food was good, ambiance was not, waiter was very polite and nice.

It’s not the first ‘must do’ activity you’ll think of, but when you are in Miami you should bring a visit to the Holocaust Monument. It was a very moving experience. Especially the bronze figures around the sculpture of ‘Love and Anguish’. The emotions captured on the faces of the sculptures are incredible. The impact of the Holocaust can not be translated in stone and bronze, but the creation of this monument was very impressive. The sculpture of Love and Anguish is a arm with bronze figures of people climbing the arm. The emotions captured on the bronze faces; it makes you sad. Every face is a ‘story telling face’. I was fascinated by the bronze figures, called the ‘Series of Vignettes’. These sculptures are so real looking that I felt sad to look at them.

The ‘Lonely Path’ is a tunnel that leads you to the sculpture of Love and Anguish. When you walk trhough the tunnel you’ll hear children singing songs of the Holocaust. When you walk down the tunnel, the music gets louder. It gets to you, really, it does!! At the end of the tunnel is a sculpture; it’s a crying child reaching a hand to you. Help me, help us………

We walked around by ourselves, but guided tours are available upon request.

This is one of the best Holocaust Memorial I have ever seen and made a great impression on me. The power and impact of this monument is amazing. This place is the opposite of the lively Miami, but it’s still a part of our history and we must never forget!!

Information:
1945 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139-1817

We’ve been so many times to key West and never went to Fort Zachary State Park. This year we visited this historic park. I don’t understand why we’ve never been here before. What a beautiful site. Especially if you like to photograph.

About the beach:
Our B&B innkeeper said this is the only beach she (and many locals) will swim in because it is bacteria free. It’s a great area, where the water is so blue. The beach is surrounded with Australian Pines, which I didn’t expected in the Florida Keys. There are shaded picnic areas, barbecue spots, restrooms, showers, chair and umbrella rentals. (chairs are $15 dollar each…not very cheap!) If you are hungry, go to the Cayo Hueso Café for food, snacks and refreshments. You can order Cuban sandwiches, BBQ sandwiches, Chicken or Tuna sandwich/wrap and much more. Cayo Hueso is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

About the fort:
Fort Zachary was named after the US President Zachary Taylor in 1850. According to the self guided brochure, Fort Zachary played a significant role in Florida's early development. It became a national landmark in 1973. There was some construction going on. This to stabilize the barracks building. Many people don’t visit the fort and go directly to the beach. That’s a shame. The fort is also the center of several Key West activities like Fort Taylor Pirate Fest and Halloween, it is then transformed into a haunted fort. Can you imagine?

There is a tour guide at noon and 2 p.m. We were at the fort on a early day, so we did take the self guide tour. Beside the history, the Fort is a great place to shot some awesome photos. There are still cannons; some buried in the casemates. Take the stairway and you are know on the fort. From here you have a great view of the harbor and Mallory Square (in the distance of course). There are several statues; don’t miss them. If you like sunsets, then this is a nice spot. It’s so NOT Mallory Square sunset. It’s the opposite….quite and with very beautiful views. Not the island in front of Mallory Square that blocks the sunset every night!

My recommendation is to visit the Fort first and after that, go to the beach for a great day in the sun and water!

Location:
At the end of Southard Street on Truman Annex. You can walk, but I think the way back is longer…if you know what I mean.

Hours:
From 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.

It costs $1,50 per person, which I think its cheap. (you can come and leave during the day)