Sizzling hot - South Beach, Miami

Miami, South Beach, , Americas Riviera of the east coast – attracts millions every year. The two of us spent some quality time there last weekend, seeking to combine business with some (just a tad bit) pleasure.

As we entered Miami Dade County, we were reminded of hanging chads and the fiasco, which made US the laughing stock for a good eight years. Infamy …notoriety call it what you may! At least there are lots of 9 year old Chads walking around now…. There were signs all over of the upcoming Super Bowl XLIV, the city was all decked up in anticipation.


We found ourselves in South Beach - palms swaying over the artistic angles of a world of deco delight, tropical Bohemia at its finest. Hang out of photographers, supermodels, artists, entrepreneurs, hipsters, movie stars, tycoons, queens -  South Beach is about 23 blocks between Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. We were in the Art Deco district. This is the heart of Miami, pretty much everything is within walking distance. This district offers some unique architecture. It was considered ultramodern and chic back in 1920s and 1930s with neoclassical styles and application of exotic motifs such as flora, fauna, and fountains based on geometric patterns. It is gone totally retro now. These structures were in danger of being demolished in the 70s, but designers then began highlighting long-lost architectural details with soft sherbet shades of peach, turquoise etc. If this evokes some interest visit the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr. (tel. 305/531-3484), which is run by the Miami Design Preservation League.

South Beach is a tad pricey, *not* value-for-money (to some extent), but everything good has a price to pay, right? Ocean Drive extends from 1st street to 15th and I would highly recommend staying in one of the hotels there. There are very many located outside of Ocean Drive on Collins Avenue – within the Art Deco district, but you may not get the true South Beach experience, that you get at Ocean Drive. Hmm…I wonder what the true South Beach experience is? You gotta find out for yourself. There are many splendid hotels to choose from and with the tripadvisor reviews, you cannot go wrong with picking the right one (hint – lots of reading, gory details, about bed bugs and cockroaches and much more).

I would recommend the Delano, where celebrities hangout, pool is legendary as they say and as busy during weekend brunch as one of its weekly VIP-packed parties. We ended up picking a quaint art-deco styled hotel Cardozo Hotel owned by Gloria Estefan, Cardozo Hotel South Beach - Articles 1300 Ocean Drive | Miami Beach, FL 33139 | 305.695.2822. www.cardozohotel.com/index.cfm/id/95.html... overlooking the ocean - met our needs well. The Cardozo hotel was used in many movies and seemed a tad familar to us: Hole in the Head with Frank Sinatra; Something About Mary with Cameron Diaz and Matt Dillon; Pronto with Peter Faulk; and Any Given Sunday with Al Paccino. It was also used in The Birdcage movie with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. The deal on their website was compelling, they threw in dinner vouchers, club VIP passes, valet parking and their staff was friendly and very helpful. All our reading had indicated biased treatment towards Cubans, but it was not at all visible to us. Everyone was friendly and just a huge blend of ethnicity that lends South Beach that tremendous aura.

Map is here

January is supposedly off-peak which presents South Beach in different shades. Temperatures can dip into the 30s occasionally, but we lucked out. The day-time high was in the 70s and 80s with night time dipping into the 60s, which made it quite pleasant for us. Summers are hot and only good to do some heavy baking. But January found us amidst a couple showers, but generally glorious weather. In fact, even the showers had a great Bombay feel to it.

The beach? Clear water and sprawling golden sand for miles! Even on a Thursday, the beach was relatively crowded and by Saturday the beaches were really packed like sardines – that too on a January weekend. Splendid! There are parties every day of the week at South Beach and the morning starts at around Noon or so. We would sleep in - the little pleasures of life-  and start the day with breakfast at the Front Porch. Very nice selection of breakfast, brunch and lunch to choose from, while people watching…very relaxing I must say, a wonderful start for a morning! Get used to the 17% gratuity that is automagically attached to every meal in Miami. The other breakfast place recommended is David’s Cafe off Lincoln Mall at 1654 Meridian Avenue if you would like to start your morning like a local. Lot of the cuisine is Cuban and meat based, so vegetarians may not find too many choices.

At any time of the day, take a stroll along Ocean Drive for the best view of sidewalk cafes, bars, colorful hotels, and even more colorful people. Another great place for a walk is Lincoln Road, which is lined with boutiques, large chain stores, cafes, and funky art and antiques stores. We had dinner there the last evening of our stay. It may not have the ambiance of Ocean drive, but is still hustling and bustling over the weekend. On a tiny street in South Beach, there's a piece of Spain that makes you feel as if you are in Madonna's La Isla Bonita video. The historic Mediterranean-revival-style Spanish Village -- or Plaza De España -- complete with fountain, stretches from Washington Avenue to Drexel Avenue and features charming boutiques, cafes, and a weekend market.

After breakfast, we really enjoyed long walks along the beach. Long stretch of open sand, warm waters makes it very enjoyable indeed. Take along something to sip as you walk along the shores. When you get bored with the walk on the beach, come on out and just walk on Ocean drive, inhaling the sights and sounds, window shopping or whatever else you fancy. Do not forget to check out Versace’s castle – very impressive home of Swargvasee Versace right in the heart of South Beach.

If you are feeling like a drive, get out and explore Virginia Key Beach is one of the most interesting beaches in South Florida. It’s located right off the Rickenbacker Causeway (on both the north and south sides) near the Miami Seaquarium.

And what about the clubs eh? Some of the ones recommended were Club Space, Opium garden, Clevelander, Mac’ club Deuce, Tobacco Road, Churchill”s hideway, Twist, Score and the brand new Halo. Latin nightclub like La Covacha, Kimbara Cumbara and Hoy Como Ayer. The most popular Latin Nightspot on South Beach is Mango’s Tropical Café. They have the best party geared for tourists. The office crowd visiting town on a conference (dressed in suits and ties sometimes), tourists, localities out for a good time – all hustle for a spot to check out the dancers and partake in the fun. This place gets packed! The party goes on all night long and Mango knows how to throw one. The cover charge goes up as the night gets younger. Some very good dancers, musicians on stage, along with a friendly, welcoming, inviting demeanor, make it for a fun night.

There are other clubs like Clevelander within a stone’s throw on the strip – pick one and have a good time. The hotels are generally good with providing recommendations – based on their read of what your taste is. Also, be prepared to accept VIP passes to various clubs as you stroll along South Beach – if you look like you are out to have a fun night, you will be way laid and offered VIP passes – probably happens only during the off peak, but we were all too happy picking up the VIP ribbons There are plenty of choices for dinner. Larios – owned by the Estefan family is quite good. We also had dinner at the Mango’s Tropical Café and it was good too. January, being off-peak, we felt good getting aggressively invited by the dressed-to-kill restaurant hostess’ along Ocean drive, but we could typically assess how good or bad the food was based on how crowded the restaurant was. If you decide to experience the real Cuban scene, you will have to head west to Miami to explore Little Havana and check out a local salsa club.

There is more to this obviously...All in all, we had a great weekend. Splendid place – and definitely worth a visit. A great way to splurge and kick-back enjoy the weekend – get away from it all.
Check this article out for additional details http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/travel/2008/01/14/10-things-miami-1/


KEYWEST
We spent a day driving upto Florida Keys. It is highly recommended to stay overnight at Florida Keys to get the total experience. Ours was a day trip, and we missed getting to Everglades National Park and we were in a rush. Make sure you exit onto Homestead to check out the Coral Castle - 28655 South Dixie Highway, Homestead, FL 33033. One man’s work for a lost love – a Taj Mahal of sorts, hand carved into natural coral @ www.coralcastle.com. Also, get off at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and ride on the glass bottom the 65-foot Spirit of Pennekamp.

While many visitors seek the quaint vistas of Margaritaville in Key West- Jimmy Buffet’s favorite city has great restaurants, bars, sandy beaches and quiet mangroves. It is a bit more quiet and family oriented. We got an impression that it is more geared for Floridans getting out for the weekend. Visiting the Keys is all about the drive. Recommended stop at the southern edge of the state is the Knauss Berry Farm (Turnpike at SW 248th Street) - discover the hot-from-the-oven sticky cinnamon buns, freshly blended strawberry. Certainly buy some home made jam and local honey too! The Mutineer Restaurant parking lot at 11 SE 1st Ave in Homestead is recommended too. www.mutineer.biz/kid-frame.html
One the drive there, you can exit to Card Sound Road (SR905) – can’t miss it on the GPS. This has some very good scenes and animal life – drive at your own sweet pace. At the end of the drive, you will hit a toll booth next to Alabama Jacks. If you are hungry venture in there. www.alabamajacks.com
Keep an eye on the mile markers. Bob’s Bunz (MM81.5) serves breakfast at sunrise and a variety of sugary sweets. Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen (MM 99.4) is another recommended spot. For lunch, Buzzard’s Roost Inn on Garden Cove Drive (MM106.5) offers fresh seafood. www.buzzroost.com
Probably not worth driving all the way down south for a day trip.

Check this article out for additional details http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/travel/2008/01/14/10-things-miami-1/

The Canadian Rockies -

(Click on any picture to Enlarge)

One of the fantastic views @ Banff

Medicine Lake - Jasper National Park (on the drive to Maligne Lake)

Some vacations are best not planned...we did one of those in July this year.
Firstly, for a variety of reasons our dates kept moving. Eventually, it became a now or never and we just took the plunge with scarcely a thought or a plan. Worked out good nevertheless!

The plan was to spend time in Seattle/ Vancouver, but just a few days prior, bumped into a few friends who were absolutely raving about the Canadian Rockies and the San Juan Islands etc. We were still not sure about our plans as we settled into the first night in Seattle. The next morning we drove into Canada with not a plan in mind.

The border crossing can take up quite some time in the summer months. This is a good website that shows the wait times for the border crossing. We picked the I-539 border crossing, which worked out very well. Summer months/ weekends, the I-5 border crossings have a typical wait time of an hour to 2 hours. The I-539 crossing has a lower volume, not many folks know about it or prefer not to use it. But Canadian immigration seems to have a lot more time on their hands at this crossing. It reminded me of the viva exams, was asked a set of good 10 questions, 9 more than I have ever been asked while crossing into Canada. Stay away from the immigration gal there (our lane moved very slow).... she is persistent and grilled me as if I was the Kumar dude escapee from Guantanamo Bay. But not to dis-credit the rest of the Canadian junta, they are one of the friendliest I have ever come across (not to discount the natives of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin where I spent some quality winter consulting time and the officer who pulled me over on a dreary winter night, only to let me drive away).

As we entered into Canada, we were still not sure which way to head, Vancouver or to the Canadian Rockies. We ultimately settled onto the Canadian Rockies after some major hungama and hesitation - it was a long drive after all.

We also didn't have a GPS - our GPS covered only the US and we hadn't had the chance to order the Canada/Mexico SD card. It was pretty amazing how the blackberry and iPhone apps worked out so very well, to the point that a GPS was hardly required. I do see the death knell of the stand alone GPS device....just a matter of time now.

Jasper
Vancouver, Jasper and Banff (part of the Canadian Rockies National Park system) form a triangle. We picked Jasper because the drive to Jasper is shorter than the drive to Banff (took us about 7 hours from the border crossing). On the drive to Jasper, we also made reservations thanks to some tourist guide that we picked up along the way. The highway into Jasper is very well maintained and I got some *very* good speeds thanks to the KIA rental, while keeping up with the Canadian brethrens who were speeding along with carefree abandon. We found ourselves in the town of Jasper just prior to sunset ~6 to 7 hours after we had done the border crossing. The rangers were as usual *very* friendly and even briefed us on dinner potentials. We settled on a pizza place, Jasper Pizza, which was pretty good and eventually checked-in to catch a few hours of zzzs.

Some of the things worth checking out within Jasper NP are Maligne Lake (take a cruise here to spirit island, will become your highlight of the vacation with some fantastic scenes, expensive and some say overrated), Gondola ride (short and sweet), Sulfur Skyline Trail Hike, Miette Hot Springs, Mount Edith Cavell (Hike to Angel glacier is definitely nice)... Pick and choose what you feel like doing. The hot springs, Gondola ride are also at Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, so pick and choose what you want to experience.

On the drive to Maligne Lake - we particularly enjoyed the Medicine Lake (see picture above). Medicine lake is a geologic anomaly, not exactly a lake but the area in which the Maligne River (flowing from Maligne Lake into the Athabasca River) backs up and suddenly disappears underground. The Lake in summer behaves like a bathtub that is filled too fast for it to drain, it becomes laden with water until it can slowly drain as the runoff is s reduced. The disappearing of water was mystical to the natives and the lake was highly revered. The lake had a quiet elegance about it and we spent some time by its shores. We felt Maligne Lake was overrated and we turned right back. There are trails and hikes that surely must offer some speectacular views.

The drive to Banff from Jasper is about 3-4 hours with some stunning sights along the way. The day time temperature all through our time there was in the low 90s - very hot considering that spring does not arrive here until late May or early June sometimes. As a result, much of the wild life lay burrowed in to avoid the heat, and we missed out some great wild life sightings, which I was told becomes a tame affair by the time we typically leave the Canadian Rockies. Well, we didn't quite experience that! Wild-life sighting is common if you take the Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy #1A) - which is slower than Highway 1 - between Banff and Jasper.

It is worthwhile to take the Columbia Ice field tour and also check out Lake Louise, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls and Canyon etc. while driving between Jasper and Banff. From Lake Louise, you can visit Moraine Lake 14kms away (depending on time). En route, you can also visit Johnston Canyon, walk to lower and upper falls etc.

LAKE LOUISE VILLAGE doesn't amount to much, centered around a single mall, Samson Mall There's almost nothing to do in the village. There are canoe rentals on the lake and make sure you don't fall into the frigid waters. Depending on time - Lake Louise Gondola (the "Friendly Giant") can take you partway up Mount Whitehorn. You can choose between enclosed gondola cars, open chairs, or chairs with bubble domes - which can get you a unique fearful experience. A trail takes you to the summit of Mount Whitehorn, for the fearless only. There are some nice trails...Lake Louise can give you that breather in your hectic vacation schedule where you can stop and 'smell the roses'. Around Lake Louise considering checking out Takkakaw Falls, Natural Bridge and Emerald Lake

The Bus Ride to the Columbia Ice Field

The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield south of Alaska, shimmering glacial ice and snow cover some 400 sq. km with a depth of 300 to 600 meters. The Snowcoach tour onto the Athabasca Glacier is unlike any Alaskan backyard view Russia experience. We took that and it is indeed an experience! The Columbia Icefield is a true "hydrological apex," for its meltwater feeds streams and rivers that pour into the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. Take this unique experience to the next level by spending a night at the Columbia Icefield in the Glacier View Inn. The lighting in the evening and morning hours is spectacular and is the perfect complement to the magnificent glaciers.

Athabasca Glacier

A view of the Athabasca glacier while standing atop the Columbia Ice Field.

In this pic, you can see the bus route onto the Columbia Ice Field
View from the visitor center (click to enlarge)

Banff
As you near Banff, the highway evolves into a 4 lane separated highway with a 90KMH speed limit. There is fencing by the side to prevent animals from butting heads with cars, and some 'natural bridges' enable the essential animal crossings. Very well thought out I must say! The town of Banff has a commercial feel to it in comparison to Jasper. We liked it a lot. Jasper is much smaller but has a unique identity of its own too. Strolling down Banff's main shopping street can be relaxing too as you browse into the various retail stores. Hotel choices Brewster Mountain Lodge, Lady Macdonald Country Inn, Georgetown Inn in Canmore etc. Fairmont Hotel is located at Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff and is certainly top rated.

Everyone seems to want to ride the gondola up Sulphur Mountain. The hot springs is right by the GOndola ride and that was one of the best experiences for us during this trip. The hot springs are made to flow into a swimming pool like enclave and the temperature dropped to 40C from the typical hot springs temperature of 50C - which makes it a very enjoyable experience. With the beautiful views around it, this must be one of the exotic hot springs of the world. This can be a wonderful model for other hot springs - it is certainly commercialized but enriches the whole experience. The Gondola ride up the mountains has some wonderful sights - so not to be missed.
Some Top-Rated Banff Hotels Fox Hotel & Suites , Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Post Hotel & Spa, Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa, The Fairmont Banff Springs
Some Top-Rated Banff B&Bs - Buffaloberry Bed and Breakfast, The Poplar Inn, Treetops Banff Bed and Breakfast, Banff Avenue B&B
If you stay at the Fairmont Banff springs hotel, you can do a quick stroll to Bow falls. Not sure if it is worth checking out otherwise.

View of Banff from Sulphur Mountain

While leaving Banff (heading to Vancouver) considering visiting Yoho National Park and checking out Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. A visit to Calgary didn't fit in our itinerary and I am sure we missed out on a nice city. You also hit Glacier National Park, which has a couple attractions as well.

We left Banff on a Friday afternoon, hoping to get into Vancouver late evening. But the highway is much slower, typically one lane upto Kamloops. We hit some heavy traffic too and we decided to call it a night at Kamloops. Every hotel in town seemed to be sold out due to a variety of ongoing activities, and we had to settle into a motel, that jacked up their rates, for the night. I missed the Clinton era 40% differential in the US Canadian dollars - that would have lessened the pain - but certainly one of the hazards of unplanned travel that we were ready to face upto. The recession the world was going through certainly made this last minute travel a bit easier.

The Coquihalla Highway toll route, south from Kamloops, cuts time by heading diagonally southwest to the town of Hope.

Vancouver
Our time in Vancouver was smack in the middle of the the weekend. Prior to leaving, I had remarked that we should get our weekend reservations squared away. We didn't quite do that - our travel plans being in a state of flux - and we had to scamper to make reservations for Vancouver (once again made while driving into Vancouver). All the recommended hotels were sold out and we luckily managed to get accommodating at the SandMan Hotels - primarily based on their location - walking distance to the fireworks. The views of the city and the ocean, standing outside the balcony was wonderful, the sunsets exotic. THere was a reason why we struggled to get a hotel accommodation, the Gay Lesbian parade was happening beneath our hotel, streets were cordoned off and there was palpable excitement in the city, with multiple activities planned for the weekend including the renowned fireworks. The fireworks brought an unprecedented amount of crowd to the waterfront, reminded us of the ball dropping in NYC. But the crowd behaved well, the fireworks (sponsored by China) was spectacular and worth while.

At Vancouver, check out the views from Vancouver Lookout. Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge (SRK shot in Pardes), Punjab Marg (over-rated) are other POIs. We spent some time in Granville Island - but in retrospect we should have skipped it. YOu can park at Stanley Park and walk onto the Lions Gate Bridge ~1.1 mile in comparison to the Golden Gate's 1.7 miles. There are some lovely beaches in Stanley Park (3rd beach, Jericho Beach), but it is crowded on the weekends and parking is hard to find. Did I say the people in Canada are friendly? As we entered the parking area of Stanely Park, someone gave us their day long parking permit as they left the park. Capilano Bridge is a neat attraction - fun to walk on the dangling suspension bridge. A lady handed us a coupon (free entry) into the Capilano Bridge as we waited in line. Definitely worth walking on the bridges connecting the trees at the other end of the Capilano Bridge. Grouse Mountain Gondola ride (a short drive from Capilano) is worthwhile too. Spend some time in the Gas Town (downtown), checking out the narrowest commercial building (Guinness Book of World Record), shopping, eating etc.

The streets below our hotel had a million restaurants to pick from. Amazing choices. Stephos PLace Restaurant was highly recommended - perpetual long lines outside. Good middle-eastern food, got my mind thinking of La Shish in Dearborn.

Vancouver indeed is an exciting city and I would love to go back again - a city that reminds me of Bombay, considering the mixed living concept that is so rampant all over downtown with intermixing of apartments and commercial.

We missed out on going to Whistler (rated very highly by one of my buddies - one of the most beautiful sights). We missed out on Victoria too, and we have gotten conflicting reviews about Victoria. If you are going, better to take the ferry from Vancouver itself - instead of taking it from Seattle.

We exited Canada from the I-5 point early morning on a Sunday. There are signs all over indicating the wait time at the border crossing. We chose the 1 hour wait versus the 2 hour wait - this is a royal pain. Do not forget to get the VAT Tax refunded from the duty free shopping area before you leave Canada.

Couple things to watch out for
- Call your credit card company in advance, to ensure that your credit card will work in Canada. Usually they are blocked from being used internationally.
- If you have an iphone / blackberry, turn on the international coverage plan - otherwise you will end up seeing a hefty charge on your next bill