The Writer & Redhead Take Miami

The Writer and I finally got some good, solid alone time yesterday.  We drove across Alligator Alley to South Beach, Miami.  No alligators were seen on the way there or on the way back.  After all the wildlife we've seen on this vacation, I almost expected a few alligators or, if we were lucky, a panther.

I made the mistake of not eating a good breakfast before we left, so by the time we got there I was a little cranky from being hungry.  We walked our way down the Lincoln Drive Mall, making a few stops before my stomach really started grumbling.  We found a beachfront Italian restaurant for beers and mojitos to go with his steak and my veggie panini, which were absolutely delicious!

Our parking meter was almost up, so we decided to take a spin further down South Beach.  There was a music festival that The Writer was really interested in and wanted to try to sneak in some listening. We had thought about getting tickets, but it was a three-day event and the passes were pricey.  I wanted to check out Dash, since I'm a little bit of a Kardashian fan, but parking was nowhere to be found.  We managed to drive by our points of interest, so at least we can say that we were there.

We parked back at the original lot and hit Starbucks for some caffienation and the use of their bathrooms.  Even though we both try to avoid chain restaurants and such while exploring a new area, Starbucks is somehow different. Maybe it's the air conditioning, but it always seems to be calming when you step into a Starbucks far from home.  After some more shopping and a long walk along the beach (I think The Writer was trying to find UltraFest again) we headed to dinner at The Big Pink.  Thankfully, there was parking closer to the restaurant because my feet were thoroughly worn out.

Dinner was delish! I usually don't go for any kind of cheesesteak, since I'm used to authentic Philly cuisine, but I took the waiters recommendation and tried the chicken cheesesteak with peppers, onions, and mushrooms.  I like to add some spaghetti sauce for a pizza cheesesteak feel. After dinner, we headed back to his parent's house in the dark, not a nerve-wracking experience at all! Well, not for me because I fell asleep, but The Writer had to be sure he didn't hit any alligators or run out of gas. We made it back safely and slept extremely well.