Ahmet Erkun

We arrived at the Best Western Plus to a zoo! The lobby was packed with guests waiting their turn for the shuttle … both airport and cruise port … a greater number for the latter.

When we went to check in, they had a room available for Deniz. Not for us, however, as I had booked a suite … on the assumption that we’d be spending the day in our room … a plan that had changed when Deniz told us that this was his first time in Miami. So, we left our bags in his room and off we went to wander around Miami … hoping the weather would cooperate.

The easiest way to get into Miami is to use the Metrorail/driver-less Metromover combo from the rail station at the airport intermodal center. At least that was our experience in the past. Not so much this time.

As it turns out, the orange line that goes from the airport into the city does not run on Sundays. Instead, it operates as a single-stop shuttle to/from Earlington Heights. Normally, switching to the green line would have been easy peasy, but today they were experiencing technical difficulties. The result? The trains were single tracking … with delays. The good news? The southbound train arrived within a few minutes and we were quickly on our way into the city. Northbound? We weren’t so lucky later when we were ready to return to the hotel

Anyway, we switched to the Inner Loop Metromover at Government Center for the rest of our ride. By 11:30a, we were strolling the waterfront at Bayfront Park. Our search for a place for lunch ended at Kuba Cabana at Bayside Marketplace … good food; loud music. The market umbrella protected us from the occasional spritzing … until it was time for dessert. At which point, a sudden downpour had us scurrying to a better protected table. Luckily that shower was of short duration, but it pretty much set the weather pattern for the next few hours.

After lunch, we headed towards Brickell, following the River Walk Trail … stopping to get snacks in lieu of dinner at the hotel. A coffee break at the food truck park (aka Brickell Park) seemed in order next. Our aching feet welcomed the chance to sit … our bodies welcomed the warmth of the sunshine. That the area was protected from the stiff winds plaguing Miami today was a bonus.

Completing our stroll, we reversed our travel route from this morning and — after a myriad of delays — got back to the hotel around 5:45p …ready for a quiet evening and a good night’s rest.

Tomorrow, Deniz will be heading home to Missouri … via Houston. We have a non-stop flight to Colorado.

For all intents and purposes, this trip is almost over.Les mer