3 Years, 9 Weeks.
3 Nights.
2 Hotels.
1 Incredibly fun weekend.
We had the pleasure of going to Miami over Father's Day weekend, due in part because Tangie had to be there for work Thursday evening, to attend E & Y's Entrepreneur of the Year banquet.
Miami is just a fabulous city. Sprawling with a gorgeous skyline flanked by gorgeous beaches filled with equally gorgeous people. We haven't been there for quite some time, which is a sad thing because it's only 4 hours away from Orlando.
We swung by Avon Park on our way down to pick up the children who had been staying with Lolo and Lala earlier in the week. They were very excited to see us, and were excited to head out to the beach. Lolo and Lala enjoyed having them over, but I could tell they were a little tired. And who wouldn't be, with these three energetic kids? The drive down went smoothly, with Brae and Kohl catching a quick nap before we arrived at the hotel.
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| Lala takes a photo of her grandkids. They certainly enjoyed their time with them! |
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| Hit some rain on the way to Miami. |
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| Destination in the distance. Much bigger than Orlando! |
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| Famous landmark. We're here! |
The Fontainebleau Miami.
Just the name itself exudes opulence.
One of the swankiest hotels on Miami Beach, we knew we were in for a treat when we pulled into the valet, in our minivan, surrounded by Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis. Of course, I wasn't at all phased by all of this, but Tangie's first words to me when she came back to the car after checking in were, "We're way underdressed."
Seriously? I looked around to look at all the guests, both arriving to check in or just milling around. The people were all very attractive and beautifully dressed, even in their swimwear. The hotel, the service itself, was absolutely amazing; the pools and grounds were breathtaking.
No wonder it's the place to be seen, the hotel caters to the creme de la creme.
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| Simple, clean, and modern. |
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| One of the towers that make up the hotel complex. |
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| Aerial shot of the pools and grounds. |
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| View of the main pool greeted us from the valet entrance. |
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| White loungers and umbrellas filled up the entire poolside. |
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| Covered cabanas to indulge any whim. |
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| Entrance to the hotel lobby was modern and elegant. |
Our room, at $300 a night, was the cheapest one there. But it was definitely the nicest hotel room we had ever been in.
But is that really saying much? It had double Queen beds with another pullout Queen sofa bed. The bathroom opened up to the room, so it made it seem longer. The balcony was another nice feature, and gave the kids another place to be. The children certainly enjoyed being at the hotel, and you could tell through their shouts and shrieks of laughter, Tangie desperately trying to shush them and keep the noise contained. She obviously was not used to the family joining her on business trips!
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| Tangie watches the kids run around exploring the room. |
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| Nice and spacious. |
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| Gorgeous bathroom. |
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| Tub area with window to the rest of the room. |
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| The children check out the kid's tv show options. |
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| She was really excited to go hit the pool! |
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| Saying goodbye to Mommy before heading out. |
As Mommy had some things to wrap up at work and then get dressed and ready for the gala, the kids and I were on our own to explore and enjoy the hotel that afternoon and evening. They were ready to hit the pool, so we loaded up our gear, donned our swimsuits, and ventured out to enjoy the pools. The grounds were all artificial turf, so that made it nice to walk around and not get dirty in bare feet. We hit the kids pool first, yes they actually had a kids pool, and then I took them down to the beach for some time to play in the sand. While we were there I made nice with a family that looked like they could potentially be from the Middle East. There were a lot of that demographic there, and one could only assume they were wealthy from oil or something. The husbands were smoking on their hookahs, or smoking water pipes, while the wives doted on their children. They were commenting on how all three of my kids were wearing their white rash guards, as I explained it made it easier to keep an eye on them in crowded areas. I inquired where they were from, expecting something exotic like Bahrain, Kuwait, or Qatar, and they responded with "Michigan". Hmm, go figure.
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| The kids' pool, one of 7 pools on the property. |
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| Walking the boardwalk to get to the beach. |
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| They were excited to start building some sand castles. |
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| Beach view. |
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| Writing on the sand. |
After the beach we headed back, but the kids wanted to try another pool, before going back in. So they swam in the swanky adult pool for about 20 minutes, while I chatted with an older couple from England. This particular pool was where all the beds and cabanas were located, so really really nice. We headed back inside and showered, got dressed and went downstairs to have valet bring out the van, driving down Collins Ave. looking for a good place to eat that wouldn't cost us an arm or a leg. I spotted this Latin eatery that looked like it had a lot of different options so we checked it out and it was awesome! We got take out and then headed back to the hotel, stopping by Walgreens to get some milk and yogurt for the morning. The kids were exhausted and fast asleep when Tangie came back from her event, while I caught up on game 4 of the NBA Finals.
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| She loved leaping into the pool! |
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| Checking out the pool activity while waiting for valet to bring back the van. |
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| Cuban/Latin eatery with an abundance of options! |
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| The twins crashed together on the sofa sleeper. |
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| Brae had a bed all to herself, lucky girl! |
Friday morning we would've slept in some more, especially with those dark blinds that come in hotels, and we would have, had we not had an 11 o'clock checkout. Not wanting to miss out on staying at the hotel, we drug ourselves out to hit the pool one more time before packing up. A lot of families were up and out as well, so we joined in the fun. They didn't want to get out of the pool but we had to leave; we didn't want to get charged another fortune for staying late. We brought all our gear down and said goodbye to the Bleau, drove around and had lunch on South Beach and then headed north to Hollywood where we would stay at our second hotel for the remainder of the weekend.
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| Morning yoga class on our way to the pool. |
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| Back to the water! |
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| Me and my crew. |
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| Waiting for our lunch at a South Beach restaurant. |
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| Just chilling with Daddy. She was very hungry though. |
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| Shared a drive with a Lamborghini on the way up to Hollywood. |
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| Beautiful palms lining the road made for a fun drive. |
Unlike our last place, this one was geared more for families, although we still felt a little out of place when we found out there was a Florida Democratic Convention at the hotel that weekend! And unlike our last place, this one was a bit easier on the wallet. We had found it through Hotwire.com, and lucked out with the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, right on the beach, for a third of the price of the Bleau. Sure, the room was a lot smaller, with only two double beds, and the balcony was facing opposite the beach, but it was still a steal of a deal for the price. And here we almost booked a 3 night cruise for almost $1300. Crazy!
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| Beautiful design, loved the hole in the middle of the building! |
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| Infinity pool overlooking the ocean. |
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| The hotel's beachfront. |
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| Sleek, modern lobby with amazing water feature. |
Tangie still had some things to wrap up at work before the weekend officially began, so the kids and I gave her a couple of hours to finish up in the room while we went to check out the pools at this hotel. It was sort of a tiered design: the upper was an infinity pool with a section of glass bottom so that you could see the pool below, and vice versa. The lower, larger pool had two waterfall features and included the cabanas and massage rooms, with the entry point to the beach. Not as swanky as our last one but still very nice. There were a lot of people there, a lot of women bringing their own plastic flotation devices, if you know what I mean.
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| Hitting the top pool first. |
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| Brae enjoyed using her mask and snorkel. |
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| Kohl about to take the plunge. |
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| Checking out the glass bottom from the lower pool. |
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| A fun and unique pool design. |
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| Brae snorkeling under the waterfall. |
After a couple of hours we headed back in, showered and changed for dinner. We had originally planned to eat someplace other than at the hotel; most of the restaurants within the resort were exorbitant. But the clouds were threatening, and we were starving, so we decided to just stay and eat at an Asian fusion restaurant, BarSu. They had a sushi menu so I was totally fine with the choice. The kids enjoyed the edamame, although their grilled cheese sandwich and cheeseburger was something to be desired. After supper the rains had subsided and we toured the grounds, including taking a walk on the beach. It was interesting trying to figure out sleeping arrangements in our hotel room, but we made it work out.
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| View from our balcony. Rain clouds a comin'! |
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| Mommy fixing the girls' hair. |
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| Orange you glad we're on vacation? |
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| BarSu for dinner. A low enough table for the kids too. |
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| Walking the beach afterwards. |
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| The resort starting to light up. |
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| Pool changing colors at night. |
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| Saw this monstrous framed mirror on the wall, and was able to capture the family in the shot. |
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| Had them sleep sideways on the double bed so they could all fit together! |
We hit the beach the next morning. We didn't know if it would rain in the afternoon like the day before so we didn't want to risk it. The weather was glorious and the water was the perfect temperature; the kids certainly enjoyed the surf and sand. We had lunch there and headed back to the room to change and then headed south to Coconut Grove where we went to the Museum of Science for an hour before they closed. We had free admission, again because of our membership to the Orlando Science Center, so that was nice. Afterwards we headed up to the Lincoln Rd. shopping district for supper, as a friend of ours had recommended a restaurant there that she thought the children would love. Serendipity3, originally from NY, put its third location in Miami, and has amazing desserts, including a Guinness World Record sundae on the menu for a mere $1000. Wow.
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| Breakfast buffet at $25 a pop. |
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| Making sure she had plenty of sunscreen. |
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| Water was clear and great temperature. |
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| Mommy finally enjoying some time with the kids! |
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| Digging a moat for her sand castle. |
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| Checking out the fish and reef exhibit at the Miami Science Museum. |
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Maddy had just woken up from a nap on the drive down so she was still a bit grumpy groggy. |
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| Next garden design? The blue base is a tank with fish swimming inside, giving nutrients to the plants's roots. |
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| Fun with static electricity. |
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| Largest tire in the world? |
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| Checking in for supper. |
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| Decided to dine al fresco! The weather was fantastic! |
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| I ordered the ahi tuna tartare tacos with spiced mango salsa! |
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| That better be the best tasting sundae ever! Sheesh! |
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| Digging in. |
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| One messy boy. |
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| Enjoying the sights and cars of Miami Beach. |
Sunday was Father's Day, and it was the day we had to check out and head home, but not before we hit the pools one last time. Unfortunately it started to cloud up real early, so we packed up our gear and I made a couple of runs to the car with our luggage while Tangie got the kids bathed and dressed by the time we had to check out. We drove up A1A through Ft. Lauderdale, enjoying the scenery and the beach, swinging by Port Everglades to see one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and then eating lunch at The Oasis restaurant before driving the next 2 1/2 hours home.
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| Singing Happy Father's Day to me! |
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| Keeping distracted with Mommy's phone while we pack. |
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| One last visit to the pools! |
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| Sharing in Mommy's strawberry daiquiri. |
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| Rain engulfing the area. Just as well, as we were leaving. |
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| Port Everglades, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. |
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| Enjoying the sliding tables at The Oasis Restaurant, overlooking Ft. Lauderdale Beach. |
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| Such a beautiful view! |
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| Opening my Father's Day gift: a bunch of costume necklaces and gems! |
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| Great way to end the day! |
Here are this week's highlights:
- Braelyn attended VBS at Florida Hospital Church, thanks to Corey for taking her there and back. She enjoyed the lessons and crafts, but also enjoyed seeing some of her classmates from OJA.
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| Aubree, Calleigh, and Brae hang out together. |
- Tuesday evening we joined the Grodacks for dinner at their home for a mini reunion with the Reeves family, in town from Calhoun for a conference. It was great to see them and catch up, enjoying seeing all the children play together.
Garden Update:
Randoms:
Quotes:
- After Brae had used the bathroom:
Brae: "Daddy, we need a new rule for the house, okay?."
Me: "Okay, what is it?"
Brae: "No closing the toilet seat!"
Me: "And why not?"
Brae: [exasperated] "Because I'm tired of lifting the seat up when I have to go
potty!!"
- I caught Kohlden standing up and just looking at me, and I realized he was going #2 in his pull-up. I quickly took his hand and led him to the bathroom:
Me: "Kohl, why did you go poo-poo in your pull-up?"
Kohl: "It goes poo-poo all by itself!"
- At the Fontainbleau hotel waiting for the valet to bring out the van:
Maddy: "What are we looking for?"
Me: "We're waiting for the van."
Brae: "Is the van going to drive over here?"
Me: "Yup."
Kohl: [incredulous] "All by itself?!"
- We had just pulled into the Westin Diplomat:
Me: [to kids] "Okay guys, we're going to go into our room and change for the
beach, to play in the sand and see beautiful people."
Brae: "Huh?"
Me: [to Brae] "Are you a beautiful person?"
Brae: "No, I'm an awkward person."
- Brae and I were heading into the elevator after dropping off the car at the hotel garage. Mommy and the twins had already gone up to the room. We joined a gentleman and another Latin lady with two other kids in the elevator. As the elevator door closed and we were all heading up:
Gentleman: [to the lady and me] "You guys have a beautiful family."
The lady and I look at each other. Then I turn to the gentleman.
Me: "Why, thank you. Thank you very much!"
Then she and I burst out laughing.
Have a great weekend!
