Let's go for a walk on dry land

Friday, February 07, 2014
Miami, Florida, United States
Last evening's sunset was something to behold as we waited to cast off from Key West. Unfortunately, Norwegian had blocked off my favorite sail-away spot "The Great Outdoors" for a "Private Function." I'm all for private functions but not when they take away such a prime spot at a prime time. Oh, well.

Back in Miami early this morning, the Norwegian Pearl joins Carnival Ecstasy, Disney Wonder, Royal Caribbean Majesty Of The Seas, Norwegian Sky and the brand new Norwegian Getaway in port. The Getaway is a third bigger than the Pearl and the word here is that she is taking a cruise to nowhere for the next two days with only travel agents aboard. So, WGTA; are you there?

After coffee, I hopped a shuttle for the Marriott Courtyard Downtown where, at 8:30am, it was too early to get a room. I slipped into the men’s room, changed into my walking stuff, checked my bag and took off. Ten miles goes by very quickly when you’re on new turf.

My walking course is south over a drawbridge spanning the Miami River and then to the waterfront of Biscayne Bay along a route on or paralleling Brickell Boulevard. This is the area that I used to visit when consulting with UBS and MasterCard International a few years ago. The financial towers overtook most of what had been known as “Millionaire’s Row,” mansions built by Mary Brickell in the early 1900’s. Mary was the widow of William Brickell, who along with Julia Tuttle, co-founded the City of Miami after having moved here from Cleveland in 1871. I could move here from Kansas City since it is too darned cold there.

About four miles south of my hotel is where Fort Brickell was built to protect Miamians from a feared invasion of the Spanish. You may recall that the U.S. Battleship Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor back in 1898 prompting the conflict known as the Spanish American War. Just in case, the U.S. Government built a temporary fortification to command the channel. Fort Brickell never saw action.

Now, the place is overrun with very high dollar condominiums along the waterfront of Biscayne Bay which is a federally designated refuge for the Florida Manatee, or sea cow. I didn’t see any. After about seven miles, I crossed the Brickell Key Drive Bridge to circle Brickell Key (an island). In the 1920’s, spoils from dredging the Miami River were deposited on what was then a scrubby place known as Burlingame Island. Today, it is the 44 acre site of some of America’s most expensive real estate. Good idea. I will admit, however, that the name Brickell is as overused in Miami as Peachtree is in Atlanta. C’mon, people. There are lots of available names.

Back at the hotel my GPS iPhone app, RunKeeper, says I walked 10.05 miles. My new Fitbit says I walked 9.65 miles. All I know is that I walked a long darned way. A room was ready. I found the guest laundry and, voila!, my dirty clothes are clean again. Three bucks to wash and dry here at the hotel beats, I don’t know, $50? on board ship. While I wash, I catch up on the news which seems to be all about a foiled airline hijacking somehow involved with the Sochi Olympics. Frankly, I’m glad I am here and not there.

When in Miami, do head for the corner of Tenth and South Miami Avenue. It is a mile and a half walk from the Downtown Courtyard by Marriott and is where the hippest, trendiest restaurants (at least as far as I am concerned) are located. Tonight it is Toscana Divino for me. I had to wait to get a seat at the bar but the Chianti was on happy hour special and the music was perfect so I was happy to wait. The Pollo Arrosto was divine. This is the neighborhood where the Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and Maybach don’t stand out because there are so many of them.

The walk home in mid-seventies temperatures was perfect.




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