Salento, Colombia

For several years, I wanted to visit Salento. Not Salento, Italy; Salento, Quindio, Colombia. This is a small town in the middle of the Colombian coffee region located 3 hours away from Cali. It was isolated for a long time and as a result, the traditional architecture was preserved. We finally planned a short trip last December while we were in Cali. It took us almost 4 years to get there. Emma was amazing. She didn't cry or complained except almost at the end. We had to improvise her lunch making a quick stop on the road. Luckily, highways are very interesting in Colombia. You drive through the towns and there many things to look around. She got car sick and as a result we had to continue our trip with the windows down. That was all part of the "adventure". 

I fell in love with Salento and with the beautiful mountains around it. After living in Florida for 15 years, I get very excited to see mountains and green landscapes. We had the typical food lunch: trout and a huge green fried plantain. André loves his tostada as you can see below. 

The best part was having a Colombian coffee right in the middle of the mountains where it's produced. The coffee shop was antique and everyone makes you feel welcome. If you want to go, it's on the left side of the church if you are looking  at it from the town's main square or plaza. The barista has been the same for over 20 years and he has pictures to prove. 

Our hotel was only 2 blocks away from the Main Street (5th) and I would recommended it for anyone who wants to go. It's called Salento Real. It's a new building, but it was built to reflect the typical architecture. The rooms are small but comfortable, and the service was incredible. 

There are 3 big reasons to visit Salento and stay a few days: the town, the mirador (overlook) and visiting the Cocora Valley. I will share lots of pictures to share what we did in 2 days. It was enough time to see what we wanted to see, but sadly 4 hours each way is a long way to go and we were too exhausted. I would recommend staying for 2 nights instead of only one night. 

Winter in Florida

February and March are my favorite (weather) months in Tampa. It is sunny, warm and it doesn't rain. We have been lucky and our winter has been warm compared to the rest of the Country with their record low temperatures. This explains why it is impossible for Floridians to find an affordable hotel room to spend a weekend at the beach right now. I started my search when Valentines day was near and I wanted to get away for a few nights. I tried different weekends and I couldn't find anything for less that $250 to $300 per night for a room that I could easily get for $99 in the summer. I gave up on my weekend plans but I decided that we could still enjoy the beach like tourist and headed to the famous Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach. Our plan was to eat lunch and have drinks by the pool with a few friends. The pool was full of snowbirds who didn't mind the windy afternoon and the cold water. After a few mojitos and lunch, we walked towards the beach. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon with sunny skies and in the low 70s. Emma enjoyed every minute at the beach walking by the shore and crawling around chasing seagulls. We have been going for 3 weekends in a row to the beach.  The next time we go to the Don Cesar, I plan to make a stop at the spa while Emma and Andre spend time at the beach. 

**General info for those driving to the Don Cesar for the day: The hotel has 2 other restaurants where they will validate parking. The pool's restaurant/bar does not validate it. Self Parking is $15 and Valet is $25. Drinks were $12 each and most of the lunch items were about $15 each at the pool. Everything we ate was great.  

Favorite places in Miami, Part 2

Miami is probably one of my favorite Cities in the US. I created this post and part one to help a friend plan an upcoming trip to the City of Sun. Miami is more than just the main port to the caribbean. 

Downtown is referred as the area north of the Miami river. Brickell, the financial district, is located south of the river. The most beautiful hotel that I've ever stayed, the Viceroy, is located in Brickell. I can't wait to return to their Spa and pool. I stayed there with my best friends for my Bachelorette weekend. You can see the pictures from that weekend here. Brickell key is a small island of Brickell with mostly luxury residential buildings and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The metrorail or a $5 dollar taxi connects the areas. 

Viceroy's Pool

Brickell Key from Brickell

the Spa @ the Viceroy Hotel

The best about staying in Downtown is that the newest hotels and restaurants are located in this area. If you don't know where to go, head to Mary Brickell Village. Within a few blocks there are several stores, bars, coffee shops, and restaurants. My favorite bars in the area are Baru, Segafredo, Blue Martini, and Kukaramakara. There are many options within walking distance. If you are staying on South Beach and want to go out in downtown a taxi will probably cost $30 each way.

Segafredo Brickell

Drinks and Sushi @ Kyma

The most popular tourist area in downtown is probably Bayside Market Place, Bayfront Park, and the American Airlines Arena. There is a water taxi stop at Bayside. I've never taken the water taxi. Maybe on another trip to Miami I will take it towards South Beach.

Biscayne Bay from Bayside Market Place

Bayside Market Place 

There are many hotel options all over the City. Since I always stay for one night or two I like to stay in south beach or Brickell. Other nice areas are Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, North Miami Beach, and Sunny Isles. Ft lauderdale is another great option and it is only 20 minutes north of Miami. If you need help deciding where to stay let me know and maybe I can help.

Favorite Places in Miami, Part 1

Miami has countless things to see and do. Most people go to Miami for the beautiful white sand beaches, shopping sprees, and for the nightlife. I spent many weekends in my 20's enjoying Miami. Lately I've been lazy about the drive but once I'm there I always have a good time. I considered moving there several years ago. I still consider it an option if I ever move out of Tampa. I looked for pictures from old trips and I have so many that I need to split this post into 2 parts: South beach and Downtown. 

South Beach

South Beach or SoBe is the southern most beach in Miami Beach. South Beach is famous for the topless sunbathers, the architecture, and the nightlife. It goes from 1st street until around 22nd street. I'm not a big fan of Ocean Drive except for the Art Deco buildings and seeing the Versace mansion. I really recommend not going to Ocean Drive at night. It's safe, but I consider it a bit too touristy for my taste with boas and wild birds on the street for pictures. I do love having breakfast on Ocean Drive at News Cafe which is open 24 hours. Most clubs close at 5:00 AM and it is very convenient after a night of dancing.

I rather stay north of 16th street. The most glamorous hotels in the area are the Delano, the ShoreClub, the Ritz Carlton, the Setai, and the W. There are many price options in South Beach from budget hotels to the most beautiful boutique hotels. Most of these hotels have nice bars to start the night where you can go even if you are not a guest. After a few drinks you can head out to another place. If you are staying at a hotel in the area, ask the concierge to provide wrist bands for night clubs or to at least put you on a guest list. Otherwise, the bouncers are tough to get through and you will be asked to buy a bottle or maybe not even allowed to get in. Also, the dress code is very strict in most night clubs. A black dress and heels for women and a simple button down shirt and nice jeans for guys will do it. Forget about wearing flip flops or sneakers at night. Leave the casual wear for the beach. Most places love to have a reputation of being the "most exclusive" or to have the "tighest door policy", so be ready to look your best.

South Beach, Miami

The Pool at the ShoreClub Hotel

Fun nights with friends in South Beach

South Beach

Most restaurants and bars are trendy for a while. Some of the places that I've been no longer exist. Mynt Lounge has been popular for at least 5 years. I'm lucky to have friends that live there and take me to new places all the time. The only place that I keep going back during the day is Nikki Beach. They make the best mojitos in Miami and the brunch on Sundays is amazing. They always have a DJ playing and the lounge beds are perfect for a day in the sun. 

Mojitos @ Nikki Beach

Champagne Bottles Celebration

Parking in South Beach is hard to find. Most hotels charge approximately $30 per day for parking. The best option is to walk or take taxis instead of trying to find a new parking spot. A taxi from the airport is probably at least $40 each way. However, having a car will let you explore the rest of the city.

Photo Credit: www.southbeach-usa.com

Lincoln Road

Lincoln Road is practically part of south beach and this is probably my favorite place in Miami. Lincoln Road is a pedestrian street between Alton Road and Washington Avenue. There are several unique stores, art galleries, movie theaters, hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafes. There is even a church in the middle of Lincoln Road. Most restaurants have indoor and outdoor seating and offer late night dinner. Also, stores are usually open until midnight. The best part about Lincoln Road: people watching. My favorite itinerary (day or night) will include  visiting the Romero Britto gallery, Segafredo for coffee or drinks, and Nexxt for dinner. 

Dessert @ Nexxt

Segafredo Lincoln Road

Dogs and clothes in a Lincoln Road Store

Photo Credit: www.lincolnroad.net

Weekend in Miami, Day 1

Miami is a 4 hour drive from Tampa. We were lazy and decided to drive Saturday morning instead of Friday night. The reason for the trip was a Juan Luis Guerra concert at the AmericanAirlines Arena. I reserved a hotel room at the Marriott in downtown Miami. This hotel is within walking distance to the arena and a short taxi ride from the club where we were planning to go after the concert. I really wanted to stay at the Viceroy again specially because they have the best pool that I've ever seen. However, spring break and the upcoming Sony Ericsson Open, Ultra Music Festival, and the Winter Music Conference had hotel room prices in Miami extremely high. 

We drove with another friend from Tampa. It is always nice to have as many people as possible in the car for the long ride. I felt that it was a shorter drive just because we didn't stop talking. We dropped her off at her sister’s place in Miami. We were going to meet them at the concert later that night. Andre and I headed to one of my favorite restaurants in Miami where he had never been. The Knife is an Argentinean style steak house that is also affordable. We payed $25.75 each for an all you can eat style meat grill (parrilla) and a great salad bar. The price includes one bottle of wine per person (or 2 beers) and one dessert from the menu. I started going to this place about 11 years ago and I still like it. The price varies from lunch to dinner and between weekends and weekdays. We didn’t order 2 bottles of wine because we still had to drive to our hotel. The one bottle that we had was really good. For dessert I ordered the dulce de leche crepe and Andre was too full for anything other than ice cream. Andre was so happy with his meal that he said he would consider moving to Miami just because of the knife. 

After our large lunch we headed to the Marriott in Biscayne Bay. We had a very nice room with partial bay view. We decided to walk towards the arena and start the night without worrying about our car. We met with our 2 friends inside and had an amazing time at the Juan Luis Guerra concert. You can read all about the concert here. 

The view from our room

Biscayne Bay from our room

Downtown Miami

After the concert, it was time to party Colombian style. There is a club that is originally from Cali that was so successful that they opened in 2 more cities in Colombia and one in Miami. I love this place, Kukaramakara, because you dance with a live band instead of a DJ all night long. We completely underestimated St. Patrick’s day. I really thought that nobody cared about this day in Miami. We were in the car for at least 1 hour because of traffic when normally that drive takes 10 minutes or less. Finding a parking spot was another challenge that night. We finally made it and we got a small table close to the stage. The 4 of us ordered a bottle of Aguardiente and danced the night away. 

Andre and I left at around 4:00 AM and took a taxi to the hotel. Considering that most clubs close at 5:00 AM, we left early. We were exhausted after a long day and were ready for bed. Kukaramakara was a lot of fun. I would love to go back on our next trip to Miami.