art deco
tenting in the dark
South Beach Miami
Monday January 21, 2018
Said our good byes to Tom and Leslie and headed to the much talked about beautiful South Beach. They say it is where the beautiful people come to play and we certainly fit in!! Barbara Baer Capitman is credited as a hero for saving Miami’s South Beach Art Deco buildings. Many have been restored to 1930’s era. Very beautiful. The beautiful people cruise down the main drag, sit in the abundant sidewalk cafes, or play volleyball on the sand courts across the street.
What we were not told was all the traffic and skinny streets that even for our truck it was a squeeze. So we find a parking lot for an advertised $10! Not so fast – that is the 1st half hour, then another $5 for every ½ hour. Ok we gave her a $20, unhooked our bikes and off we go. Went to Art Deco Visitor Center – closed as it is MLK day. Lock up our bikes and go for a stroll. When we returned 40 minutes later, my bike is leaning against a tree about a football field length away from where we left it and Ty’s bike was gone. Wire cutters do quick work. One for the blog Ty says….
Going thru Miami at a snails pace we finally got to the area called Little Havana which got it’s beginnings in the 1960 with the immigration of the Cubans during the Cuba crisis. Small homes, brightly colored and a very lively downtown area. We ate dinner at a Cuban place – all very delicious.
CAMPING – that’s right folks we decided to go on the cheap and get a TENT (yes you read correctly) site at a KOA in Hollywood. Some Fouchey history about camping: IT ALWAYS RAINS AND IT IS ALWAYS AT NIGHT. Without fail, we pull up to the site and it starts to sprinkle. We set up the tent in the dark. Ty is in heaven – I am just letting him have his moment. First for everything and this was our first experience at Urban Camping as our site was on the corner of busy street and busy street. I think is was perfectly quite about 4:48am for 5 minutes. But we were comfortable on the blow up bed and all snuggly as the weather is warm. I hope Ty now has the tenting bug out of his system.
Tuesday January 22, 2018
Miami is a nightmare to drive in. Very congested, so much construction wish I had the orange barrel business and lots of horns. We were going to go to Biscayne Bay but spent most of the morning going to bike shops (6 of them!) but to no avail. We gave it up and went to Duck Key.
Weather is finally warm but it is WINDY – 15-20 knots. But it is a warm wind so it is ok.