After a fabulous night at the Pier House, this morning it was time to end our brief visit to Key West. Did I mention yesterday that we had a martini at the beach bar, two bottles of Prosecco with dinner, then two martinis each at the Beach Bar, then Susie had a To-Go Key Lime Colada, and then we finished the night with a vodka at the hotel? Just checking.

The sun was shining, (we were a little cloudy), but it was very windy when we left Key West this morning. It was hard to drive with the windows open, because the cross winds kept trying to have us switch places in the car, so unfortunately, we drove in air conditioned comfort. Traffic was better today going north than it had been heading south on Saturday, and that was good. For the most part, the drive is filled with incredible colors and interesting sites, and is by no means boring.

We enjoyed our Saturday lunch so much at the Islamorada Fish Company, that we once again decided to stop. As luck would have it, we were given the same table as we had Saturday! Same table, different wait-person, and different meal. Our waiter today was a bit of a pip. Now, we’ve been in many restaurants over the last couple of weeks, and have noticed how much the people working in them hustle. This guy could not multi-task at all, and hustle wasn’t in his vocabulary!

 

The rest of the trip north was uneventful, till we got to Miami Beach. Figured, how could we pass through the area without going through Miami Beach? Let’s just say, that it has changed an awful lot since I vacationed there with my folks, back in the 1960s and 70s! South Beach is alive today, and filled with sites and more modes of dress than you can imagine!

As we got a little farther north, things calmed down, and there were some familiar old names mixed in with the very new residents!

One reason for all the traffic, we discovered, was it was the last day of the Miami Yacht Show on Collins Avenue! Big boats and big bucks, we’re sure!

When I was a kid, we stayed at the Stratosphere Motel at 95th Street and Collins Avenue, in the Surfside section of Miami Beach. Let’s just say that the Stratosphere is gone, but there still is the Surfside Post Office there, but little else I remember! Susie and I were there once, the first year we were married, so we did share that together. Will have more discussions about that in a couple of days with my cousin Jeanne, who vacationed there with us, when we were all kids!

We drove north to Hollywood, and checked into the Double Tree Resort on Hollywood Beach. A really nice hotel, and after vegging for a bit, we headed down to the pool bar. What a beautiful pool, a great tiki bar, and on the intracoastal waterway!! Another perfect night with our bartender Kalford!! We had several wonderful drinks, enjoyed our conversations with Kalford, and met a couple of nice ladies, Tammy and Layna. Great conversation with people we’ve never met before. One of the things we love about vacationing!!

Back in our room, perhaps a vodka on the balcony watching the ocean, and then bed! Life is good!!!