When my husband travels for work, I often accompany him. During this trip, my sister met us in Miami for part of the time. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that my sister would join me to keep me company while my husband attended his conference. My baby sister and I had never been on vacation together. Since we were teenagers, we haven’t lived in the same place. I live in Colorado with my husband and son, while she resides in Puerto Rico with our family.
My husband and I visited a Cuban restaurant when we arrived in town. Latin food is one of the few things I miss about living in Miami. The Cuban restaurants in Colorado aren’t authentic enough to compare. The hotel concierge recommended Sazon Cuban Cuisine on Collins Avenue and it was delicious.
Following breakfast, we spent some time by the pool at the hotel. In the hotel, there are three adult pools where guests can cool off and relax. Our evening continued with dinner and clubbing after we showered, changed, and got dressed. A Peruvian restaurant called Ceviche caught our attention. There was amazing food at an affordable price. Mango’s, a popular club with live Latin bands and performers, was the next stop after dinner. Shows are entertaining despite the ten dollar cover charge and expensive drinks. It features a small dance floor, but there’s always room on the walkways for dancing!
Sunday after breakfast, we went to South Beach for lunch and shopping. Zara, one of my favorite stores, has two locations there. My suitcase already had plenty of room for shopping.
During lunch, my husband and I went to the pool, and shortly thereafter, he was off to his conference. One of the hotel’s cozy restaurants, Pizza and Burger, was where I ate dinner on my own.
Before nine a.m., my sister was in the lobby while my husband was off to his conference. I was overjoyed! After breakfast, my sister and I took an Uber to South Beach, and then the real shopping began. Afterwards, we enjoyed cooling off by the pool and drinking beverages.
My sister and I chose El Patio Wynwood bar and club for dinner. This is an excellent choice. I enjoyed the food, the atmosphere, and the music even more. South Florida’s energy is also something I miss since leaving over 20 years ago. We had a wonderful night. I stayed up until 2 a.m. That’s way past my normal bedtime in Colorado.
After breakfast, we headed out onto the boardwalk to see what it had in store. Our lunch spot on Collins Avenue was a very small Cuban cafe. Our long walk gave us much-needed exercise, so we headed to the beach to soak up the hot Miami sun.
At dinner, we ate pizza at the same hotel’s pizza restaurant we ate at the night before. Of all the hotel’s restaurants, I found it to be the most affordable. We drove to downtown Miami after dinner. We ended up in a sports bar with great mojitos and salsa music. My flight back to Denver was at 11 am, so we had a few drinks, danced a bit, and called it a night early.
There are no words to describe how much fun I had in Miami with my sister those few days. We had never done anything like that before.
As far as the Fontainebleau is concerned, I could not connect my father to it as far as his ever working there goes, but spending time there with my sister made us feel closer to him. Despite the old building’s historical charm, among its marble floors and rich architecture, I thought the hotel was outdated for its $300 per night price. The location was far from bars and restaurants. Nevertheless, it was a great experience and I’m grateful for our time there.
