Christmas 2022 rolled around and the subzero temperatures were roarin' in Loveland, Ohio. It was as cold a temperature as I had ever experienced. Alaska had nothing on these wind gusts! So after we opened our gifts from Santa then did a little Christmas tree untrimming, we loaded up our car and headed south for our annual Lipcius family trip to Florida. Next stop, Miami!
Florida got the chilly vibe as well. As we approached our rental house, we heard on the local radio it was so cold that iguanas were freezing and falling from trees. Sure enough, we pulled into the rental's driveway and saw a littering of iguanas. On the ground. Sigh. It was 48 degrees which is apparently Siberia to these poor creatures. Hadley wanted to get a hair dryer to bring them back but I didn't know if that would work and we couldn't find an extension cord. Sorry iguanas.
Seeing as how the vacation could only get better from here, we were quick to unpack and get ready to grill while opening our family Christmas gifts. We were excited to find a pre-lit Christmas tree in the closet to add to our festivities. Any rental home owners out there- add a pre-lit tree to your offering. Instant 5 starts! Our house had a heated pool and ping pool table so our nights were set.
Our crew loves to shop (pretty sure I've mentioned this before) so our first day in Miami was spent at Lincoln Road, an eight block Mecca of dining, shopping and entertainment galore. People were wall-to-wall as it was the holiday season so we joined the masses to drop some dough. I will say their Lululemon store was well stocked with sale items. Jess was pretty excited I picked him up a few work out shirts. The girls loved the usual - Brandy Melville, Zara, Urban Outfitters. We even managed a stop for gelato before we made our way to a late lunch at Havana 1957.
Havana 1957 is kitschy fun at its finest. We sat outside and I loved when they asked us if we wanted a heating lamp. It was 65 degrees. I think we were good. The adults ordered various mojitos to try- classic, mango and guava were all hits. Those under 21 stuck to virgin Pina Coladas. We ate Cuban bread, guacamole, ceviche and yucca chips to start. Yum! Lincoln Road was voted a top spot for people watching so it was great to soak up the ambiance while also soaking up a little rum. After an awesome meal we figured a stop at the beach would be welcome to get a bit of exercise.
We were off to South Beach. Since it was a bit windy and chilly we saw lots of folks in Winter coats and blankets but it was still nice to have our toes in the sand. I loved the different colorful and eclectic life guard shacks that span the beach. Reese wanted wanted to see if we could buy one to move into. Maybe next time. It managed to warm up after the first day so we headed to another section of South Beach. We enjoyed playing football, running in the waves and listening to music. It was a relaxing vibe, perfect for Wintertime.
We all love visiting new breweries when we travel so we did a little research and settled on the highly touted Cerveceria La Tropical in the Wynwood neighborhood. So much fun! They didn't have live music that night but they had some good tunes playing, beautiful bright artwork on the walls and very friendly service. Jess loves their La Grande Triple IPA and I was impressed with their extensive wine list. Their tapas menu was yummy. We really enjoyed the street corn skillet and the maduros.
When it came time to head home, we decided to spend a night at Disney Springs. We have visited during the Christmas season before and we loved walking among the decorated, thematic trees. The Haunted Mansion tree is my favorite!
We thought we would try a new restaurant for us as we usually visit the Irish Pub Raglan Road. We ate at Enzo’s Hideaway, a 1920’s speakeasy Italian themed bar/ restaurant. They have quite a selection of mixed drinks as well as amazing pastas, cured meats and to die for meatballs. The girls cleared a basket of bread in about .25 seconds. It was a relaxing change of pace to visit Disney and just sit back, enjoying the slight darkness and mystique of a “speakeasy.” We would defiantly recommend!
I absolutely hate heights. They are terrifying. I don’t even like sitting on Hadley’s top bunk bed! The ground is my friend. However the girls and my father-in-law convinced Jess and I to ride on Aerophile, the large balloon tethered to a spot inside the Disney Springs lake. The balloon goes 400 ft straight up for a full 8 minutes. Whew. I was shaking the entire time but I am so glad I went. I took some awesome pictures and hey, maybe I’ve got this height fear conquered?!
Until next time, all!
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