The Final Day

View of the Intracoastal Waterways from the W

On our final morning we awoke to yet another amazing day of nothing but sun.  We laced up and hit the oceanfront path to get in a short out and back run as we only had a few hours before needing to head to the airport.

After a snappy shower we headed down to the pool for our final chance to soak up Florida's sunshine.  There were only a few other couples lounging around the pool and unfortunately the water temperature was the same as the previous night, cold.

We explored the hotel a bit more which is a sight to itself.  W prides itself on being a funky up-beat hotel and it generally succeeds.  Afterwards we grabbed our bags, Julie stole a blanket, and off we went to the airport.  Here are a few shots of the W Fort Lauderdale.

Awesome fire pits on the pool deck and lounge decks.

And I've swam the loop on the stairway video -> here.

One Last Night

After renting a car, and causing Julie to spill half a bottle of Gatorade on herself we quickly went down to Soute Pointe Park before heading North on #1 taking the scenic route to Ft. Lauderdale -- cruising the North Beach and its beautiful homes, passing Bal Harbor and its designer shops and through Sunny Isles on to Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale.  Arriving in Ft. Lauderdale we still hadn't booked a hotel but had been eyeing the Ritz as it's part of the FHR program with Amex PTS but our newfound friend Rizzario highly recommend the W and it's funky design and uber-cool stairway through the pool. As we're still in the good books with SPG it sounded like a good idea.

Stairway through pool, cool yet creepy?

As it's off-season and we were arriving on a Sunday night SPG Platinum hooked us up with a pretty sweet upgrade to a Marvelous Suite, which admittedly was pretty marvelous.  Wrap around expansive terrace (4+ patio doors), Bang Olufsen sound systems, and just an overall awesomeness.  We took a video as we were quite happy; video here.  We arrived in time for the 'pool party' which generally just means a DJ instead of a playlist.  The pool was quite busy for a Sunday in off-season fortunately we were able to sneak a spot around the corner from the action.

The bartender kindly informed us they were offering half off bottles of vodka although we went for some fail-safe champagne. After lounging around until the sun disappeared we headed back to our condo and got ready for dinner -- oh and Julie took a nap on the terrace.

Nap time.

Out on the prowl for dinner we realized that there isn't much action near our hotel so we hit up a bistro and grabbed a pizza and caprese salad to go.  Initial plan was to eat on our terrace with the in-room sound system jamming but there's no lighting on the terrace so we stayed in..  After dinner I challenged Julie to a race down in the pool which she accepted.

On your marks, get set, go!

The pool was a bit chilly but we had a good time monkeying around the pool area.  While we didn't go down to the "living room" two floors down there was a cool sitting area with a massive fire pit (one also on the pool deck).

A fish in the pond.

Since the pool was chilly we ended our outing relatively early so that we could log a few KMs in the morning.

Final Hoorah & Bye Bye South Beach

Dinner at Prime One Twelve was a scene.  Our reservations were for 9 and when we arrived they checked off our names and asked if we wanted to wait for a table inside or go outside.  This place is so busy diners usually expect to wait an hour beyond their reservation time.  We opted to sit outside and were seated immediately.This is definitely a hot spot for locals as many people arrived in cars -- and by cars I mean Bentleys and such.  The portion sizes are absolutely enormous and we were tempted to order the1 lbs meatball appetizer although we barely ate our dinners as we were so bloated from pool time.  As our dinner time was shorter than usual we got back to the hotel a bit early and the lobby scene was still building.  Neither of us were on our A-game tonight so we shut it down pretty early hoping to feel renewed on Saturday.

Saturday morning we skipped our daily run to see how that would help us cope with the tremendous loss of sweat.  The downside to this plan was that we ate breakfast a few hours earlier and subsequently arrived at the pool hours earlier.  This helped us secure a chair but did little for the UV exposure.  Now that we're locals here we chatted up our American friends who seem to all hail from the Northeast, either New York or New Jersey.  As the day went on the pool became a bit crazier and a DJ took over from the drone of the constant pulsating beats -- which are also played underwater.  Put a bit of sun and some drinks together and things got funky.  John, a random guy who looks like William Hung, parked himself next to the 6 girls from Chicago and ordered them 2 bottles of champagne ($400) before even saying hi.  Anyway it wasn't long before John got the hint and was gone but his champagne remained.  Dan from New York really tried to be-friend John to reap the benefits of John's charity but to no avail.  John then joined another group (Dan's) and at some point did mention to a elementary school principal that if she slept with him their kids could go to her school, at which point she decided to inform the entire pool of John's comments by yelling them out.  Classic.  John seemed to like us as he was now hammered and told us about his girl problems and how he's the shiznat because he's good at tennis, piano and a doctor.  You couldn't write a better story than this guy's.  Anyway we be-friended a guy named Rizzario who by week's end seemed like he owned the place.  Every server, manager, hotel employee would come say hi when they walked by.  We had seen him all week as he'd wade in the pool chatting up anyone then retreat to his poolside bungalow (these things are awesome) then back to his lounger.  Anyway, good times were had with Russ as we went back and forth on ordering bottles of wine until the staff told us to get out the pool; it was closed.  Since we were feeling the love we decided to just grab some 'za down on Lincoln Rd, which we had first dismissed as a hole but realized we didn't walk far enough to reach the action.  On a Saturday night it was bustling with people everywhere occupying patio cafes and every public space.  We headed back to the hotel around 1130 and the lobby was relatively busy but the pool party (not actually in the pool) seemed busiest.  We headed down to the Florida Room which also seemed pretty busy for this time of year.  As we headed up the elevator Russ shot us a text to go by for some drinks so we entertained this and did the lap of pool, lobby and Florida Room one last time before calling it quits.  Tomorrow we pack up and head North to Fort Lauderdale to be near the airport.  Although it's a short trip from Miami it's time to move on and have a change of scenery.  Good times had at the Delano - some photos.

Running While on the Road

Delano Pool, very shallow end.

Lobby

Funky Chair

Lobby

Lobby

Grounds

Still Roasting in Miami Beach

Setai Courtyard

Yesterday we dined at the restaurant at the Setai hotel.  At first glance all hotels along South Beach appear the same from Collins Ave.  Once you step inside the Setai there's no mistaking where you are.  The Southeast Asian influences make for an awesome looking hotel.  Dinner was very good with portion sizes for sharing.  After dinner we headed out to the amazing courtyard to listen to a jazz trio.  The vocalist was as great as the setting; a massive courtyard with water in the centre and benches/couches surrounding it. Definitely recommend coming by this hotel for at least a drink if you're in Miami Beach; be sure to check their special events list.  Sunday Jazz Brunch also sounds pretty spectacular.This hotel has a very different vibe then the Delano which is much more hipster with a DJ rocking the lobby and the pool scene turning into a party at night.  By contrast we checked out the 3 beautiful pools at the Setai and it was completely dark except what appeared to be a couple off in the distance in one of the pools; we didn't linger.

Stolen from the Setai web site -- courtyard actually looks this cool.

After the jazz jam we headed back to our hotel to see hordes of people streaming in and already a velvet rope at 11.  We knew it was going to get progressively crazier as the weekend approached and this definitely confirmed it.  Unfortunately our early AM runs and full days in the sun had us down for the count despite me promising that I was going down at any hour to check out the scene.  Waking up at 230a I almost went for it.. but then there was getting dressed.

Friday morning Julie headed up to the spa for a massage as I took off for a run.  Even at 730a the doorman could be quoted as saying "Better go now it's going to be hot as hell".  Perfect, hotter than yesterday.  I ran South through Lummus Park and down to South Pointe Park which provides a great view of affluent Fisher Island and the waterways leading into to Miami.  Would recommend doing this walk on a nice day as the view looking into to Miami is noteworthy. We hit the pool before noon to make sure we got chairs and an umbrella.

You don't want to know the cost of that plastic cup.

The pool scene is picking up and there was a significant increase in speedos, thongs and plastic surgery -- notably in the chest area. We spent the entire day around the pool .. so not much to note. Tonight we're off to Ocean Dr to dine at  Prime One Twelve; if Julie ever finishes getting ready.

Day 2 - Traversing the Sahara

Lummus Park & Ocean Drive

Our general game plan for Miami is jog in the AM, eat, walk around a bit, hit the pool for half the day while munching and sipping a few drinks then head out for dinner.  Today we worked the plan to perfection.  We had finished 2k of our 8k before 8AM and were still roasting under the sun.  We traveled along the Miami Beach boardwalk which provided great views of all the other luxury hotels lining South Beach. After our run we took in the Delano continental breakfast, part of our Amex PTS package. Standard issue; cereal, breads, unbelievably fresh fruit and some cold cuts.

After breakfast we decided to cruise Collins and Ocean Dr to check out the shopping scene.  It didn't take long before I was sweating profusely.  It was hot, real hot.  We ducked in and out of stores like it was raining to catch a break from the sun.  The shops were pretty lame so we headed over to the beach.  Miami Beach is a big beach; super wide.  The beach wasn't empty but I'd suspect it would be considered near empty.
Kids are back in school and hey, it's hurricane season! We cruised down the beach absolutely roasting in the sun.  I had to walk in the surf except this was not agreeing with my run burdened calves; but it was the only way to survive.  Nearing the hotel and absolutely soaked from sweat a passerby even kindly offered us some water (for only a $1).  Yes, we looked that hurting. I've logged my fair share of KMs in all kinds of weather and this took the cake for the litres per second of sweat leaving my body.  Click on the image below for a real glimpse.  Anyway, we didn't let that deter us and we just laughed off the mindless ramblings brought on by slight dehydration/sun-stroke. I was tempted to ask to try on clothes in a store to see if I would be denied due to uncontrollable perspiration.

A sweaty guy.

The majority of the afternoon played out like the others.  We hit the pool and had a few drinks, a few more than the previous day and ordered up some grub.  We made friends with some New Yorkers and mostly floated around the pool. The pool did become noticeably busier throughout the day and we expect it to continue to get busier over the weekend.  Hopefully no issues getting chairs.  Side note; you know it's hot when people in the pool head for the shaded areas!

Every chair in the backround was occupied shortly after this shot.

Around 5:30 we headed in as the sun begins to set behind the hotel.  We met Patrick, an Aussie, whose parents own the hotel 'store' and another in the area.  Together we had a few good laughs at the expense of Americans in general. Tonight we're off to the restaurant at the Setai for dinner.

SoBe It -- and our 3rd Anniversary.

We arrived!  After a few days in the Keys we arrived in Miami Beach.  Driving in to Miami isn't different than most other large cities but crossing the bridge into Miami Beach is another world.  Look to your left and most of the docked boats are larger than your house; and the houses they belong to are bigger than your high school.  We didn't have much time before our 8 o'clock dinner reservation so we unpacked and checked out the pool scene.  It's low-season which is perfect, quiet and not a cloud in the sky -- hurricane season my ... The Delano features stark white rooms and by white I mean ALL white.  Small but standard issue for SoBe.  The washroom is almost the same size as the room.

White, lots of white.

After unpacking we headed down through the chic lobby which features tall columns, oversized chairs, pool table, etc.  Funky cold medina.  The gardens leading to the pool are similarly themed.  Think Alice in Wonderland.  Very cool.  Once settled in to the pool area we ordered up some crabavocat, which they promptly delivered to us in the pool, and cracked the champs.

We had dinner reservations for 8 at Casa Tua which was fortunately only one block from the hotel.  The restaurant features a great covered patio that I was looking forward to.  When all was said and done, definitely the best primi plati of risotto and a decent secondi as well.  Despite mixed reviews on service quality, our service was impeccable and the ambiance great with all the lanterns.  We had the patio to ourselves for the majority of the night while inside was quite busy.

Enjoying Casa Tua.

Once back at the hotel we did a stroll through to see what was happening by the pool.  As expected the music was rocking and there was a stream of people walking about.  All the pool lounge chairs had been converted into to beds with pillows and most of the cabanas were roped off.  Seems like a decent shindig will develop.  We wandered about taking pics and decided to go back to change once I realized one of the beds was wet ...

Sometimes I drink too much.

Feels wet, right here!

A random model I photographed in the lobby.

Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go ...

We got up early and made it to the Pennekamp state park in Key Largo for some snorkeling. We booked through the state park operator for a 3 hr trip which included an hour and a half in the water.  In the end it was virtually a private charter with only 2 other couples on board - the boat capacity was 49. Conditions were good with a few storms passing quickly over head. Overall the trip was good but the Grecian Rock reef, located about 5 miles off the coast, isn't the best location within the park although it had the best weather conditions on this day.  More on the snorkeling when we develop our underwater cam shots. We're now off to Miami Beach for 5 days and are excited to check out the Delano hotel and Miami restaurants.

Julie eyes the grounded Columbian vessel.

Rest and Relaxation

Julie running the Truman Annex

Day 3 in Key West and our agenda involves pretty much nothing but pool time. As another cruise ship was disembarking we set out on another morning run (aka jog + photo shoot) trying to beat the heat. After about 7.5k we found ourselves a bit dehydrated and somehow got ourselves all turned about so we walked back. 

We did manage to find and jog out on two piers which gave a nice view of the island.  We also ran through the Truman Annex containing the Little White House, a residence used by many US presidents, and also managed to get ourselves locked WITHIN the gated community. We also ran to the Southern most point in the continental USA; 90 miles from Fidel & Cuba; and 500m from our hotel.

Come early or wait in line for your photo.

The Westin did fail us on trying to get a 4pm check-out so we left our bags with the bellhop and headed out for lunch at the Grande Cafe.  We knew it was good and hot since all the restaurant patios had their misters blowing.  Julie took the opportunity to finally try the key lime pie and seemed more than happy with it.  Back at the hotel pool under a UV Index 12 (Extreme) warning we were in the pool drinking the champagne we had stashed under the stairs after having to check-out. Around 5 we called it quits and hit the #1 highway back up to Key Largo to crash for the night in anticipation of a 9am snorkel trip at John Pennekamp State Park -- where, according to the radio, some idiot Columbian grounded his boat on the reef in high tide.  A quick call to Priority Club got us in to the Holiday Inn Key Largo and a stop at Papa John's closed out the evening as we crashed early.

Julie: "How do you shoot a canon?"

Key West

Yesterday we cruised Duval St. aka street of a million tourist t-shirt shops.  Every conceivable item with "O Mile" printed on it can be purchased in addition to more goofy t-shirts than every other country combined. Either way it was a nice HOT -- to the point my hands and feet were swollen -- 3 hour walk.  After trying to eat at Mangoes, and it being closed, we headed to Bagatelle to dine on the wrap around porch and people watch.  Fortunately for Julie they still served breakfast at 2pm and I opted for the Cuban Press sandwich.  Everyone was happy.  Since I was still in medical breakdown we headed back to the hotel for some wine and pool action; the obvious fix to water retention. 

Sexy Lady

The pool here is quite small but also quite empty, so it was perfect.  We lounged in the salt water pool until it was time to check out the famous sunset.  Admittedly it was nice but surely it wasn't one of the famous sunsets.  Along the boardwalk some strange French guy had a cat-show that was quite odd yet entertaining.  For our standard late dinner we headed to the recommended El Meson de Pepe.  It only took 15 minutes to realize the restaurant is next to the hotel and we had been walking in the wrong direction for, well 15 minutes.  The restaurant was great with a Cuban band playing in the walkway and locals dancing away.  Julie opted for enough food to feed a football team , nachos + chicken wings, who knows, and I for the completa de cabella grande; which also sounded big.  It's a combination of 3 popular Cuban dishes; lechon asado, ropa vieja, and Picadillo along with some extras like yellow rice.  All excellent.  The restaurant opens up onto Mallory square where we watched a great lightning storm pass by and some massive fish having dinner on the bugs that were stupid enough to land on the water.

Photo Courtesy of Julie Mills, AP

Back to Blogging.

Our Balcony View - Westin Key West Resort & Marina

While I skipped posting for Vegas and Chicago,  I'm back at it for our trip to Southern Florida.  Although I'm sure I'll do at least a post for each of the missing trips.  Julie bought me a travel diary although typing seems to be more of my forte.

In an unprecedented move we arrived in Fort Lauderdale without much of a plan other than having a South Beach hotel booked for the middle of our trip.  While waiting for the luggage to round the carousel I rang up SPG and booked us in at the Westin Key West.  Reviews seemed decent and it's hard to not abuse the comp. upgrades for our SPG membership. We grabbed a rental and off we were, South; actually South, West, North, West, South; and back on track.  A relatively interesting drive that reminded me of the highways in Mexico with towns scattered every few miles, oh and a few more bridges -- about 45 of them including a 7 mile bridge.

Arriving in Key West over a long weekend is like taking a stroll down Bourbon Street -- you try to avoid running into drunk people falling out onto the street.  Once checked it started to pour, which seems to happen every few hours for 30 mins, to make sure the air remains constantly chewable.  Julie grabbed a nap and I tried out figure out what to do while here.  After a midnight dinner and a walk past all the spring break-esque bars we retired for the evening.

This morning I hit the wet streets of KW, high tide flood warning for low-lying streets, and clocked an 7.5k jog around part of the island.  At 8AM it felt like 34C, hot. A cruise ship has pulled in to port right outside the hotel likely ruining tonight's sunset shot.  Damn tourists.  The hotel is part of a marina and has lots of open spaces and shops not unlike a ski village (you know you're Canadian when you equate the far South to a skiing.)

(The Westin did come through with a ocean-front suite upgrade; although we didn't order the Carnival cruise as part of the view).