Rumble in the Jungle - Miami Adventures

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Hey, I can do that!
2007-08-15 17:03:00
I'm supposed to be writing my thesis right now. There are over fifty library books sitting all over my floor and I need to sort through them between today and tomorrow. I much rather read stuff on the internet and catch up with all of the feeds I have neglected in the past weeks than tackle the gargantuan task of thesis writing that lays before me.Anyways, in honor of useful and insightful procrastination here is another article from another great blog, Critical Miami, which relates both to my thesis in writing and Miami.How, you ask--simple. This article exposes the elusive art of editing a la Miami Herald!

A little off topic...
2007-08-15 16:45:00
This isn't about travel or things to do, but I just read a well-written article on Stuck On The Palmetto that I think everyone should read.The article is not cheerful or uplifting--in fact, I hate thinking that such a thing is possible in this world.
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Danger! Perpetual Road Construction
2007-08-14 06:05:00
Well, as any true Miami native knows--it's not Miami unless the roadway you are driving on is under some kind of construction. The epidemic of constant roadway construction only seems to get worse and worse as the time goes on.Here's an example of what happened to Tony and I returning home after a fun night out at a local restaurant this past Friday. We are driving north on LeJeune/8th Avenue when we hit some major traffic and come to a complete stop. We know there is heavy construction on LeJeune in front of MIA, but that's been the case for years. Nothing new. Well, we eventually see that LeJeune is closed to all through traffic. There were no signs warning us of the road closure up ahead and subsequently we are forced to reroute onto the 836, which is void of detour signs.Ok...no biggie. We're natives. We know our way around. But what about tourists?It was appalling that on a Friday night, whoever is in charge of deciding when construction gets done, would actually choose tha...
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Sand is sand is sand...
2007-08-10 05:47:00
Well...not really.I've visited, spent the day at, and passed by many a beach in South Florida. I've never really found a beach that I've enjoyed completely. There's always been some feature or characteristic of the beach that kept me from enjoying my time there completely. For instance, the beach might have been too crowded, the shoreline was rocky, the waves were nonexistent--whatever--you get the idea.Well, I recently visited a beach that I had heard of my whole life, but which I had never had the chance to visit. It is now my new favorite beach (maybe another day I will write about the beach this new favorite has replaced).Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne (otherwise known by the Hispanic community as "El Farito") is a wonderful place to spend the day with your family, with your significant other, or even alone.It is listed in Frommer's as one of the Best Beaches and the TravelChannel website refers to it. There are loads of other web references about this p...
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Hialeah Cop-Out
2007-07-30 19:59:00
I've been noticing a lot of Hialeah police out lately. They are pulling people over left and right. I figure it's the end of the month and all--they need to fulfill their speeding/traffic ticket quota for the month.But just a word of caution: Tony brought me some Starbuck's coffee this morning and as he was waiting in line at the Miami Springs SB's he noticed a posting on the bulletin board about police being out and about like vultures on a feeding frenzy. This is supposed to last until August 5th or so. I'm mentioning this because anything on a Starbuck's community bulletin board is worth noting.Also, mentioned on the bulletin board, according to Tony, is the doubling of speeding and infraction fines. I'm not sure how valid this claim is, I'm just passing along the info.So, come to complete stops at all stop signs, don't take yellow lights (in case they turn red before you've cleared the intersection--it's a ticketable offense) and make sure you're wearing your seatbel...
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Billie Swamp Safari
2007-07-25 21:32:00
Yes, I know... Bill ie Swamp Safari isn't in Miami--it's actually a bit of a drive. But it's important for city folk to venture out into the countryside (which in Florida are the Everglades' swamps) and reconnect with nature and an alligator or two. Also, I just figure this blog will have lots more interesting content if I include things outside of the immediate Miami area, but within driving distance. There is only so much sand and concrete a girl can take.Well, Billie Swamp Safari was a blast to visit. It's a great, unique way to spend the day: there are walking trails on a boardwalk over the water, airboat rides (the absolute funnest thing), swamp buggie rides (this would be great to get around Miami traffic!), shows, animal enclosures, and you can even spend a night in a Chickee for about $35 (I didn’t do that, but I plan to soon!). What's a Chickee? It's a raised platform hut with some cots. No air conditioning or running water here.Other things I did that day... ate al...

Panera, oh, my Panera Bread
2007-06-23 07:02:00
My brand new favorite place to buy bread, eat a yummy pastry, and grab a cool coffee is Panera Brea d . Unfortunately, the location is a bit out of the way, but we make a trek over to Doral to get our bread fix. This place has it all! It’s like a Starbucks on steroids (or just a big helping of yeast). There’s also wireless internet and lots of tables, and PLUGS! Yes, laptops do need power—my biggest qualm with places boasting about wireless access is that there is usually no place to plug in. But, the most startling revelation for me, which I just noticed on their website is that their wireless is free! Yes, FREE! I didn’t notice that it was free when I went, since I didn’t take my laptop with me, but I saw others, and assumed that, like all the other places, you had to pay for it. Apparently, not! What a great feature!I’d give you a sampling of their menu, but it is really varied. They have everything from panini’s to freshly made pizza to scones. You’ll just have to ...

100% Natural
2007-06-23 05:47:00
Last Friday, 15 June 2007, Tony and I decided to go out to eat. He suggests a place called 100% Natur al at Dolphin Mall. Supposedly, he read a review of the place which wrote that this restaurant was a great place to eat, so we decided to check it out. When we got there I realized that the place wasn’t a restaurant that you’d go to for dinner, it was more of a lunch-type place. But, we weren’t deterred so we went in to eat. The atmosphere of the place is sort of like a tropical, beach side restaurant with lots of green paint and plants. The center of the restaurant has a tiki hut for the bar area which is pretty much open and visible to the patrons. The Formica tabletops have pictures of bamboo sticks or something that looks similar and instead of a drink or dessert flip book on your table, you have a flip book of health tips, which makes for interesting reading while you eat. Overall, it was clean, and the service was friendly, but nothing to go nuts over.Now, for the importa...
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Rumblings...
2007-04-27 22:19:00
I haven't gone out anywhere new lately. I do have to post some reviews about a couple of restaurants that I've been to in the past couple of months. Hopefully, I'll get those posts up next week. I have two papers I am working on for school and I actually have plans to go out next weekend...so...until then, happy drinking, eating, adventuring!

World Market
2007-02-03 05:33:00
Tony and I had a few errands to run today. First, I went to sign the deposit contract for our pre-construction townhouse at Montclair in Miramar! Then we went to buy some turtle supplies at Petsmart in Pembroke Pines. That was when we noticed a new store next door and decided to check it out.World Market 11960 Pines Boulevard Pembroke Pines, FL 33026 According to their website there are only five of these stores in Florida, and this one in Pembroke Pines is the only one in south Florida. Tony and I wanted to check it out for a few minutes and we ended up browsing and buying for the better part of an hour. Their furniture is very Pier1esque; however, their selection is not as broad. What this store gets props for is their pretty heavy line of imported foods and beverages. We bought some Hawaiian chips, canned Salmon pate, an English chocolate bar, another imported chocolate bar, and some cool garlic stuffed olives. Their selection of foods is fun and whimsical, like the Pez candies th...

Virgin Post
2007-01-26 17:31:00
Here is a quick little blurb about this blog:My boyfriend and I grew up in Miami and we've been to lots of places, and are always visiting new ones. For a long time I have been upset about living in Miami (I hate the traffic, sometimes rude people, never-ending construction, high-rises...the list goes on). But, lately I have grown a bit fonder of Miami (perhaps because I am probably going to live here for many years to come). So I plan to post little blurbs about places that I visit so I can keep a journal of good memories about Miami and share with others some cool places to visit.
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