Last year my long-time friend, Margie Beaton, knew she was going to have a bad case of cabin fever by February.  She lives in Chicago, and she always does have it.  I live in Houston where we have decent winter weather and did not need to get out of town on that account, but I always like to go someplace I have never been and enjoy the company of a good friend, so we decided to meet and explore South Florida.  Margie said that she might even like to live there one day, so we planned to explore the real estate market as we toured.

On the first leg of my trip (Houston to South Carolina) I met an interesting woman named Martha.  We started chatting in the waiting area then ended up sitting together.  We talked non-stop about life, kids, grandchildren, politics and the war in Iraq.  She works for a company that restores repossessed houses.

When I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale Margie was waiting by my baggage carrousel.  I retrieved my luggage, and we went to get the bus to Miami South Beach.  The clerk was abrupt but efficient.  When I asked how long until our van arrived he said, a bit sarcastically, "Five, maybe 20 minutes.  No longer than 30 minutes."  As each van arrived he told us that it was not ours.  Then in just under 30 minutes a big black limo pulled up, and that was our ride.  We shared the 90-minute trip with two nice guys – one from Denver headed to Key West for the weekend and the other from Salt Lake City in town on business.  We dropped Mr. Salt Lake at a very fancy Hyatt hotel and Mr. Denver at a cute art deco hotel a block from ours.

Margie at The Clay Hotel

Our Clay Hotel is an old international hostel and hotel in the heart of all the South Beach happenings.  When we checked in the clerk said he was giving us a room with two beds and our own bath for the same price as the one with a shared bath that we had reserved....$52 per night. What luck!!!

South Beach

After settling in we hit the street.  We walked along the ocean front and stopped at a bar attracted by a flute/guitar player and $4 mojitos – a drink made with fresh limes and fresh mint mashed together in a dab of sugar water then mixed with a glass full of rum and water. Yum!!

Margie on the beach

Ocean Drive at night

The sun finished going down in a blaze of glory and a full moon shone brightly.  A nice breeze was blowing off the water and the temp was a balmy 70 degrees.  We continued on past on busy restaurant/bar/hotel after another until we arrived at the News Cafe – a long-established, huge, 24-hour bar/restaurant with newspapers from around the world available for purchase.  I had hummus and black bean soup – both excellent. Either would have filled me up.  Margie had a grilled chicken sandwich with portabello mushrooms – also excellent.

We headed back to our hotel down a different street.  By then it was 10 p.m. and people-watching was at a peak.

Back in our room I journaled while Margie read tour information, and we watched a funny movie with George Clooney and Katherine Zeta-Jones about a gold-digger and a divorce attorney.

We went to sleep to the happy sounds of the busy restaurant below us.

Thursday February 24  (Margie's 63^rd birthday)

I was waking up slowly to the sunrise and ocean breezes blowing through the window.  At 7 a.m. sharp someone started a leaf-blower and ran it for 20 long minutes.  Then the street cleaners and garbage collectors arrived followed by the school children.  Time to get up.

After coffee and a bite to eat we walked over to the ocean and soaked up some sun.  Margie sat and played with the sea gulls while I walked up and down the beach.

At 1:45 p.m. we took a four-hour tour of Miami, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Little Havana.  Miami proper has about 350,000 people.  For the most part the downtown appears slick and new.  There is a four-mile rapid transit track for moving folks around town.  It seemed like it was a business center only with not much shopping, but we saw it from the freeway that circles around it, so we could not tell for sure.  Actually I believe our guide told us that there are over 800 retail shops in the area.  Miami is also home to Vizcaya, a 20^th century Italian mansion with gardens that was built by James Deering, a millionaire industrialist connected to International Harvester.

Coconut Grove is the oldest part of Miami.  Most of the houses are modest and old but in good condition.  One of the area's most interesting homes is The Barnacle built by Ralph Monroe in 1891...the first house built in Coconut Grove.

Coral Gables is much more affluent.  The builder so named it because the first houses were built with coral stone from the area, and they had gables. We stopped for a quick look at the Venetian pool that was formed there after the stone was quarried. With a little help from modern man it is now a lovely public swimming pool with two water falls.

On our way to Little Havana we learned that 64% of the population of Dade county speaks Spanish.  Many residents are Cuban, but a large number are from South America.  We stopped for a break near a public park where a number of older men (no women) were playing dominos, checkers, chess and cards.

Pablo, our gorgeous, blue-eyed driver/guide dropped us off for our boat tour of Biscayne Bay that included the Port of Miami (the #1 cruise ship port in the country).  The port has a lot of industrial traffic too. We passed by some posh islands with huge homes of many rich and famous folks such as Gloria Esteban, Julio Eglesias and Shaque O'Neal.  The most opulent home is owned by the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company.

By six we were back at our hotel.  Margie had left her bathing suit in Chicago, so we went in search of a replacement – no luck.  But we did find a good restaurant and enjoyed a delicious fish dinner of mahi mahi.

Full and tired we returned to our room.  While I wrote in this journal two police cars and about six firemen/EMTs showed up.  We could never determine what was happening.

Friday February 25

At 4 a.m. we were awakened by some folks who were still partying at the restaurant right under our window.  When they got into flamenco mode clapping and stomping, I dumped a glass of water out the window.  It worked. They did not retaliate by getting louder.  They left. Later I felt a little badly that I had not handled it with a little more imagination – like a guy my group encountered in Provence France.  We were singing under his hotel window at the much more reasonable hour of 11 p.m. with permission from the management.  He asked us to quit by saying he had to work the next day and made exaggerated and funny gestures to plead with us....so we quit.

Just before 7 a.m. the sidewalk vacuum started going – for only five minutes, thank heaven, but then Margie started snoring, so I figured it was my clue to get up and go for a walk.  It was most pleasant but unremarkable.  When I returned to the room, Margie said there was rain in the forecast, so we decided to get to the beach fast.  However, putting first things first we had a leisurely breakfast at an ocean-front restaurant – the same one where we had the great mojitos.  From what we saw on others' plates we deduced that they served generous portions, so we got an order of salmon and bagel to share.  Indeed, it was plenty for both of us.  The salmon was poached (rather than lox-like) and served warm with capers and a touch of wasabi for flavor and garnish.  Underneath it was our bagel smeared with cream cheese and more cream cheese on the side.

Full and happy we hit the beach about 11 a.m. And stayed for about 1 ½ hours.  Margie sat and read.  I walked.  We noticed that very few people were overweight.  The beaches have clean white sand, clear blue water and no trash.  Ladies can go topless, but we saw few who did.  However, many of the bathing suits left little to the imagination.

Garage

As we walked around the area we saw a 6-story parking garage that was completely covered with vegetation – vines, bushes, and small trees – making it more in harmony with the neighborhood.  Later in the afternoon as we strolled toward out hotel, Margie spotted a bathing suit store and found one in her size that she liked for $80.  A few stores  further she found one she liked even better for $105.  Rather than return the first one, she kept both.  Back at the Clay Hotel we stopped in a neighboring shop for a gelato that cost $5.  YIKES! It was expensive but yummy.  As we ate our treat we watched a little ruckus nearby.  It seems that a Miami police car was involved in a very minor accident with a citizen.  Because of the current popular TV show we paid special attention to the gal with the camera whose shirt said "CSI Miami" (Crime Scene Investigator).  Margie got a  picture. Then we returned to our room to make some trip plans and rest.

CSI Miami

About 8 p.m. we went out for a bite to eat – 2 appetizers and dessert.  Among other things, we discussed suicide – is it selfish? Selfless? An act of despair? A desire to be in control? Or the ultimate "up yours"? We concluded that it depends on the individual and went to our room and to bed.

Saturday February 26

This morning we went to La Folie, a vert French restaurant, for un petit dejeuner.  Margie lived in France for six years and worked for the United Nations.  I have visited there twice.  We both agreed that it is most authentic but not fancy or expensive.

Margie at French Cafe

As we ate out on a sidewalk table a very flamboyantly dressed man and three women walked by.  His hair was long and blonde and piled high on his head with a scarf around it.  His capri jeans' pockets and hems were trimmed with beads.  As fancy as he was, he stopped just short of looking like a cross-dresser.  This led us to a discussion of why some men are so violently opposed to male homosexuals but "get off" to lesbian sexual activity.  Then we began guessing how gays and lesbians might satisfy each other. I imagine we sounded like a couple of curious, naïve pre-teens.  Actually, in this day and age, pre-teens probably know way more than we do about such things.  Margie said that she has a book by a Frenchman who believes that all sexual activity boils down to an exercise of power – not very romantic.

In order to see more of the area and to plan our trip, we took a bus to the car rental part of town where we visited different companies and compared deals.  They were all about the same - $230 for seven days, unlimited mileage.

With that information gathered, we wandered around and came upon an art deco Holiday Inn and went in to see the lobby – and the bathrooms. It was nicely done in blonde wood with art deco furniture, lights and other appointments.  Out back we saw the pool and beyond that the beach.  This section of beach had a boardwalk, so we strolled a bit then headed back to the main street.  Before we knew it we were more than half-way back to our hotel, and we stopped to eat.

Our plan was to go to a yoga class on the beach that Margie had learned about.  I went and got us each a towel then came back to the room to rest.  The mood to take the class passed, and it rained so – no yoga today.  Later we went out for a bite to eat then back to bed.

Sunday February 27

Today we watched Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood then went to an indoor yoga class across the street from our hotel.  The teacher was excellent, and it was a good class.

Margie's young cousin, Estelle, and her husband, Dan, (approx. 30years old) arrived for a visit just as we returned to our room.  They are a cute couple expecting their first baby in August.  She is a sales person for Sysco Foods out of Houston, and Dan is a plumber.  We walked to the beach then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on Oceanside Drive. 

They left about 3:30, and Margie and I returned to our room to firm up plans for the rest of our trip.  We used Frommer's, The lonely Planet, and Florida Travel Saver (a fabulous freebie put out by Burger King.  It has good prices and great maps.)  For awhile we thought we'd have a real hard time getting good rooms at affordable prices.  Many places said that they had no vacancies due to spring breaks and training camps for baseball teams.  However, we did find low-priced rooms available.  We have yet to see what we will get for our money.

Next we made our car rental arrangements.  We chose Budget.  Their quote of $225 for 7 days plus $35 for any additional days dropped to $190 for 9 days when we mentioned we are over 60.  Hurrah for old age!!  That done, we went out to eat and had tappas at a nearby restaurant – then back to our room and to bed.

Monday February 28  South Beach to Naples

The car rental place was unable to send a driver for us because we had not given enough advance notice but said if we took a cab, we'd get a $5 credit – so we did.  Our car was a dusky green Ford Fiesta 4-door for $182 for 9 days.  The price just kept coming down.  What a deal!

Margie and rental car

Our first stop was the News Cafe on Ocean Drive for a final good-bye breakfast.  Our waiter was very pleasant and helpful.  He suggested we take Hwy 41 west to Naples.  He said we would find any number of air boat companies along the way. 

He was right.  They were everywhere.  We picked the first one we came to – Coopertown.  Their publicity said they have been in business over 60 years – same as us.  It was a rather run-down place, but the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable.  A guide with bad teeth and a southern accent pointed me toward the penned up gators in the back.  One was a male stud 38 years old weighing 1200 pounds – most impressive.  He was in a cage with his much smaller mate.  When they produce fertilized eggs, the eggs are removed to an incubator.  The resulting alligators are put out to breed, sent to zoos or "used as decoration or dinner".  At least they are using the farm-raised ones for these purposes rather than taking them from the wild.

Airboat

It was threatening to rain, so I went into the store to get a poncho.  There I met a pretty parakeet named Stinky.  He happily climbed onto my finger then up my arm to my cheek and started giving me kisses.  What a cutie!  The ladies told me about a chicken who wandered up one day, got on an air boat by mistake and wasn't discovered until the tour was well underway.  After that she hung around for a couple of weeks laying a plethora of good eating eggs then disappeared as mysteriously as she had arrived.

Randy-airboat guide

Randy, a good-looking Hispanic man in his 50s was our guide.  Margie and I were his only two passengers, so we were able to stand up front for the very best experience.  It was thrilling – like flying over the water real low.  Blue herons and egrets flew up ahead of us.  We saw plenty of gators.  Randy told us that the Everglades are not a swamp but rather a grass river that flows from north to south at the rate of one mile per day.  We were out on the water for almost an hour as the sun was setting.  It was a beautiful time of day, and it never did rain. The cost of the trip was $16.  We gave him $20 – Big tippers!

Everglades

As we drove toward Naples we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.  Our Quality Inn was on the main route we were following – 41, but we went passed it because their sign light was out.  This was our splurge night.  The room cost us a total of $150.  It was a nice size with two double beds and a balcony overlooking the pool.  We ate sandwiches left over from a previous meal and relaxed in luxury.

Tuesday March 1  Naples to Tampa

Well, despite the fact that we paid $150 the AC/heating unit did not work properly.  It would not stop cooling no matter what Margie did to the thermostat, and the vent was aimed at her head.  Rather than call a repair person at midnight and wake me and have to stay up later herself, she turned her body around and slept with her head at the foot of the bed.

When we got up at 7:30 we reported it then went to breakfast.  It was very good.  In addition to the usual continental fare, they had eggs, sausage, waffles and a free USA Today newspaper all served up in a nice room near the pool.

After breakfast the AC was still cranking, so Margie called the desk again.  This brought and executive-looking woman to the scene.  Of course, it turned right off for her.  Margie took a nap, and I took a walk. When I returned I sat out in front for awhile and noticed that the guests at this hotel are from the other end of the food chain than those at the Clay Hotel.  For the most part they are older and richer. I'd say 90% of the guests were over 60, and most of the cars in the parking lot were upper-end 4-door sedans.

We drove into Naples and strolled around the downtown area.  80% of the people we saw were retired white folks with plenty of money enjoying life.  Margie and I went into one clothing store.  To my surprise and delight all of the clothes were ones I liked.  I could not resist and bought a pair of capris and two t-shirts - $85 - not cheap.  It was such a joy to find clothes that were not ripped, faded or skimpy.

Next we went to the beach and the Naples Pier.  An old man near us hooked a big fish – a 125# drum so said bystanders.  In fact, he could not pull it out of the water without breaking his pole, so he worked it up to the beach.  After some photos were taken two young men unhooked the exhausted fish and took him back into the water where they worked with it until it swam slowly away.  The crowd cheered.

Big fish

Feeling all warm and fuzzy, we took off for Ft. Meyers and the summer homes of Thomas A. Edison and Henry Ford.  We arrived at 4:15 – just after the last tour of the day had started.  However, we did get to see the huge Banyon tree that H. Firestone gave to T. Edison over 80 years ago.

It was time to beat a path to Tampa.  At one point we ran into a long slow-down – maybe 30 minutes when we did not go over 10 mph.  It turned out that there was a gapers' block caused by motorists looking at a wild sow/pig and her 3 babies foraging for food beside the freeway. It was a charming sight, and we gaped too.

We finally arrived at our motel at about 8 p.m.  It looked pretty shabby, and it was, but Malcomb, the clerk, was very nice and helped ease our anxiety.  He and his Puerto Rican wife and daughter, Rose, all live on the premises and seem proud of "their place".  They referred us to some local restaurants, and we chose the Mexican one.  It had a nice decor, and the food was good.

When we returned Malcomb had fixed our remote control.  We had noticed a sign on the office window that said, "No refunds after 10 minutes" and asked him what it meant.  He said that some folks drop in for a quickie (sex) and then try to get out of paying for the room. As he tested the remote control he flipped by channel 46 – the Playboy channel with XXXX-rated sex going on. WOW!

As nice as Malcomb and his family were, we thought we might try to find a nicer place, but the room was big, and the AC/heating unit worked well. The shower was real good (except that the hot and cold knobs were switched), and there was an ice machine and a laundry room.  The cost was $49 per night payable by the night.  No need to make any long term commitments.

Wednesday March 2  Tampa to Clearwater and Tarpon Springs

It was mighty cool when we got up at 8 a.m.- sweater weather for sure.  Margie was moving slowly, so I took a walk over to the University of Tampa campus – 3 blocks away.  What a beautiful and serene place!  The administration building is a refurbished posh hotel built by Henry B. Plant about 100 years ago. ( H. Plant was to the west coast of Florida what Flagler was to the east coast, a developer/builder of railroads and hotels.)  It is huge and elegant.  What a sight to see college students sitting in the lobby  reading and quietly walking the halls.  I immediately picked up brochures and applications for some college-bound teens I know.

Just as I was thinking it was a little too stuffy and wondering where the students go to let loose and have fun I spotted the Rathskeller in the basement of the administration building.  At the entrance was a coffee bar and deli.  Off to the right was a huge area with a regular bar, tables, and two big pool tables.  I asked if it was OK to take food and drink up to the verandah.  The answer was "yes", so I went to get Margie and suggest we have breakfast there.  However, it was a bit of a walk, and Margie wasn't up for it, so we headed off for Clearwater.

Frenchy's

We found a cute restaurant called Frenchy's On The Beach.  Since it was still cool and windy, we sat inside, but many other folks sat outside – mostly smokers.  It was a lively, colorful place with a happy wait staff and good seafood. 

Next we headed north to Tarpon Springs, a famous Greek settlement where harvesting sponges was the main industry back in the 30s.  Now it seems to be tourism.  We enjoyed the shops and people-watching.  Then we drove around to see the big Victorian houses by the bayou then on to Sunset Beach.  There we met a couple from Michigan who were happy to be away from the snow even though it was a cool day in Florida.  It was still pleasant compared to Michigan.  Nonetheless, it was still too cool for us to stick around, so we watched the sunset as we drove to our hotel.  Since there were very few clouds, it wasn't very spectacular anyway. 

We were still full from lunch, so we skipped dinner and went to our hotel and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Thursday March 3  Tampa to St. Pete

While Margie prepped for the day, I took the self-guided walking tour of the University of Tampa.  This time I got to talk to two co-eds.  One was from Florida and the other from Trinidad.  Both were freshmen.  They chose this university because of the location and the size – 5,000.  One girl said her largest class is 22 students.  When I asked why the campus seemed so subdued and quiet, they said it was early.  After 10 a.m. The campus really comes alive.  I had to leave before then. 

Margie and I drove right to St. Pete.  Our first order of business was to find a good breakfast place.  I liked the 1975 tiny hole-in-the-wall.  Margie insisted we go to the bigger place across the street.  She was right.  Besides being bigger, it had more comfortable seating, a greater variety of breakfasts, and a morning newspaper for customers to read while they ate. 

On our way out of the restaurant we stopped and chatted with a darling young man who was having breakfast with his dog.  He suggested we follow the scenic route around the bay and Coffee Pot Bayou.  He said that he and his dog had great luck spotting dolphins and manatees there.  Since it was raining and cold, we knew we would not have such luck, because we had no intention of getting out of the car.  After completing the scenic tour and seeing lots of big waterfront homes, we drove to St. Pete's Beach.  On the way we stopped at Haslam's (huge) Bookstore, family-owned since 1963.  Two sweet kitties greeted customers and accepted homage in the form of petting.

To me St. Pete's Beach wasn't much, especially in the lousy weather, but Margie loved it.

We had hoped to see the Salvador Dahli Art Museum and the Sunken Gardens, but we no longer had time for both, so we opted for the latter.  These gardens were created in the 1920s out of a sink hole by a plumber.  They are lush and rich with palms, boganvilla, geraniums, orchids, and trees of all kinds.  Talk about making lemonade out of a lemon.  Unfortunately it was still cold and rainy, and the gardens are outside, so we sort of rushed through them. 

We had a 5:30 dinner reservation at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa – actually Ybor City.  We thought we would be able to stop at our motel to freshen up before dinner, but weather slowed our drive, so we headed straight for the restaurant. It is the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in the USA still owned by the family that founded it (so they say).  Margie had been here 40 years ago.

We arrived in time to have a cocktail at the bar before dinner.  Our bartender said he was a "Third generation Florida Cracker".  That gave him the ability to assure us that the weather would be better tomorrow. Shortly after 5:30 we moved to the dining room and had a good dinner followed by some pretty good flamenco dancing.

When we left the restaurant the weather had not improved.  We were glad to get back to our motel.

Friday March 4  Tampa to Sarasota

Margie thought it was time for a change of scene and suggested we go to Sarasota and stay there the night.  We called ahead and found a room for $104.  Then we decided to spend two nights in Orlando instead of one and made those arrangements too.

Before leaving town we had to go back to Ybor City and the Columbia Restaurant so I could pick up my jacket that I had left behind the night before.  Then we had breakfast at a nearby Starbuck's

The drive to Sarasota was unremarkable.  We tried to find the Unity Church in Bradenton but, try as we might, we could not, so we gave up and went to see the Keys and the beaches.  Longboat Key had a lot of beach mansions, but we could not see much of them because of all the foliage in their yards.  At Lido Beach we ran into crowds of the over-60s out sunning themselves, eating and shopping.  We joined them for lunch then drove on to Sarasota and our motel.  By the time we got there it was too late to go to the Ringling Brothers' Museum, so, at the suggestion of the motel desk clerk/owner/manager we went to Siesta Beach to watch the sunset. 

Sandcastles

Margie on the beach at sunset

Sunset

While we were waiting for the sun to go down, we watched some folks set up a vine- covered arch, chairs and plants in preparation for a wedding on the beach.  As we walked up and down the beach we came upon two elaborate sandcastles.  The four teens who made one of them proudly posed for a photo.  There were a lot of folks on the beach to watch the sun go down despite the fact that it was cold.  Some had brought a picnic dinner complete with wine...die-hard sunset watchers who know how to enjoy a beautiful evening.

On our way back to our motel we stopped at a new Greek restaurant for a bite.  An older man sitting alone at the next table struck up a conversation with us.  We learned that his name was Mack, and he was from Chicago – The Gold Coast area – But had lived in Sarasota over 30 years.  He said that in Chicago he had lived at Division and Lakeshore Drive in a house that had been owned by Abe Lincoln's son, Todd.  He had graduated from the Goodman Theater School and then taught there until he moved to Florida.  He had met many famous personalities in his day and was full of interesting stories. We listened to all we could, but we were pooped and wanted to get back to our motel, so we bid him good bye.

©Copyright 2005 by Patricia N. Billings

See next issue for Part II

Billings Biography

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