Viva Miami!!

We needed a quick getaway. 

We had just "sold" the house. The first house I'd bought, the first house that my son would remember, the house to so many memories of the last 10 years and we moved. My son now had changed schools,  for the first time he would be around new kids, first time out of his and my comfort zone of schools and teachers. I was on the brink of quitting my job that I had been on for almost 13 years and not to forget Ms. Aubrey, so you see it.. We had a lot going on.

We needed a break.... I needed a break. Taking a break doesn't always have to be across the country or world. My favorite take a break spot is MIAMI. The energy down there is amazing, you feel like you can conquer the world and it was just what I needed.

We did not do the typical things ie: go the the beach and wet willies. We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, super luxe hotel. We had an amazing view of  Biscayne Bay. We ate at a great brunch spot in Wynwood, this place was apparently known for their chicken and waffles (yes I indulged) and they had different types of mimosas not the menu (we each had pineapple, cucumber and pear nectar) which wasn't such a great idea to do since we decided we would walk through Wynwood to see the street art in the cool 90+ plus degree weather.  Nonetheless we survived.

At Wynwood walls, a place renowned for its street art, they had a great exhibit from the Taj Mahal, which was absolutely breathtaking. There was other street art to be seen, including a mural dedicated to Mr. 45 himself (pictures below.) We relaxed at the Clevelander and watched ladies get body painted and football of course. LOL We took late night walks through downtown Miami.

(BTW did you know there is a tram you can take to get around the city and its FREE!, who knew?)

All in all, it was a great time to go and relax and release. Think and talk.

Keep up with my blog for more adventures.

#travelagent #travelwithme #travellingwhileblack #blackandtravelling

Bon bini Aruba!

For our anniversary (March,) we visited Aruba. It is a 20 mile long, 6 mile wide island and there is so much to do on the small island.
We visited during Carnival and this is such an exciting time for the island and all Caribbean Islands. Carnival was such a treat! Families and companies sponsor spaces along the parade route and people camp out for an entire day for the parade. Since we didn't know anyone, we 'bought' some seats from a gentleman that had a booth set up, he had some local treats (complimentary), a bar and food for purchase. This was great because we were right near the front of the route and some shade because the sun was blazing. I was shocked to find out that literally everyone participates in the parade; old, young, all nationalities, those with disabilities, EVERYONE was either in the parade or watching. That was great to see.

The next day was a holiday, as the locals rested from Carnival, we visited the Arikok National Park. I would highly recommend when you visit the part, you use an ATV. The terrain of the park is more suitable for an ATV, we rented a car and I was afraid I was going to kill it after all the rocks, bumps and dips we went through. The park is beautiful and you can spend an entire day there as well. There are caves, sand dunes, desert like terrain, goats, natural streams with fish that nibble at the bottom of your feet and so much more.

There are many beaches along the island, I encourage you to visit many of them on different sides of the island. Aruba thrives off of cruise tourism so a lot of the shopping is in strip malls, the restaurants do not stay open late. There are all types of food cuisines there, we actually had a hard time finding a seafood restaurant but when we did! We chose the right one. The food and service was AMAZING.

The weather was perfect, hot with a nice breeze. They happily took our US money and gave us change in Florins.

The getaway was just what we needed!

Are you ready to travel? Contact me to help you plan your next trip!