patrick.net

In a couple of weeks I will be in Palm Beach County.

OK, now I'm really going to Miami. Arriving on Tue Feb 18, leaving early on Sat Feb 22.

Would love to meet up with any reader in the area.

I'm near there in Hollywood. Not far at all.

Take the new Brightline train, first class, it's fun as hell.

clambo says

Take the new Brightline train, first class, it's fun as hell.

Saw videos. Looks cool. Just trains like that only work in highly populated areas and east coast of FL is perfect for it. DC to Boston as well.

I don't want it here in IL. The state is generally empty and smart people do not want to go to St. Louis. If there was a Chicago>Milwaukee>Madison>Minneapolis route that could be profitable potentially. But only those stops. Every small city wants a stop. Defeats the purpose of high speed.

FL and the private investment looks like they did a good job on the project. Sorry to derail the thread (pun intended).

I have the time to fly down but the wifey would be pissed. It's gonna be cold this week in IL. Not looking forward to it. It's temping.

What will you be doing in South Florida?

Nothing in particular. It's just been chilly here and wife has never been to FL.

Patrick says

Nothing in particular. It's just been chilly here and wife has never been to FL.

What are the flight times from the Bay Area? 5 hours? That's a short time for 3 full non-travel days. I hate big time changes and stay longer if it's a 3-4 hour time change.

Not to make it about me but it's one of the pluses about IL/Chicago. I can get anywhere in about 3 or 3-1/2 hours to CA. Pilots were ripping it to Cancun and it was just under 3 hours.

Also, understand the wife has a 50/50 chance of liking FL. She a native Californian? I know quite a few Californians that can't stand FL and are pinkies up when they get there. Different culture and weather. Better beaches though.

Also a lot of latino vibes in Miami which turns some people off. They're the fun latinos though. You'll encounter some legit white trash potentially as well. Though I've had that in CA as well.

Don't know your trip vibe but check out sites like this: https://www.resortpass.com/hotel-day-passes/Miami-14

We use it frequently. Not sure if you're staying on the beach or not, but this can get you closer to cool amenities like pool or beach access without the room charge and just uber back to a cheaper place. Sorry, I'm a travel junkie.

It's 5.5 hours out and 6.5 hours back, nonstop. I always get nonstop these days.

Wife is from New Mexico. Kind of opposite to Florida in terms of humidity, lol. But very Hispanic. There is still quite a large population of people in NM whose families have been there speaking Spanish for more than 400 years. They don't like illegal immigrants at all.

Thanks for the hotel listing tip! My mission for the next day or two is to find a hotel or Airbnb. Advice appreciate if anyone has a name of a place known to be good. I was thinking $200/night, but could do $300 all-in if it's really worth it. By all-in, I mean the actual price including tax and other bullshit. I hate it when advertised prices are basically fraud.

It's our second night here in Miami Beach now. Hotel is a lot crappier than the pictures show, but then, I should have expected that. But the rooms are pretty big, and we have a little kitchen.

Miami Beach is an amazingly Jewish area. The Uber from the airport to our hotel passed maybe six synagogues. I read that originally most of Miami Beach was "restricted" and would not let Jews stay in the hotels. Then when they were let in in the late 1940s, the Jewish population surged and hit 61% in 1980. Now it's down to about 20% because the Jews have moved on. It's a bit over half Hispanic now, largely Cubans. We hear lots of Russian on the street. I guess they're tourists.

It has the same mafia ownership vibe as Vegas, Honolulu, and Michigan Ave in Chicago, that is to say, pretty much everything here is an overpriced scam in one way or another. Some of the reviews of the closest car rental place were pretty funny because they were so negative: people kept waiting for hours for their cars, extremely rude staff (when you can find them), extra charges tacked on which you don't find out about until your next credit card bill, so forth.

Even after you've been overcharged at a restaurant for bad food, you get hit with a mandatory 20% "tip" everywhere, and 9% sales tax. So we went shopping at Trader Joe's and won't eat out much.

But hey, the weather is pretty nice, the beach is great, and I'm having a good time anyway.

BTW, the total star ratings for any hotel or restaurant on any website are just comically wrong every time. You cannot trust them at all. The only use of ratings now is to read the text of the most negative reviews.

If anyone can think of a rating system that cannot be gamed, let me know. I'd like to implement it. Maybe it would help to require each review to have a proof of purchase.

Or maybe it has to come down to the reputations of named reviewers, so that their reputation goes to shit if they lie. Individuals can't review everything, but a network of individuals could.

Patrick says

Nothing in particular. It's just been chilly here and wife has never been to FL.

Can you rent a car and take a trip down to Key West (southern part of Florida Keys)?

At least try to reach as far south in the Florida Keys by making it to Key Largo.

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AD says

Can you rent a car and take a trip down to Key West (southern part of Florida Keys)?

We'd like to do that, if we can find a car rental place that will actually rent a car to us without making us wait for hours or adding on fake charges.

What should we do if we get to Key Largo? Just check out the scenery and eat?

Patrick says

What should we do if we get to Key Largo? Just check out the scenery and eat?

Yeah, they got some great restaurants there.

Plus you all get to visit the world famous Florida Keys and one of its towns Key Largo, which was the namesake for a Humphrey Bogart movie.

Plus you drive through the Florida Everglades National Park to get there, which is about a 90 minute trip from Miami Beach to Key Largo.

https://fla-keys.com/key-largo/things-to-do/

https://www.visitflorida.com/places-to-go/southeast/key-largo/

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Patrick says

Wife is from New Mexico. Kind of opposite to Florida in terms of humidity, lol. But very Hispanic.

your wife is hispanic from New Mexico? If so, is she a big fan of HATCH CHILES?

We had a bunch of dried hatch chilies at home which I used up recently. She tends to bring back dried chilies when we visit people in NM.

She's not Hispanic though.

Patrick says

BTW, the total star ratings for any hotel or restaurant on any website are just comically wrong every time. You cannot trust them at all. The only use of ratings now is to read the text of the most negative reviews.

Reviews are tough. We've generally never had a problem picking a place. Miami is a weird area though. Not bad, just weird. Can't really explain it, but you're experiencing it.

As ridiculous as it sounds we search for vacations for an hour or two every Sunday. I actually need to search for a flight out to MT today. The band I like is playing out there, free lodging and I get the SW Companion pass for 3 months later in the year.

For cars try Turo. Skip the rental agencies. I've had great luck with them (individual owners). Also you can get cooler cars for cheaper. So if you want a convertible ride down to Key Largo it's easier to get. Or whatever car. Miami will have a ton of Turo cars. I've rented about 10 now and never had a problem. Owners are usually awesome with making it available and they keep them clean.

I would 2nd Key Largo as well. It's not knock your socks off amazing, but it's a cool place. Lots of little non-chain restaurants. The place we discovered my youngest does not like Key Lime Pie. That ended up on the floor... lol. He's trying to get the puke in every state award. He checked CA off already in a rental car and then found out no more plastic bags. Fortunately the liquor store still had some inventory in the back post-law gayness.

Side note, not trying to derail. You sure google doesn't crawl this site? I'm getting youtube video suggestions after making my previous comment. I like the area but haven't searched or talked about it in years. Weird to get suggested videos about the Keys.

Did you visit anyplace you saw on Dexter yet?

If money is no object Key West would have been a better destination, and you don't need a car there.

Hotel reviews are fine, but I would really prefer to see a YouTube video made by someone who stayed there.

zzyzzx says

Hotel reviews are fine, but I would really prefer to see a YouTube video made by someone who stayed there.

Most those people are paid affiliates. Rarely do I see a genuine video of someone with 10 subscribers post a video. They're all 100k plus and get a free stay. I'm a photo guy and Facebook guy when it comes to vacations.

Photos can be edited, but generally the hotel has no control over group pages. And I know, not everyone does FB, the Demo is old and tends to have more money and experience. So I find groups where I'm traveling.

We actually met up with a random family locally and had dinner to talk about our upcoming cruise we were both on. Then fucking Covid happened. Best itinerary we've ever booked. 10 Days mostly lesser Antilles islands. 9 stops. I still have all the notes on it and what we were going to do. 40-50 hours of work completely wasted. No money lost if you don't include time. Had to cancel 9 stops of car rentals, excursions, etc.

I like what he's doing now, but I soured on Trump a bit with Covid. We would have been fine. Young healthy family. I'm a crazy person. Not in format but here's the vacation note we planned. All this shit was booked. Wife is trying to get me to be a travel agent. She's not wrong, but I can't stand dealing with 2 or more parties in a transaction. Sorry for the length. I'm anal about travel. Outside of weather, have never had a hiccup.
__________________________________
San Juan - Fri. 3/21-3/22

Embark on Sunday 3/22 - 2:30-3pm.
______________________________________________________________

AT SEA - Mon. 3/23
Kid Care: 9a-12p; 2p-5p; 7p-10:30p

Dinner: Teppanyaki @ 7:30pm (4 of us)
______________________________________________________________

Aruba - Tues. 3/24 - 8AM-8PM
~ 6,700pax (normal)

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion:
UTV with Ruff Riders - Meet at 9am at cruise pier.
Contact is Dawn Bellantoni: rmfbenvirorentals@yahoo.com
https://www.aruba4x4.com/aruba4x4
1-914-837 1038

Sights to see:

Costs:
UTV $280

Dinner: La Cucina @ 9pm (2 of us)
______________________________________________________________

AT SEA - Wed. 3/25
Kid Care: 9a-12p; 2p-5p; 7p-10:30p

Dinner: The Manhattan Room @ 7:30pm (2 of us)
______________________________________________________________

Barbados - Thurs. 3/26 - 8AM-5pm
~ 4,000pax

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion:
Calabaza lunch cruise
Meet @ 8:45am at Gate 1. Exit the cruise terminal hall through door marked booked excursions and tours - gate one is just short to your right - you will see an area with some benches and a little bar to your right. Do not go out of the port, gate one is inside the port - taxi driver will have sign with our name on it (CALABAZA) in case of any problems you can call us at 1-245-826-4048
sailcalabaza@gmail.com
sailcalabaza.com

Costs:
$500

Dinner: Cirque Dreams Epicurean @ 8:30pm (2 of us)
______________________________________________________________

St. Lucia - Fri. 3/27 - 8AM-5pm
~ 1,900pax

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion:
Between the Pitons catamaran cruise (8:15 am) NCL excursion

Costs:
$336

Dinner: Moderno Churrascaria @ 8pm (2 of us)
______________________________________________________________

Antigua - Sat. 3/28 - 8AM-5PM
~ 680pax

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion Ideas:

East side:
Stingray City (30 min)
Devil’s Bridge (37 min)

Southeast side:
Half-moon Bay (37 min)
Galleon Bay (35 min)
Pigeon Point Bay (39 min)

West side:
Darkwood Beach (27 min) P/car
Jolly Harbour (22 min) P/car
Ffryes Beach (27 min)
Valley Church Bay (26 min)
Cades Reef (31 min) *need a boat

North side:
Kon Tiki Bar (13 min)

Costs:
$45.99 Car Rental
Hertz - Should meet at pier, but need to double check.

Dinner: Taste @ 7:30pm (2 of us)
______________________________________________________________

St. Kitts - Sun. 3/29 - 8AM-5PM
No Boats in port

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion:
Nevis Sailaway - 9 AM $508 - NCL Excursion

Dinner: Cagney’s Steakhouse @ 8:30pm (4 of Us - Might pay extra for kids)
______________________________________________________________

Tortola - Mon. 3/30 - 8AM-5PM
No Boats in port

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion Ideas:
Jost Van Dyke Water Taxi.
Chillout Charters (Arranged by Sarah Moreno on FB chat)
chilloutchartersbvi@gmail.com
284-342-1551 or 284-340-3979
We’re on first run, 2nd boat departing at 9AM (ARRIVE at 8:45am)
Boat name: Blue Malargo (Village Cay - A Dock - Same marina as last cruise here)

Costs:
$400 (Paid)

Dinner:
______________________________________________________________

St. Thomas - Tues. 3/31 - 8AM-5PM
~ 8,900pax (high but normal for time of year)

Kid Care: 7p-10:30p

Excursion:
Rented a 4 door Jeep. Have kids check out Magens Bay. Then do whatever.
Pick up at 8:30am @

Rentamotion.com
1-340-774-5840

Costs:
Car $155

Dinner:
______________________________________________________________

NOTES:
P = popular destination
car = car and/or taxi destination
pax = number of passengers on other cruises

Port
Excursion Cost
Additional Costs
Parking

$143
Kennel

San Juan Excursion/Meals

Aruba
$280 (Pay on arrival)

Barbados
$500 (Paid)
$30 (Cirque Dreams)
St. Lucia
$336 (Paid)

Antigua
$46

St. Kitts
$508 (Paid)

Tortola
$400 (Paid - Need transfer $)

St. Thomas
$155 (Pay on arrival)

Total
$2,225

Average

WookieMan says

Side note, not trying to derail. You sure google doesn't crawl this site? I'm getting youtube video suggestions after making my previous comment. I like the area but haven't searched or talked about it in years. Weird to get suggested videos about the Keys.

I try hard to block all Google domains, but may not have got them all.

Wish I could. That region has been one of my favorite tourism destinations. Some stuff we did on different trips:

- snorkeling at Pennekamp on one of the "scuba and snorkel" party boats that operate from Key Largo;

- a "swimming with dolphins" experience at Key Largo;

- Oleta River kayaking near Haulover Beach. During full moons they have a dusk-afterdark group kayak tour in the mangroves then across the lagoon to the inland facing side of Haulover sandbar. Great fun.

- diamond wholesaler in Little Havana to get my partner an "upgrade". I'm sure we got scammed but it was fun.

We had booked a guided canoe trip amongst alligators in the Everglades for one of our trips. The guide phoned a couple of days before and told us that the water would be too low due to drought that year. He said they won't operate the tour because we'd be stuck in the mud. Instead we went to a place with an elevated boardwalk where we could view the gators. Maybe canoeing next time.

B.A.C.A.H. says

- a "swimming with dolphins" experience at Key Largo;

Is that actually fun? Not knocking it. I just feel like it would be weird. I would try it. Was freaked out the first time I did zip lining. It's big creature that's powerful. That's why I'm not riding a bull or horse. I need as much control as I can get.

Everglades are on the list. I don't know why I haven't been.

AD says

We arrived in Key Largo and are now at The Fish House. Pretty good so far.

Patrick says

We arrived in Key Largo and are now at The Fish House. Pretty good so far.

Hope you make it to Key West, which should be within a 2 hour drive to watch the sunset.

You all can say you visited the world famous Florida Keys as far as your travels. Jimmy Buffett and TV show Miami Vice helped put it on the map more than the movie Key Largo.

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Sounds like you're having a blast. I'm a little up North for your current adventures. Also last week I wasn't doing much of anything, getting in early 2 or 3 every day. Then as luck would have it, I have been working until an hour or so after dark since Tuesday.

Keys are too flat to the water, too scary. Might be beautiful, but after living in New Orleans, I wouldn't want to live there.

.

If you go for a day to the Florida Keys then you go to sight see and eat at a seafood restaurant.

If you go for a few days then yes take a boat trip and also go fishing, even if it is shoreline fishing.

It's the best fishing in the world even if you stay on shore and fish off the rocks or beach. The Florida panhandle is very good fishing but nothing close to the Florida Keys.

.

Vizcaya Gardens in Miami was worth the $25 each to get in. Impressive place. Then we walked to this restaurant:

Braga Portuguese at 1401 SW 22nd St Miami, FL 33145

Amazing! Highlight of the trip. Great lunch specials for $20, generous house wine for $5, nice waitress, and not the slightest attempt to scam us, which was a bit surprising after Miami Beach. Food was very high quality.

Another very pleasant experience was driving northeast on CR 905 to leave Key Largo at the north end of the island instead of via Highway 1 in the middle.

That northern stretch is a like a green canyon with walls made of trees and kudzu vines.

We also checked out Little Havana, which is OK. Smoked a small cigar and had a pastry. Pastry guy tried to shortchange me, but after Miami Beach, I was paying attention.

And this was a fine little Italian lunch place: Prima Classe, 842 1st St, Miami Beach, FL

https://www.prima-classe.com/

Had paninis and salad.

Speaking of Florida tourist trap restaurant rip offs.

I bet the Cuban food in on point.

Patrick says

kudzu vines

Apparently the roots are a great source of starch. Might be an economic way to finally eradicate it. Apparently it's made it all of the way to Central Texas so far but I haven't personally seen any around here.

almost all restaurants here just buy bulk packaged stuff and resell reheat. go to chefs store buy 250 worth of ingredients, sell for profit after cooking/warming. best food will always be home made.

Maga_Chaos_Monkey says

Apparently the roots are a great source of starch.

It's not the roots, it's the aid spuds, that grow, that are about 3 to 4 inches circumference.

They don't seem as invasive here in South Florida as they were on the western tip of South Carolina. When we first moved to SC there were no Kudzu, then one year somehow they got introduced, I think to relieve erosion on the side of mountains. But they took off and choked out entire forests on the side of every mountain, holler, hill and valley that they grew on. With in two years, they were a state of emergency. I don't know if they ever got a handle on them, at least I don't hear about them anymore.
We had some growing on our back fence a few years ago, and I was concerned that they were going to take over the back yard. We removed the row of ficus trees they were trellising on, and they have since disappeared. I see them from time to time walking through alley's on my walks around. But they seem to stick to one or two trees, and not blanket the whole grounds and creeping to other trees, like I remember how they took over in South Carolina.

We would get loads of air spuds, when they were growing there. I think they are made to grow up trees on the side of a mountain, and can cover ground to reach trees higher up the slope because they can grow up the incline to reach the other trees. but can't grow out laterally on flat land to cover the same way.

Great Florida vine, not for hilly places.

Tenpoundbass says

It's not the roots, it's the aid spuds,

Thanks for the correction. Yeah, when I saw a guy digging them up to process he kept those which looked a lot like long narrow potatoes. Then after that I guess are the stringy roots.