Hello Miami! We began our vacation early this morning with our flight to Miami. It was relatively without issues. The airports were pretty busy with holiday travelers. Once we got to Miami, we were only 15 minutes from our Hotel, Marriott’s Biscayne Bay. Brett’s constant travelling got us the room and rental car free for three nights. The front desk clerk upgraded us to the concierge level. We have an excellent view of the bay from our 26th floor room.

This afternoon we took a cab to South Beach to get our rental car. The airport did not have any available rentals. It is also only 15 minutes away. After picking up the rental we were ready for lunch. The rental agency clerk recommended restaurants on Collins Avenue.

I remembered our friend Mike from NYC had highly recommended a Cuban restaurant at 7th and Collins. We ventured down to Puerto Sagua for a delicious authentic Cuban meal. Mike was right as he usually is. It was a very Cuban experience with mostly locals and great low cost Cuban cuisine. Mike really knows how to spot the hole in a wall locals type restaurant with reasonable home-style cooking. We walked Collins Avenue and down the beach before heading back to the hotel.

Late this afternoon our pal Alton from Boston arrived and we spent the evening with him. Bayside Marketplace is only 10 blocks down the beach from our hotel. It’s sort of like Legacy Village or Easton in Ohio with an assortment of shops and dining. We had yet another Cuban meal tonight. Oh, can you tell I love Cuban cuisine!? It was a pleasant evening in the 60s to walk the waterfront and enjoy the music  and sights at the Marketplace.