florida

super bowl vice city

/ travelingdocs / Leave a comment
IMG_9229.jpeg

south beach bringing the heat

I had every intention of writing a new blog post on Sunday to post today.  That did not happen as I spent the day devastated over the news of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death.   Kobe was one of my childhood idols, as a kid who grew up in Southern California, he was everything.  The greatest Laker to have ever played.  An icon who was more magic than Magic even.  Kobe Shaq early 2000s was the most dominating Little Big duo of all time, and I’ve had many great memories watching those games and championships.

We broke down all the games, bought the jerseys, reveled in the parades.  I always imagined Kobe as an elder NBA statesman, ushering in young talent of the league, he had seemed untouchable and invincible.  And the unexpectedness is maybe what hurts most, because he had so much ahead of him.  His daughter and the other victims as well.  It’s senseless, it’s so sad and it hurts.  RIP Kobe.

download

Based on Kobe’s philosophy, the Mamba Mentality, he would’ve probably said well, life goes on, let’s get to the next stage.  And that stage happens this weekend in Miami at Super Bowl LIV.  And perhaps that’s what we should do, LIV it up because tomorrow is certainly not guaranteed for any of us.

Welcome to Miami…

Continue reading →

day tripping coral gables

/ travelingdocs / 1 Comment

IMG_8626.jpeg

Coral Gables is the leafy suburb of Miami that will remind you of one thing: Golden Girls. Yes, this was the likely backdrop of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia’s adventures in the beloved sitcom, although their exact location is never expressly stated.

All of the houses look like the house the four women shared, ranch style and marvelous with palms and monstera and banana leaves everywhere. But, Coral Gables is more than a very affluent suburb. It is where the University of Miami Hurricanes (the U) are located and surprisingly, a lot of cultural gems. It’s also the home of del Monte and Bacardi.

traveled down the road and back again…

Continue reading →

Bienvenido a Miami: Parte 1

/ travelingdocs / Leave a comment
IMG_9229.jpeg

south beach bringing the heat

I may be the only person who goes to Miami for the architecture. Context: Miami is not my favorite place. I don’t enjoy nightlife (I am a million years old), scantily clad people (I will never own or wear a body stocking, no one wants to see this) or loudness (both in sounds and personalities). I get you, Miami, but you’re not always my type. When you’re still, you’re lovely, but you can get crazy so fast. Too temperamental.

I think when you’re young and you go there, it’s a lot of pressure to go out and party, but you know what?   In your 30s, you no longer give AF. And that, my friends, is growing up.

Welcome to Miami…

Continue reading →

how to survive Disneyworld

/ travelingdocs / 1 Comment

IMG_1075.jpeg

Having grown up a stone’s throw from Disneyland, the house of mouse has somewhat lost its luster on me as an adult.  I know, I know, I bet a lot of you are appalled.

For the rest of you sane lot, I just can’t reconcile spending a car payment for a day standing in lines around hordes of strangers (read: I’m old and apparently too sensible to have any fun).  And living so close to Disneyland, I can hear and sometimes see the fireworks from my house every night at 9:30 PM, so I get to reap the benefits without having to withstand the hassle.  I haven’t been since I was 18.  And trust me, that was a LONG time ago.

That being said, I get it.  People love going to Disneyland…they don’t call it the happiest place on earth for nothing.  It’s a place where whimsy and magic exists, for patrons of all ages.  A microcosm where you can forget the outside for a moment and just have fun. And if you have kids?  It’s definitely a fantastic experience for them.  Who doesn’t want to give their kids the world?

And even though I may be biased as a born and bred Anaheim native, I can still admit that Disneyworld beats our original Disneyland handily.  First of all, there’s 6 parks to our 2.  Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.  You do have to travel to Orlando though, so I guess that’s the trade off 😉

Disneyworld is an actual a world of its own with hotels, transportation, lakes, security, grocery stores, etc.  I think it’s has its own government (obviously Mr. Mouse is a despot).  And although it is a resort…lest you think you’ll be having a relaxing vacation, you are sorely mistaken.  More a rat race, these trips are a whirlwind of multiple parks, characters and Mickey themed everything.  It’s a mousetrap! And it is basically a rite of passage for all families these days (youtube disneyworld trip reveals and then hate yourself afterwards).  Yay gross consumerism!

M-I-C…see ya real soon

Continue reading →

know before you go: Orlando (MCO)

/ travelingdocs / Leave a comment

With the devastation of Hurricane Irma hitting our friends in Florida, a tribute to one of the most family friendly airports seems appropriate.  It’ll take time to rebuild the cities affected by the hurricane, but again, Floridians and those from all over who are drawn to this vibrant community will be heading back into Orlando to enjoy all of the sights it has to offer in no time.

It’s no surprise that this is one of the busiest airports in the US.  I feel like every person I know has been here at least once, if not with your parents on your way to Disney World, then as a parent on your way to Disney World.  Only 6 miles from the city, MCO features one main terminal split into two concourses, A and B.  Each concourse is split into two airsides, 1 and 2 in A and 3 and 4 in B, totaling about 130 gates (it’s huge).  Confused yet?

A services flights from Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest, Virgin as well as Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Azul, Copa, Norwegian and Westjet.  B contains flights from America, Delta, Spiriti, United.  International flights on Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates, IcelandAir, Lufthansa, and Virgin operate out of airside 4 in this terminal.

That may sound like a conundrum, but everything is connected to the main hub by people movers, which makes things pretty simple.   The whole central part of airport is like a huge mall with a big food court.  There’s a ton of things to see and eat here and the majority of food is before security, which is nice for variety sake.  There’s 7 places where you can get frozen treats including 2 Carvels, 2 Pinkberrys.  There’s almost every type of fast food option (Chick Fil-A, Burger King, McDonald’s, Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s) and a few sit downs: Cask & Larder, Macaroni Grill, McCoy’s, On the Border, Outback Steakhouse.  There are also several airline lounges and spas in the event that you need some me time after having a theme park bonanza during your stay in FL.

If you forgot to buy your mouse ears or Harry Potter wand, don’t despair, there’s Disney Store, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and all sort of toy stores to get your last bit of money spent before you leave this magical land of attractions.  The main thing is that this airport was designed to occupy your kids during layovers.  It makes this airport an attraction on its own, not to be missed.

Remember: ✈️ = animal kingdom to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = happiest place on earth

Convenience from city: ✈️✈️✈️ (a lot of direct transportation options if you’re staying at any of the resorts, but a bus line travels to the city)

Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (people movers are a plus, but navigating through strollers and children can be like a mini-obstacle course)

Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️ (lines can be very long and there’s no fast pass here, but there’s precheck/clear to help)

Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (may not have the most upscale dining, but there’s a ton of variety)

Bathrooms: ✈️✈️✈️ (many family restrooms available)

Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️  (free wifi)

Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (lots of mall type stores, Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center store, onsite Hyatt, play areas, United/Delta/American lounges, XPress Spas)

IMG_4477

famous local celebrity spotted in airport