FLORIDA ADVENTURE...POST 6

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

According to Jimmy Buffett

"Everybody's Got a Cousin in Miami".

 No cousins in Miami for Vannie and Dave (that they know of),

Neither of them had every set foot in that city until today.

I stayed behind in the Everglades and enjoyed the 

swaying palm trees...no way was I going to

fight that traffic in a big city.  Pulling me around

in that crowded situation would not be pretty...not at all.

So, I gladly waved good-bye and said, "Have a great time."

See ya this evening.

...Now...sing it Jimmy...

"Everybody's got a cousin in Miami

Everybody understands the impromptu

Dancing in the heat to the beat

That turns your clothing clammy

Everybody needs to have a dream come true."

"In a third world jungle not so far away

Lives a natural drummer with a drum to play

He's the brother of the lizard and the flying fish

But he's been enchanted by the pictures

From the satellite dish."

"So his mama packs his bags, knots his red neck tie

Sends him north to her relations with a kiss good-bye

He's bewildered by the plane ride and the immigration line

Until he sees his Christian name upon a cardboard sign"

"Everybody's got a cousin in Miami

Everybody is an Aborigine

Dancing in the heat to the beat

That turns your clothing clammy

Everybody wants to win that lottery"

"It's hard to believe the city started as a trading post

Home to the Seminole, pirate and pioneer

Between the river of grass and the old mosquito coast

Before the railroad claimed the southernmost frontier"

"I am umbilically connected to the temperate zone

It brought me life, it brought me love

I never have outgrown

It brought me one too many nights along that Biscayne shore

And one too many mornings in the Grove Drug Store

In one way or the other we're all refugees

Living out this easy life below the banyan trees

Smoothing off the rougher edges of the culture clash

We got a style, we got a look

We got that old panache"

"Everybody's got a cousin in Miami

Everybody understands the impromptu

Dancing in the heat to the beat

That turns your clothing clammy

Everybody needs to have a dream come true."

Gotta love that guy.!!!

V and D said that one of the best ways to see Miami in one day

was to hop on a tour bus.  

Headin' out for the sights and sounds of the city...

This particular bus made several stops...

one being a Cuban Cigar Shop in the section of town call Old Havana.

There were every kind of cigar imaginable and some you couldn't imagine. 

In one corner that were a bunch of old men puffing away.

Dave said he thought Hemingway was going to drop in any moment.

Vannie said the smell was heavenly.

They also served everyone Cuban coffee...

Cafe con leche.

It was in a very tiny cup and was very sweet and  very strong.

Another stop was lunch at the marina...

Dave said they were served a delicious shrimp salad.

Shrimp right off the boat...just like they like them.

Miami Beach's Art Deco district is home to the world's

largest collection of Art Deco Architecture.

The colors...the style...so Miami...

It seems you can't leave Miami without eating a Cuban Sandwich.

V said this was served with fried plantains.

Restaurant was named Bella Cuba.

Another delicious meal.

They were sitting on the upper deck

of the tour bus...and there were times that they thought

they were going to be decapitated.

Notice that street light...Just a little too low for comfort.

Many times they had to quickly duck

 because of the power lines, trees, or bridges.  

According to their tour guide,

Will Smith owns a home and a motel in Miami.

V said that they saw several guys that could have been him.

There was no way to really know while sitting on top of a tour bus.

You can only just imagine...!!!

You never know...!!!

They said, "Hi, Will" to a lot of people,

and,

they all said "hi" back.

ESPN Miami

Restaurants one after another

Full of People

Ocean Drive, Miami

Scenes from the movie "Scarface" was filmed

at the Beacon Hotel on Ocean Drive in the Art Deco district.

"Scarface" starred Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer.

This is some cool stuff.

Shopping along Ocean Drive

The bus took them through Coral Gables, FL.

Coral Gables is built on million year old coral reef.

The day was coming to a close.

V and D both said that riding the bus at the end of the day,

was one of their favorite parts.

Everything just glowed.!!!

MOON OVER MIAMI

Ahhhhhhh