THREE FABULOUS DAYS — The Weekly Opine

Ah, perfect. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Loving February…in Miami Beach!

When taking business trips back in the day, United was my airline of choice. United is headquartered in Chicago, flying out of O’Hare International Airport. At the time, McDonald’s idyllic campus headquarters was in suburban Oak Brook which made flying my hometown airline an easy choice.

In those days my routine, after navigating airport security, was to settle into my window seat with a copy of United’s in-flight magazine. Hemispheres magazine boasts monthly circulation of around 139 million and attracts advertisers selling high-quality merchandise.

Hemispheres publishes a regular feature, highlighting cities around the globe. For example, if the featured city is San Francisco, the title would be “Three Perfect Days: San Francisco.” The next month could be “Three Perfect Days: Singapore.” Enjoyable reading cruising at 30,000 feet.

Today, I borrow from that concept, having just arrived home from three perfect days in Miami Beach.

Using my now customary mode of travel – Amtrak sleeper car – I left Chicago Union Station Saturday evening. Made a brief stop Sunday afternoon at Washington, D.C. Union Station, and arrived Monday evening at Miami Union Station.

My friend V picked me up and drove us to the beautiful condo where he and his wife S reside. (To protect their privacy in this time of privacy intrusions, I only use the first initial of their first names.)

The building V and S live in could be named “I Mean Right on Miami Beach.” You walk out the building’s back door, slip around the swimming pool, cross a narrow boardwalk and presto, your toes are in sand, just strides from the Atlantic Ocean.

That evening, S cooked up the first of a slew of tasty meals. Tender, juicy medallions of pork, creamed spinach, mac ‘n cheese and a sumptuous salad. Capped off with my all-time favorite dessert, cherry pie! And the wine flowed. Perfect warmup.

If you get caught between the moon and Miami Beach? Heavenly! (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Day One (Tuesday)

To begin the day, I went out in search of - sit down - a newspaper. Unsuccessful finding a paper, I took a brisk walk instead. After a splendid breakfast, I headed straight to the beach. For a Midwesterner stuck in cloudy and/or inclement weather half the year, basking in 80-degree sunshine in February, while standing in the ocean, releases winter’s demons. (Admittedly, Chicago’s winter has been mild. But demons do lurk, having already spooked us with two inches of snow last Halloween.)

At lunchtime, V, S and I drove to Shuckers Bar and Grill located on Biscayne Bay. If the name sounds familiar Shuckers gained infamy when their deck collapsed in 2013. The Miami Heat were playing in the NBA Finals and fans packed Shuckers. The deck gave way, injuring 33 people and closing the bar for a year.

Now reinforced, the deck offers a spectacular view. The friendly staff allow patrons to relax, unhurried. A stellar place for late lunch, sipping beer, and conversing with friends, Shuckers is the ideal spot to unwind from the cold and snow back home.

A nice thing about travelling now is that chasing fast-paced action is a thing of the past. Hunting for the hottest nightclubs, restaurants or late-night bars is a youngin’s game. The rhythm has changed. Now it’s about enjoying the mellow company of friends, great meals, excellent wine and nice scenery.

After another Bourdain-worthy dinner we sat back enjoying the spectacular view. Huge windows in the condo part like the Red Sea, allowing the natural sounds of ocean waves and sea gulls to flow in, accompanied by a soothing breeze. And the moon! Full and spreading light across the sky and shimmering sea. Breathtaking.

The Pit “throws down” some serious BBQ. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Day Two (Wednesday)

Awakening in the morning, the room is dark. No need to turn on a light. Just open the bedroom door and natural light filters into the hallway, pulling you toward it as if magnetized. The huge windows, already open, let in the breeze and sound of waves. Add a cup of coffee and the early morning is heavenly.

The at-our-own-pace agenda was highlighted by lunch at The Pit. Located on the outskirts of Miami, near the east end of alligator alley, The Pit proprietors know what they are doing, serving up big-time BBQ; ribs, chicken, baked beans, fries, you name it. The baby back ribs were tender and flavorful. Deliciously Fieri-worthy.

Prior to hitting The Pit, V took me downtown on a tour of South Beach. We rode along Collins Avenue, then Ocean Drive. Art Deco-style buildings galore, splashed in sunshine. It was laid-back, much too early for jet-set hipsters sleeping off hangovers.

In another sign of the printed word’s demise, the world-famous News Café is now all café. I hopped out of the car to run in and grab a newspaper. The café’s hostess informed me they’d been out of the “news” business for some time, having shut down their newsstand. Oh, well. I succumbed to modernism and read the D.C. Post on my iPhone.

In the afternoon, V and I went to the beach and then the condo pool, chatting up friendly neighbors along the way. The pool’s mildly warm water felt fantastic!

Wednesday night, after V and S returned from a brief condo board meeting, V introduced me to opera. Both he and S have extensive knowledge of the fine arts. Seeing the opera on a 75-inch HD TV was impressive. Particularly stunning were the costumes and set design. We watched excerpts from several operas, as well as classical music played on the piano, which reinforced my plan to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when their new season begins next fall.

A beautiful city is Miami. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Day Three (Thursday)

After experiencing my weekly adrenaline rush, posting a new article on my blog site, we sat down to another very satisfying meal of scrambled eggs, French toast, fruit, juice and coffee. Then the three of us headed to downtown Miami.

We went on a fantastic tour of Biscayne Bay. The Miami skyline is world-class and, including Miami Beach’s skyline and North Miami’s skyline, is an expansive skyline unlike any I’ve seen. Positioned along Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean makes the skyline even more amazing.

After the tour I was surprised to learn that parking in the downtown garage cost only $12. The same privilege in Chicago costs around $50. (A single can of beer on the tour boat did have a Chicago-like price of $8.)

Back at the condo, maybe anticipating my return to cold weather on Friday, S made a hearty, delicious chili for lunch!

Late afternoon, I hung out at the ocean a final time, then joined V at the condo pool. V, who I met five years ago, is a great conversationalist and speaks with authority on myriad topics. He and S each had highly successful careers. They’ve retained their Midwestern charm and are genuine, nice people and fun to hang out with.

After another sumptuous dinner, we three Indiana alums watched IU play Iowa. In a must-win game, our beloved Hoosiers prevailed. At least for a night, there is hope the Hoosiers can qualify for March Madness!

Following the game, more wine and pleasant conversation. And closing moments staring out the open windows at the moon, still hovering low over the Atlantic Ocean, as a breeze and sound of waves rolled in.

Miami Beach…how sweet it is!

(For more “Three Fabulous Days” photos, click “Events” on theweeklyopine.com home page and scroll to the bottom of the page.)