Archive for April, 2011
Here’s what I learned while visiting Island Dreamer last week in South Beach. There is so much to do!
Now, I will be the first to admit: I don’t get South Beach. I don’t know what they actually do there. But, they do have a lot going on.
Let’s start with the “vapor fans”. As you wander down “the strip”, you pass through cafes and restaurants that keep its occupants cool by spewing a water vapor all over its guests. I suppose this is supposed to offer a cool comfort from the heat, but it’s a little disruptive, if you ask me. Plus, I have to wonder if the chefs and bartenders have to take “water vapor” into consideration as they prepare their “South Beach Signature Items” Still, it’s just water and something to see, that’s for sure.
So, if you’re like me, you’ll want to sit inside the actual restaurant, where they have a quaint little invention whose name says it all: “Air Conditioning”. There are no two sweeter words together in the English language. They just roll off your tongue, exuding leisure and decadence in every syllable
There are many restaurants to choose from in South Beach. You might want start with The News Café, where Versace had his last meal, or go for the more trendy Joe’s Stone Crab. You can find any type of cuisine there on the strip. Middle Eastern, Sushi, Thai, Cuban, Ethiopian, Greek, French, Italian, Belgian, Caribbean….you get the picture.
After you’ve eaten, you can walk off your meal at the many museums and shopping attractions. On one street, can get your Louis Vuitton on, while on the next block you can poke around the various museums and galleries.
The Art District also has happenings going on from street performers to independent movies – check out O Cinema for some cool flicks at a great price and help support the arts at the same time.
As I discovered, South Beach is not really the place to go if you’re looking for conch fritters and beer, but it’s definitely a sight to see, a glittering gem in the treasure chest of your sailing adventures.
Ever wonder what a typical Sunday aboard the Island Dreamer is like?
4/17/2011 5:50 PM
Batten down the hatches! It’s raining. Pouring actually. Not much you can do, but hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. Captain Harold is up on deck reading a book and Captain Marge is down in the galley checking facebook updates on her iPhone.
4/17/2011 5:53 PM
Now Captain Harold has come below to criticize my choice in music. Will skip this song now.
4/17/2011 5:54 PM
Captain Harold notes that this is our “first summer rain” [as Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” plays in the background]
4/17/2011 6:05 PM
Captain Harold knocks over his coffee cup, but luckily, it lands in the sink.
4/17/2011 6:07 PM
Time for dinner! Fried chicken, sauted veggies, and diet Pepsi. Fruit salad for dessert.
4/17/2011 6:09 PM
Captain takes control of the music. Not surprisingly, he begins with a song, “The Fish” by Yes.
4/17/2011 6:11 PM
Captain Marge notes that the hatch is leaking. Captain Harold is looking at it.
4/17/2011 6:12 PM
“The Duck”, an amphibious tour boat goes by with dozens of trapped tourist getting rained on. Ironically, the Duck’s speakers are blasting “Singin’ in the Rain”.
4/17/2011 6:15 PM
Captain Harold shares a deep thought: “Either commit to the dinghy or to the boat, but don’t be stretched between.”
4/17/2011 6:18 PM
Captain Harold opens the jar of Honey Mustard thoughtfully while Captain sautés a wide variety of summer vegetables.
4/17/2011 6:21 PM
Upon review of this blog, Captain Harold says, “Some of it is good. Some of it is sadly lacking” I tell him that is the essence of live blogging.
As I sit here in an undisclosed location at the home of a Washington political operative, I wonder what’s happening outside of the beltway. Without much effort, my mind wanders to the tranquil waters of the Florida Keys.
What interests me most about the Keys is the easygoing lifestyle with no adherence to an agenda other than enjoying life on the sea and seeing life enjoyed.
The stark contrast between life in the Keys and life on the mainland is evidenced by quiet calm of the pelicans and seagulls floating over the ocean as opposed to the frenetic pace of the vultures of civilization.
While sailing through the Keys, one is instantly in touch with the interconnectedness of the universal truth that we are all part of the same planet and intertwined in ways we can’t even see.
It’s been said, “We are all interconnected in a web of kindness from which it is impossible to separate ourself. Everything we have and everything we enjoy, including our very life, is due to the kindness of others. In fact, every happiness there is in the world arises as a result of others’ kindness.” [Geshe Kelsang Gyatso].
There is a certain kindness that is almost tangible as one witnesses the beauty of nature and the fluid calm of the ocean and its inhabitants. Silently sailing through the mangroves and around the Gulf, one’s mind wanders through the present moment to the recognition of ourself in a conch shell or blue heron or the sparkle of the chrome railing on the sailboat.
Suddenly, the circle of the beltway takes on new meaning.