Advertisement
Published: January 14th 2006
Run! Godzilla!
Well, more like GodsukiSpend the New year in Miami, that's got to be a good idea!
Mind you, first experiences of taking a flight from Gatwick over Christmas was not the most pleasent thing I have done. By the time we had made it to the airport (good English trains, delayed as usual) and saw the check-in queue I was ready to head back to comfy old Balham.
But, with that good old Blitz spirit, we carried on and joined the queue. 8 hours later we landed in Charlotte, N Carolina for our connecting flight to Miami.
Arriving midnight in Miami, it was pleasently warm and my thoughts immediately turned to those I had left behind in Britain (ha ha! it's snowing there!).
We met up with the eldest of the Kitchen offspring at Miami airport and picked up our delightful Chevrolet Colbalt and headed up on I95 to Miami North beach. We arrived at the Monaco resort motel after midnight and checked in.
Having never stayed in an American motel, I was not disappointed, it was everything I imagined it would be. The kind of place where you would expect some b-list, over the hill actresses would commit suicide in.
The Monaco motel
Very much everything you expect from a motel. Including La cucarachas. Good position on the beach though. Saying that though, it was fine and the location was fantastic, right on the beach.
On the first day we headed down the the Keys, driving through downtown Miami. We stopped for lunch at a small bar in Key Largo. It was weird sitting in the sun having lunch at the end of December, already I could feel like I was not going to want to return to the cold.
Sadly we didn't make it all the way down to Key West, America(ns) is rather large.
Day two and we went west to the Everglades. Having grown up watching Miami vice, I was looking forward to the airboat ride and it was excellent. Gators everywhere, lots if those white birds too. I have already forgotten what they were called though.
Driving back along Alligator alley (Interstate 75) gave you a sense of just how big they are. It kind of reminded me of Lincolnshire though. Big sky, marshlands and strange local inhabitants.
Miami south beach was really beautiful, if you like Art Deco, you should love the south beach. It is extremly stylish and cool. I didn't expect to like Miami so much. Ocean drive is
very pretty with all the pretty pastel shades and nice designs of the buildings, we even walked past the spot where Versace was shot.
There are plenty of rich people and one of the best addresses is to live on Star Island. J-lo, p-diddly(or whatever he's called now) are just some of your neighbours if you fancy it. And the boats, oh they were gorgeous! It did make you feel rather poor though.
Fort Lauderdale was also quite similar to Miami, more mansions and money. Humvees galore too. I really fancy having a drive in one of them, parking might be a bit difficult though. For those CSI fans amoungst you, I tried my best Horatio impression whist putting on my sunglasses.
Oh well, Canada next in March. Skiing in Panorama and Fernie. Or maybe I'll learn snowbaording for a change. Yes, I know I've slagged off snowboarders for years, but I think I might give it a go.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.417s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 27; qc: 106; dbt: 0.0909s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
