VACATIONING IN SOUTH FLORIDA

In January, I spent a week in South Florida, a nice Winter break even for those of us who live in "Sunny California."

I spent a day in South Beach, the southernmost part of Miami Beach. Years ago, when I was a child in  Boston, many of my more affluent friends and relatives would spend the entire winter here. The hotels in South Beach were small; the architecture Art Deco.  By the 1950s and 1960, a bit to the north along Miami Beach, developers started building high rise housing and hotels. The Fontainebleau and Eden Roc were two of the landmark hotels that were built in this era. Visitors started gravitating to these places, leaving South Beach mostly as an inexpensive retirement community for aging seniors from the Northeast. The area eventually declined until the 1980s when the South Beach renaissance began.  The hotels were restored and modernized, Cubans fleeing Castro's Cuba gave the area a cultural mix, and the TV show "Miami Vice" presented the area as an appealing place to be.

Today, South Beach is booming and beautiful. Visitors come to South Beach from all over the world. There is always a modeling shoot or a movie filming going on. The Art Deco hotels are historic icons that now charge high rates and are always full. Along Ocean and Collins Avenues there is activity 24 hours a day.

While I've been to South Beach many times since the 1980's, it was not until this visit that I took the Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco Walking Tour. The daily tours last about 90 minutes and cost $25 per person ($20 for seniors/students/veterans).  Reservations not needed; you can purchase your tickets online in advance or just show up at the Art Deco Welcome Center a few minutes before the 10:30 a.m. start time and purchase your ticket. 

The walk was mainly along Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue. It is the hotels that have the most interesting Art Deco architecture. Our guide took us into the lobby of the Winter Haven Hotel (1939) and up to the rooftop pool and bar of the Congress Hotel. 

We detoured a few blocks to South Beach's Art Deco Post Office, on Washington Avenue at 13th Street. It's architecture, murals, and ceiling are worthy of a detour.

Another highlight of our tour was the mansion where Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace lived until his untimely death in 1997 when he was shot on the front steps as he was heading out for his daily breakfast at the nearby News Café. His mansion is not Art Deco, but has been an attraction since 1992, when Versace bought and opulently renovated it with such details as a 54-foot long 1000-mosaic swimming pool which is lined in 24-carat gold. It is now in the process of becoming Villa by Barton G, a luxury hotel with an upscale restaurant, Il Sole.  

After the tour, I had lunch at my longtime favorite, the News Café (since 1988). My father and I used to have lunch here every time I visited Florida. It's a popular, casual restaurant, outdoor café, bar, and international news stand, right on Ocean Drive. The News is open 24 hours a day. While other restaurants along Ocean Drive have become glitzy, with pushy "hawkers" trying to lure in customers, the News has remained low-key and seems to be as popular as ever. I had my "usual," the Mahi Mahi Sandwich...yum!!! 

And, just across from the frenetic activity along Ocean Drive is beautiful Miami Beach where there is always room to swim, walk, and sun.

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I spent another full day in Coral Gables at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The garden is named for David Fairchild (1869-1954), a famous plant explorer, educator, and scientist who traveled the world in search of plants that might have potential use to American people. Fairchild retired to Miami in 1935 and, in 1938, created, with a core group of supporters, including Robert H. Montgomery, an accountant, attorney, and business man with a passion for plant collecting, this Botanic Garden on 83 acres of land. They chose this location south of Miami because it is the one place in the continental United States where tropical plants can grow outdoors year-round.

Admission to the Garden includes a tram ride through the garden, giving an excellent overview of its entirety.  After riding the tram, I further explored the garden on foot.

Right now, until May 31, 2015, Fairchild is exhibiting the glass art of Dale Chihuly.  This exhibit is the biggest Chihuly exhibit I've ever seen. The Garden is a perfect setting for the glass works that pop up unexpectedly, blending in and complementing the lush plants.

The Fairchild has several places to dine, including the Glasshouse Café that overlooks the Wings of Tropics exhibit and which has a Chihuly chandelier in the center of the dining room. There are several casual places to buy food as well as to picnic. 

  

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When I am in South Florida, I usually stay in Coral Springs, near where my parents lived in retirement, about half an hour's drive north of Ft. Lauderdale.  The nearest beach is Deerfield Beach, a beautiful beach with a fishing pier, walking paths along miles of beach, and several pleasant places to eat.  I like the restaurants that have seating facing the beach. This visit, I enjoyed a pleasant lunch on the outside patio at the Deerfield Beach Café which is open for three meals a day. It also serves to-go food to take to the beach and is a popular spot for an ice cream cone.

A FEW DAYS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

In mid-January, before a Panama Canal cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, we spent a few days in South Florida visiting with friends and going back to favorite spots that I enjoyed visiting when my parents, who lived their retirement years here, were still alive. Although I never lived in Florida, from my visits over many years, I came to enjoy this area.

Coming from cold and rainy California, the balmy weather was oh so welcome.

We stayed in Coral Springs and did not stray too far.

One of my favorite outings was to Deerfield Beach.






There are several restaurants that overlook the Beach. For my past few visits, Oceans 234 has become my favorite spot for lunch, people-watching, and beach views.



It has a large covered outdoor patio which is my choice for seating.

Jim could not pass up Clam Strips,




while I ordered my "usual," the Dolphin Sandwich.



Since my last visit, Oceans 234 now offers the healthier Sweet Potato Fries in place of regular Fries with many of it's dishes. That's what I had. Jim substituted salad for Fries with his Clams.

After lunch, we walked along the beach.





For those who don't want to walk on the sand, there is a wide sidewalk that goes "forever."

After our beach walk, we went out on the Pier where we enjoyed great views back at the beach and chatted with people who were fishing off the pier. The small admission fee to walk out on the Pier is worth it; there are plenty of benches along the pier on which to rest and relax.




It was low tide and the consensus was that the fishing was not very good.



but the views back at the beach were spectacular!



On our way back to the car, we passed what we took as a tribute to Poodle Louie who was back home with his pet sitter.




Our dinners were all in Coral Springs in a restaurant/shopping area near our hotel called The Walk.

We were pleased to discover that most of our favorite dining spots are still thriving.

We enjoyed a Greek meal at Mythos which has changed owners since our last visit but is still serving delicious and authentic Greek food.


We started with a Greek Salad.





Jim had the Shrimp Mythos, a shrimp, tomato, feta, olive, and orzo dish.



My choice was Moussaka.



The selection of seasonings on each table intrigued me: Pepper, Greek Sea Salt, and Greek Olive Oil.



On Friday and Saturday nights, Mythos has live music and a belly dancer...something new since my last time here.

Another night, we met friends Judy and Andy for a deli meal at TooJay's.



TooJay's has locations throughout Florida. It is a New York style deli with a huge menu and something for any and all tastes. Jim and I could not pass up Corned Beef Sandwiches on Rye (it is not easy to find a good Corned Beef Sandwich in the San Francisco Bay Area). Judy had an Egg Salad Sandwich. Andy had Chicken Marsala. The men started with Matzo Ball Soup. And for dessert, three shared an enormous slice of Chocolate Layer Cake, while I enjoyed a plate of three mini Black and White Cookies, my nostalgia bakery treat from growing up with sweets from Jewish bakeries in the Northeast.




Sorry to have forgotten to take pictures of the food; we were talking so much, I didn't bring my camera out until dessert.

We like TooJay's so much, that we went back for lunch on our last day for a Tuna Sandwich for me and the Whitefish Salad platter for Jim.

In the mood for fresh fish, we had our last South Florida dinner at Gold Coast Grill.

Jim's choice was Pecan-crusted Mahi Mahi.



I chose Yellowtail Snapper with Artichoke Hearts.



All entrées at Gold Coast Grill are served with a first course Salad and a choice of side dish. We both had Caesar Salads to start. Jim had Sautéed Spinach with his fish and I had Steamed Vegetables.

Used to Northern California restaurant prices, I was delighted with prices at the restaurants where we dined. Even at Gold Coast Grill, fresh fish entrées are priced under $20. Most meals at TooJay's are less than $15 and sandwiches, with generous accompaniments, well under $10.

In between outings and meals, we worked out at the fitness center at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex. The La Quinta Inn where we stay offers its guests free use of the Aquatic Complex's excellent gym.