Miami Beach

Two days ago I decided to visit Miami, yet when I saw the sign for Miami Beach I drove towards that direction. On the ways to Miami Beach I became lost more than once because I kept saying, "I don't need this! I can follow signs," as I kept turning off the GPS.

When I arrived I found a parking garage, then went on to lunch at the 'Eleventh Street Diner.' Bells? It's a restaurant featured on 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.' (Guy, keep on bleaching that hair, it suits you.) The pear salad, it was good. I sat at the outdoor porch and wrote notes in my journal as I ate.

Then it was a walk on Ocean Drive through the Art Deco event that took over most of the strip. I noticed that there were many men riding bicycles, these men, not teenagers, donned black, and some had bright color sunglasses on, but with the black. It was quite a contrast to the palms and cerulean sky. There was also a man walking around with a large snake hung around his neck charging $5 per photo, I almost stopped, but didn't. I was in observation mode, which means continue to walk and see until the need to passes.

I walked until I became warm, until I thought: It would be nice to shed these jeans and sit by the water. I had a bikini in my purse, a part of me secretly knew I was heading to the beach. But where to change? Public restrooms are gross, so I went into an "American Apparel.' I chose three items at random, went to the dressing room, and changed into my bathing suit. I went in un-noticed, left un-noticed. I enjoy being sneaky from time to time.

At the beach I got comfortable on my green towel, stared up at the sky and thought I feel unreachable, this is nice, and what month is it? Then a group of girls approached this group of men that were laying close by. Their leader, their extrovert asked the boys if they could take pictures with them so they could post them on FaceBook. Are we doing this now? Are we posing for pictures with strangers for the appearance of fun? What about the real fun -- Don't we want the real stuff anymore?

After the beach I decided to find the Botanical garden. If you do not know by now, I have a thing for gardens. I walked from Eleventh Street to First on an in-land road that was shaded by palms and other tropical trees, all of the houses were stucco, and painted in varying warm colors. It felt like South America.

Miami Beach's Botanical Garden, is more park than garden, given there is no garden. But it has it's own charm. There are many man made grassy hills where skate boarders have set upon ruining, and there is an amazing look-out that over-sees the water.

Is there more? There sure is. But I think I'm going to call it here. After all, it is an art.