For the first time the entire trip, we didn’t set the alarm clock app on our phones. We figured that if anyone needed sleep, this would be the day to get it. We even had a plan in place if the whole family woke before I did, pool for the the girls and Zak until 9, at which point he’d bring me coffee. We all slept until between 8:45 and 9:00, proving our bodies were still exhausted from the past month.
We finally rose and went to breakfast. Our awesome Kimpton personal assistant, Max, gifted us breakfast at Brandon’s. This is certainly not a breakfast we would of splurged on at $19 a head, but the continental breakfast was exactly what we were looking for. I tried so hard not to become a “Canadian at a buffet” (see posts from our spring break in Canada.) It was almost impossible. I had the best everything bagel with herbed cream cheese, lox, and all the fixings. An awesome lemon poppy seed muffin, a huge bowl of berries, and some sort of fancy cheese completed my plate. Super hot coffee in a cabana overlooking the beach…life can’t get better.
After breakfast we sadly left the Tideline (don’t worry we’ll be back in two days.) We made the hour and a half drive to South Miami Beach and checked into the Surfcomber, our fifth Kimpton of the trip. It’s absolutely beautiful, but is severely lacking the Kimpton ambiance we’ve grown to love. The overwhelming kindness and attention to the most minute details are the reasons we love the brand. This particular property seems much more “Miami” and caters to people other than “us”.
We spent the afternoon at the beach riding the waves, reading, and playing in the sand. It is amazing how the simpleness of the waves can bring out the child in us. Zak and I spent hours throughout the day just allowing the waves to carry us, rejoicing in the crashing of them, laughing hysterically when we were engulfed by a particularly big one. The girls were in love. I’m not sure they’ve ever seen waves this big, and they could of spent the rest of the week out there, without resorting in at all.
Once we were all appropriately sunned and worn out we rinsed off and found the wine hour. Peach bellinis were the cocktail of the evening and we blissfully sipped away.
Yesterday we met a woman from Miami Beach and she told us about Las Olas Cafe, a legendary Cuban diner. We made the mile and a half walk from the hotel, Zak and Ellie playing Pokémon GO the whole way. Totally embarrassing. We knew it was going to be awesome, because our valet concierge was in line right in front of us, and if there is one thing we’ve learned on the trip, it’s eat where the locals eat. Zak and Ellie had dinner platter of grilled chicken (e) and pulled pork (z) with rice and beans, and plantains. Zoe and I both had Cuban sandwiches. Everything was to die for. Ellie and Zak let us nibble on their meals, leaving our bellies too fill to come close to finishing ours.
We walked along Ocean Drive on our way back to the hotel. Zoe and I quickly spyed our first GAP in weeks and weeks. I bought a navy fedora. Ahhh…retail therapy. The rest of the walk absolutely mortified Zoe. Turns out she doesn’t handle the South Miami club scene very well.
Before night swimming at the pool, we stopped at the front desk to ask for a late check out time tomorrow. Kimpton is known for their pet friendliness, in fact, if you don’t have a pet with you, they’ll always lend you a goldfish to borrow for the stay. Well, the women in front of us in line had an adorable tiny dog, a huge horse-like dog, and a pet monkey. It was amazing. She was cradling the miniature monkey like a baby as she was assigned room 225. It was awesome. Amazing. Strange. Fascinating. I didn’t know monkeys were even legal pets in the US.
The girls and Zak are swimming under the star filled sky. I can’t promise any of them will get blog posts done tonight, but I’ll do my best to convince them. But, honestly, the fluffly Kimpton pillow might lure them better.
These pictures are from the last two days.
