Miami Trip - 2020

South Beach Miami.

I haven’t been there in years. When I was like 19 or 20, I went two years in a row with my big sis, and a friend. What I remember is the crowded Ocean Drive, pretty pink paved sidewalks, and all the southern people saying we sounded like New Yorkers, lol. (That was always weird because the New Yorkers would say we sound southern.) Whatever y’all 😉

A n y w a y , here we are in 2020.

It’s a very different time right now. This is a crazy year with all this Covid stuff going on. However , we still want to enjoy ourselves and do what we can. So, my cousin suggested the four of us (her, me and my sisters) all go to Miami for the weekend of her birthday as a fun, small family trip. It ended up being just three of us.
Here is my experience from the hotel, the beach, food, people, entertainment and the strips.

The Hotel

Ok, so the hotel we stayed at had a nice welcoming at the entrance. It's called Nautilus by Arlo. The exterior is well planed with the foliage styilng, the outdoor seating areas, and of course it’s a pleasure to spot luxury vehicles on site. We hopped out of the Uber with our luggage, and I didn’t think much of it, but it would have convenient if the doors were automatic so we didn’t struggle with our weekend bags.... Okay, it was me. I was the only one with a heavy a$$ bag with multiple shoes, 3 outfits, airport wear, 2 swimsuits and a load of makeup lol.

Lobby.

There was pretty, furniture and decor. Mostly wood-framed, and neutral colors. The Style definitely complimented the contemporary, and cozy beach vibe. It just seemed like the proper maintenance for such furniture wasn't applied. The beautiful seats that you see from the hotel's website was of course taken shortly after in the design installation. What I saw in real life was lint, and soiled seats. Other than that, I did appreciate the warm lighting. around the columns, and the way certain areas were accentuated, dimmed making a sophisticated, calm, even sultry scene. Behind some velvety draperies, featured a lounge area that was just stunning. Beautiful accents, rich colors, two gold flamingo sculptures and views of the surrounding areas from all angles.

Rooms.

We had two rooms, next door to one another. Got in, and set our bags down. Then, of course compared the two rooms. Me and Shan felt like our room was mediocre, and kind of small before we even saw our cousin’s room. The walls were bare, it was cold as hell, the phone wasn't plugged in, and we just weren't wowed from the door. Speaking of doors, we requested the room that had a door that was connected to the room next door, so we won't have to keep knocking and using keycards. Also it was across from the elevators, which became very annoying throughout the night when people were beyond loud getting on and off. That was during our sleep hours. No, we didn't hang out until 4am. lol
We ended up getting a new room, it was better. There was artwork on the wall, the lights were all plugged in and working, the phone worked, there was a bluetooth alarm/clock radio. It was just more prepared, except there was no trashcans. Overall, the hotel said it was a 5-star, we think it was a more of a 3. Plus, what 5-star resort hotel doesn't include a complimentary breakfast?

Food.

I don't even know why I'm bothering with this section, I'm not a foodie at all. lol. I mean, the first place we ate at was a Spanish restaurant and I decided to get a Caesar salad. Like, who does that? me, that's who. I was watching my figure for my outfits and swimwear. so there. My cousin had a pasta, and my sister had something vegan she could find. That place wasn't that nice to me, plus we think the owners were talking about us in Spanish since they kept looking at us. Not so comfortable for us. At least the server was pleasant.

For breakfast, we did attempt to try the hotel's restaurant by the pool out of convenience. But there wasn't that many options, so we headed out on the next morning. We instead chose to dine at a nice place down the street. There was a free mimosa with the meal, so that was a win. The food was good, the staff was satisfying, and the setting was nice.

All I know is the best place we went to was called Pura Vida. It was a hike, but it was really good. Shan was looking up vegan restaurants, so that's what she found. It was in a nicer area than all the main attraction place on Ocean Drive. I had this bowl called Summer Chicken Bowl. Soooo good.

The Beach.

Photo Credit: Yolanda Foster

The beach was more enjoyable that it was the times I went years ago. I think it was a combination of the area we were in, and covid. It wasn't crowded and showy with a lot of guys walking around with sneakers and jewelry on. It was pretty much normal, as far as the people and the scene. This one couple with a baby was definitely smoking weed and popped a bottle of Ace or something when the baby went to sleep. Anyway, the sand was clean, the water was clear blue, and it wasn't that many seashells. Shan and I fell asleep on the beach lounge chairs under the big umbrella.

Some guy nearby was playing some very mellow, chill reggaeton music. It was pleasant and relaxing until this family sat down near us, and the grandmom kept talking super loud about teaching her grandchildren to swim. My cousin rented a jet ski and rode that for about an hour. Later on after that, we changed and headed back out to explore.