December 2017
After our amazing time in the Bahamas we decided that we wanted to explore the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area. We just figured since we were in Florida we may as well check it out.
Andrew writes: I was really worried about the cycling aspect of South Florida, having read a lot of bad blog posts from other cyclists. I shouldn’t have worried, it was fine. Fort Lauderdale and Miami both had quite different flavours. I really enjoyed Ft Lauderdale though, it was pretty chill. Miami just seemed….dirty – except for the Wynwood Walls. South Beach was very…interesting. Lots of skimpy bikinis, but a distinct lack of hard-body muscle men.
Amanda writes: We came back from the Bahamas and picked up our bikes and gear from Ray and Denise. As we did this I was reminded how incredibly lucky we were that they helped us out. They truly made this whole thing possible. So after getting our gear we cycled to Miami where we rented an Air BnB for a week to explore Miami. I liked Miami and learned that Miami beach is considered a whole different city. We explored many beach areas and some of the art districts too.
After visiting Miami we made our way to Fort Lauderdale where we had a one month house sit. We settled into a beautiful home with a beautiful show dog and enjoyed a relaxing daily routine. Our dogs name was Tango and he was such a treat to hang out with. Combined with at least two walks a day I played a beautiful baby grand piano for at least 2 hours a day. I played the piano as a child and fell in love with it again. It’s too bad that we can’t carry one with us, but it certainly makes me think if we ever settle down I’m getting one. We spent December enjoying the beautiful area we were staying in and had such a nice relaxing time.
At the end of our month in Florida I found I preferred Fort Lauderdale to Miami. I found Miami to be a big city with lots of poverty and a bit run down. I much preferred Fort Lauderdale and would suggest this is where the money is in South Florida; at least between these two cities. We had the opportunity to head to Key West and decided against it due to the recent hurricane. The city was still recovering and even some locals didn’t have homes so we thought now wasn’t the right time. While it was beautiful it was too hot and humid for me. It was a wonderful experience and I’m glad we stayed here.