Someday I will live in FL
I thought SC would be much warmer than it is (we did no research on the weather - just, you know, everything else).
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Oh wow.
Here all this time I thought it was because you’re Scott from Florida.
Color me surprised.
Now I want to watch Brave.
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Looks like a great start!!
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Yay!! Happy to follow along. I generally get behind on TRs but catch up on the manageable ones.
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Weather today 81 and sunny… off to the beach! The sun was strong - good thing we’d brought suntan lotion and sunglasses, and the hotel lends out beach chairs.
I knew from conversations with @ScottFL to expect a warm ocean temp, and sure enough, it was 74 on the lifeguard’s chalkboard. That’s warmer than the Jersey shore in summer! So I went in the water and just soaked up the warmth …
… until DW called me and we sat and chilled and stared at the ocean.
It’s a beautiful light blue / aqua color, similar to the Caribbean. Very calming. Some seagulls came by looking for a handout.
After all that sun we were ready for some shade, so following a light lunch we moved to the hotel pool & garden. We found a shady spot under some palm trees and DW spotted a pair of doves, remarking that doves mate for life. Romantic moment 
For dinner we went to Miami Street Kitchen, a relatively new kosher steakhouse with great reviews. DD had the ribeye with mushrooms, DW went with the strip steak and truffle fries, and I chose the surprise steak with mashed potatoes.
All 3 were very tender and juicy and service was prompt. Everyone was happy, especially after a glass of wine.
While we were eating, this Rolls Royce pulls up and parks adjacent to our table! I’ve never seen a Rolls this close before. Reminds me that not far from here is Bal Harbor, a fancy neighborhood which we’ll go check out later tonight.
We score a box of sufganiyot (Hanukkah donuts) and head back to the hotel to light the menorah in the courtyard 
DD is beat, so she heads back to the room to turn in. DW and I head out to the Bal Harbour Shops, a super swanky collection of department stores and boutiques. It’s built around an open air courtyard and garden that’s integrated into the design, so you’re outdoors but it feels like indoors.
Our CO2 monitor indicates excellent ventilation, so we don’t wear our N95’s until we spot a Burberry’s store and go in. Maybe I can find one of these $525 teddy bears @sanstitre_has_left_the_building was talking about a while back?
Well, no teddy bear but I do find a couple suspiciously similar looking belts. Poor Teddy, I hope they didn’t chop him up for parts. 
Off to bed - tomorrow the weather forecast is still in the 70’s, but with a chance of rainstorms, so we’ll play it by ear.
Yes, exactly right. The party was put on by the big Chabad synagogue, called The Shul (Note to others: Shul means synagogue in yiddish). My daughter’s also super into Challah. I bought some here at Grove’s, we’ll see how it compares to back home 
Thanks for the heads up. Miami too is scheduled to cool off this weekend, with temps in the 50’s. Orlando will be in the 30’s though, so glad we’re in Miami til Tuesday!
I can relate! We would like to spend more time in FL in future, especially in winter.
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Excellent start to the trip!
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I must have said it wrong then - that is not warm ocean water. I’m surprised ice wasn’t floating in it.
But I’m glad you’re having a good time anyway.
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Friday morning was rainy, so DW and I went to Target to pick up a few necessaries. On the way back, our Uber driver turned out to be knowledgeable about Disneyworld so we had an interesting discussion about park reservations. It was good to “talk shop”!
The weather cleared around noon, so we went to get some lunch from The Grove, which is like a kosher Whole Foods. They had a panini counter, and DW and I got veggie cheese paninis, while DD had a tuna melt panini. Super yummy with crusty bread and a garlic mayo sauce!
For dessert we hit up Serendipity, the ice cream parlor next door, which had a flavor I’ve never seen before: Gingerbread! Tasted like… well, a cold smooth gingerbread cookie. Paired well with a scoop of Nutella. DW approved!
The temperature was 78 and the forecast showed clear for the next couple hours, so we went to the beach one more time before the colder weekend weather arrived. Sky was a beautiful blue color with beautiful cloud patterns 
DD on the phone with her boyfriend. I can tell she likes him bc her eyes are closed while she talks 
Water temp was 74 which is warm by Jersey standards!
Afterwards it was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the Sabbath, which starts at ~sunset. We don’t use electric devices on the Sabbath so no pics to share, but I did meet one interesting fellow tourist in synagogue from Memphis, TN. First time I’ve met a Jew with a southern accent, and it was a good opportunity to expand boundaries, as Jews come from all colors and backgrounds
Weather is in the 50’s which is cold for Miami, but still much warmer than anywhere else on the east coast, so we feel fortunate to be here 
I guess it’s all a question of what you’re used to, eh? Growing up we used to go to beaches in Ogunquit, ME with ocean temps on the 60’s, but as a kid I didn’t care. Now I refuse to go to the Jersey shore before July 4th b/c I want it in the 70’s. Though, DW feels validated by your statement since she refuses to go in the ocean unless it’s in the 80’s
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It’s always nice to remember religion doesn’t come with a uniform. I remember the first time I saw the congregation leaving the Jehovahs Witness Kingdom Hall near my house. I was absolutely floored that the entire congregation was black. Apparently a very large portion of the faith is too. All I’d ever experienced before was the stereotypical white kid on the bike witnessing to people a la The Book of Mormon so that came as a big shock to me. Turns out we’re all more similar than we’d ever believe.
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Unless your a priest. 
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Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday and new year to those celebrating Xmas!
Today in Miami it was cloudy with a high of only ~50, and with most places being closed, we had to be a bit creative for things to do. This morning I went for a bike ride on the beach bicycle path, leveraging CitiBike Miami’s bicycle sharing program. It’s not the same system as Citibike NYC, but still a good deal at $6.95 for a 1 hour ride, and with a dock around the corner from our hotel, very convenient.
The bicycle path is made of hard packed sand and runs parallel to the beach, with great views of the ocean. I really enjoy bicycle riding; the mental stimulation of controlling the bike and seeing more scenery/minute than walking almost makes me forget I’m exercising
In the afternoon, we headed over to the Wynwood art district, which has a lot of top-caliber street art, mostly murals on walls. The museum was closed, so I downloaded a self-guided walking tour on the gpsmycity app. We saw some really impressive murals, including one of Chewbacca, another for Arcade1up, a local retro-arcade game manufacturer, and of course the obligatory panda 
On the way back in the Uber I snapped this pic of downtown. Cue Miami Vice intro music 
For dinner, with the lower temperatures outdoor dining wasn’t looking too feasible, so we got some amazing burgers to go from Mendel’s Backyard BBQ & Brew. Perfectly-medium cooked, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, beef bacon, vegan cheddar, and fried egg to crown it all. (Note: kosher does not mix meat & dairy, hence the vegan cheese.) I knew something special was up when they even asked how we wanted the egg (runny, over easy, sunny side up, hard yolk) and even more pleased that the burgers were exactly as ordered via toasttab and ready for pickup in 15 minutes, as promised. Juiciest best burgers ever!
Tonight I’ll go over our Disney touring plans again and make final revisions - we’re scheduled to leave for Orlando Tuesday, when it should be a bit warmer!
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I don’t have a lot to comment on, but I wanted you to know I’m very much enjoying your TR.
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Our last day in Miami was rainy and cold (by local standards) at 55 but I’ll take it. As the old Montreal saying goes, better rain than snow 
This morning DD had pain in her ear so we took her to Medrite urgent care. We use Medrite at home and have been very satisfied with them. They gave her a prescription and she is feeling better 
As it happens there were a number of kosher restaurants near Medrite, and DW found Pita Loca, a yummy Middle Eastern grill place for lunch. We each had a “laffa” - a large homemade fluffy pita - containing schwarma or shnitzel (thinly sliced chicken breast, breaded and fried) and vegetables. The owner took great pride in his cooking, and urged us to try the mushroom hummus and fries, which were amazing and made us very happy!
Normally we avoid eating indoors, but in this case we were the only customers in the restaurant - it was early for lunch - and our CO2 monitor readings were below 600, indicating great ventilation. This little device is going to help us in WDW later.
Afterwards we walked around for a bit. DD came across this car with an interesting paint job. Maybe an upgrade to Subaru’s ‘eyesight’ system? 
The rain was lessening, so we want to the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall that had lots of outdoor shelter and things to see.
Last day of Hanukkah
Saying goodbye to the beach 
For our last dinner in Miami we ordered from The Fresh Carrot, which specializes in fish and vegetarian options. DW had a Mahi Mahi fire wrap, DD had a salmon burger with a side of plantains, and I had an organic tofu wrap with sprouts. I’m more of a meat & potatoes guy, but these veggies, I’ll eat!
We’ll miss Miami’s warmer temperatures and kosher dining options, but we’re looking to the next stage in our trip and the Disney energy. Tomorrow we’ve got to be up early to catch the Amtrak Silver Meteor which is scheduled to take us to Orlando!
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Sounds like Miami has been good to you guys! Glad you were able to get meds for DD. I get sinus/ear infections a lot and they are so painful. Best to care for them before heading to the most magical place on earth!
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Does Amtrak go to Nashville, by chance? Just thinking of options for our stranded liners.
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Not Nashville, but Amtrak does go through Memphis with service to Chicago and New Orleans. Full route map is here.
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We arrived at Miami Amtrak station at 7:15AM. The Silver Meteor leaves at 8:10AM and takes about 5 hours to get to Orlando, which works for us because of a combination of factors:
- We don’t like driving over 90 minutes
- Airplane could work, but isn’t much faster after security and baggage checks
- We used points to book private rooms, which are very comfortable and also good from a COVID risk standpoint
- I’m a fan of trains
We were lucky to be put in a Viewliner II sleeper car, one of Amtrak’s newest. DW was definitely pleased with the space, which included a private bathroom and shower.
DD took a nap in her roomette… she said the rhythmic sounds of the train put her right to sleep 
Meals are included, and they even offer kosher food. Though frozen, it was among the better kosher travel meals we’ve had. Like what you might get if you ordered kosher in international business class. DD ate up all of hers, even the green beans!
You have a great view bc the sleeper cars are 1.5x as high as coach cars, with dual level windows. As the scenery serenely went by I started to stack LL’s for evening at Epcot with Merlock’s help. Our goals are GotG, FEA, TT, and Remy. Got FEA and GotG $ILL at about 9, then placeholders at 11 and 1 to modify later.
Arriving at Orlando station we had to claim our checked bags… except fam was busy on their devices… c’mon people get off the doo-dad, I need some help here!
After getting our rental car and making a grocery stop at Publix we headed to Cabana Bay. Check-in was fast, it’s been a concern at CBBR in the past, but they had a lot of agents working the counters and I waited just 10 minutes. We got a room in Starlight on 2nd floor, near elevator so it’s quick to get to our car, and hopefully quiet too as it’s some distance away from pool music.
The family suite tri-split bath, almost like having 2 bathrooms.
DD’s been a great help working with Merlock to get our stack of LL’s built up. We’ve got FEA and TT and are about to get Remy but it goes down before we can book it. TT then also goes down but we at least get an Anytime out of that. After a quick dinner we head off to Epcot at 6:00. Traffic is heavier than usual, it takes about 30 minutes but we’re all cheered by this sight:
Parking booths are closed so we drive on by and get a spot near front of lot.
First up is GotG.
I enjoyed it - it felt like a replatforming and updated retelling of Space Mountain with a Guardians of the Galaxy movie theme, which we’re all fans of. The rotating vehicles are an interesting twist - I didn’t feel the motion that much until I got off. DD was absolutely thrilled. The look of magic on her face reminded me of why we come here.
Then, off to FEA in Norway. I think I heard some actual Norwegian spoken by the CM’s there. This was our first time on this ride - DD’s a Frozen fangirl - and DW really enjoyed it, as well. I thought the animatronics were excellent, and the theming in the waiting area is amazing the way it makes you think you’re outside. The nice man behind us in the LL offered to take our picture.
Afterwards, DW and DD wanted to go next door to China to shop in House of Good Fortune. DD spotted a flower headpiece she wanted which paired well with this fan.
By this time it was 9:00 so walked back towards the entrance to do TT. DD’s car scored 212 which was an improvement over last year where we didn’t break 200. The fact that Dad had no hand in this year’s car design may have had something to do with that!
So overall I feel pretty good on the night, we got 3 out of 4 rides on our list - with Remy still to do, but that couldn’t be helped b/c it was down for a very long time. We’ll get another shot at Remy Thursday, but tomorrow is our big DHS day, where we finally (we hope) get to do Rise!
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The GIF of your daughter’s reaction to GoTG says it all. 
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It was my reaction as well!
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I’ve always wanted to take the train somewhere, until I realize getting there and back would take up all of my vacation time. This is a great alternative.
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