YUCATAN DISCOVERY BLOG - DAY 3 MIAMI

DAY 3 MIAMI - HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year's to family and friends.

---

Happy New Year's to family and friends.

We celebrated New Year's Eve the same way we did on two other prevoius occasions while staying in Miami over New Years Eve.  We had dinner at Truluck's.  
​

Truluck's specializes in seafood and steak.  They have eleven locations mainly in Florida and Texas.  They opened the Miami location in 2010 and we celebrated New Years Eve at this location on 12/31/2011 and 12/31/2013.  

On New Year's Eve Truluck's offer a set menu with four courses.  This includes an appetizer, salad, entree and a dessert to share with one other person.

​A copy of the menu follows.  You can make it larger by clicking on it.
​

---

We were seated in a quiet corner area towards the back of the restaurant.  There was live woman vocalist on piano playing towards the front area of the restaruarnt in the bar which we could still hear very well.  

Everything was amazing between the cuisine, ambience and the service.  Because we dined early we were not rushed and even took about a thirty minute break betwen the entree and dessert at the suggestion of the waiter.  It was an excellent suggestion as we needed time to digest our meal.  

We enjoyed the way some of the courses were presented including the appetizer and entree and dessert.

After close to forty years of marriage we do think alike as we ordered the same items.

We began our meal with jumbo shrimp cocktail.  These were truly jumbo in size and they were served over dried ice so there was smoke which you can see in the photo.  Our next course was a sonoma green salad.  Our main course was a South African Lobster Tail.  We had the lobster the first time we dined here for New Years Eve and have now had it all three times we have dined at this location.  We shared dessert and went with the Baked Alaska.  

​Complimenary flutes of champagne accompanied the meal.  They came around and took a photo of us as a momento of the evening and we were each given a small box of candy as we left the restaurant.  All in all we had a wonderful dining experience.

After dinner we walked back to the Hotel.  It's about a ten minute walk.  We passed many people who were in festive clothng on their way to and from dinner and other New Year's Eve events.  Some people were in very trendy attire and some who we saw while we walked and in the lobby of the hotel looked like they were out of a fashion magazine.

There was a New Years Eve concert that was held at Bayside Park which is a short walk from the hotel.  Ironically it featured PitBull.  We say this because a signature of Keith's indoor cycling classes that he instructs includes one song at each class featuring PitBull.

We could hear the fireworks from our room.

We hope that each of you enjoyed New Years Eve and we wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy new year. 

We enjoyed breakfast at the club lounge.  We kept our first breakfast of the new year simple as we did for our last breakfast of 2016.  We had cereal and a banana with water and coffee.  

First up for the day was a visit to Miami Beach.  We began by having the Taxi Driver drop us off that the beginning of South Beach where the art deco hotels are located.  The street was closed off to traffic as it normally is for a few days.  Restaurants can place outdoor tables in the street.  From there we walked North with the ocean/beach on our right.  We arrived to the pathway which starts with brick and then eventually becomes a wooded boardwalk.  On our last visit two years ago we saw several new hotels/condominiums in various stages of construction and today they were all complete.  We walked a few miles and then we began walking South via Collins Avenue.   

We stopped at the Holocaust Memorial which we had last visited in 2010.  It was opened in 1990.  We stopped and silently prayed for all who lost their lives during the Holocaust and to all the families that were impacted due to this senseless and horrific act of terror.  

From the memorial we walked toward Lincoln Road passing the The Filmore at Miami Beach Jackie Gleason Theater, and Temple Emanuel.  We walked Lincoln Road and a portion of this road is always closed to motor vehicles.  Lots of people were out and about enjoying the beautiful weather and many were having breakfast outdoors and in various dining venues.  

We wanted to share a short story about our drive back to the Epic Hotel.

We flagged down a taxi and got in for the drive back to the Epic Hotel.  At one point the driver turned right at a traffic light that was red and we could hear what seemed to be a police siren.  The driver seemed unsure if the police officer wanted him or someone else to stop.  After another block it was clear the driver wanted him to stop.  When the driver approached the taxi he said that this was going to take a few minutes and from what we could tell the taxi driver was driving with an invalid drivers license.  Well, every adventure has a first.  We got out of the vehicle, paid the driver for the short drive and walked back to Collins Avenue and flagged another taxi.  This time we made it back to the hotel with no incident.  Maybe it is time for us to use Uber. 

We then walked from the Hotel over to Whole Foods and we picked up salad entrees to bring back to our room for lunch.

---

---

Later in the afternoon we went back for another long walk.  This time we walked the area of Mary Brickell Village and also Bayside.  We looked inside some stores, took in the scenery, people watched, enjoyed the weather, and enjoyed a quiet walk with each other.  There were lots of people out and about wherever we went.  We also spoke with our daugher Jennifer.

We ended up walking 13.5 miles today.  A nice way to start the New Year and we enjoyed wonderful weather, a great conversation and an all-around terrific day.  The good news is the day is not yet over.

Today's Thought For The Day.......
 
As we begin 2017 we are reminded that the year 2016 including its close brought the passing of many well-known public figures.  Several were much too young to leave us.   Many of us also lost loved ones and other people we know.
 
Since none of us knows precisely when our own final chapter will be written, we are reminded of the importance of not putting off until tomorrow those things we can do today, and to make each day count as if it is our last.
 
Keith & Anne Marie