#i think Miami is a little bit more walkable than people have made it out to be

[ellcrys]

I cannot believe how alive south beach was at past midnight on a Thursday night like

Friday? Sure. But Thursday???

It was popping

[wildflower8281]

Welcome to Miami

You’ve seen more in 5 days in Miami than Pete & I have seen in one year!

Coconut Grove: My Sister’s Place

I recently had the opportunity to visit my sister, Erin and her boyfriend, Pete in their amazing place in Miami. This was the first time I’d visited them since they lived down there. The 3 of us had the weekend together and then I had Monday-Wednesday to explore the city on my own, while they went to work. (They are currently in Hawaii now, so don’t feel too bad!)

During our weekend together, we did all things #relax: pool time, patio time (they have an amazing view), and of course amazing eats, most of them waterfront:

1 Hotel Miami Beach, Planthouse: brunch with a view of the ocean

Rusty Pelican: dinner on Key Biscayne, waterfront, view of Miami skyline

Lulu’s: Coconut Grove’s lovely downtown spot for brunch and people watching

Berries in the Grove: walkable local joint where we watched the Kentucky Derby!

Havana Harry's: authentic Cuban cuisine!

Doc B’s: downtown Coral Gables, fantastic all around, amazing guac

Coconut Grove is a sweet section of town, mostly with a residential feel, but also right next to the train and Route 1, both of which get you anywhere. Erin & Pete lived car-free in Phila and they remain car-free in Miami. It’s pretty awesome and very doable! Our trio had a blast together eating, relaxing and reconnecting - I can’t wait to return! 

(This was a quick post, so I’m bunching the pics together, #sorrynotsorry)

Monday: Little Havana

I had rented a car for my explorations from Monday through Wednesday. I’m not afraid to drive in new places or cities, thanks to being thrown into NY City as a nun and learning it on my own with a GPS! Nothing really scares me after that: If you can cruise in NYC, then you can cruise anywhere! (I’ve also driven a 12 passenger van on the left side of the road in Guyana, so there’s that. #ssvm #nunlife #missionaryadventures)

Anyway, of course my first desire when thinking of exploring Miami would be to 

visit Little Havana! It was only a 15 minute drive from Coconut Grove! The neighborhood is actually 3 square miles, most of it residential, so I just parked on a side street and made my way up to Calle Ocho, which is the main street of Little Havana.

The only part of Cuban culture I’ve ever been close to was Maria Cruz. She was a teacher at the church I worked for in Spanish Harlem, San Pablo. She had grown up in Cuba and lived there during the terrible times of Fidel Castro. She taught religion secretly and remembered what it was like to not have access to sugar. She lived there during the scarce and scary times & always had stories to tell. Then, she came to New York. I remember she would occasionally bring us (the nuns who worked in the CCD office) Cuban coffee, in those tiny NY cups and it was the richest, yummiest coffee I’d ever had! That was the closest to Cuban culture I ever got, until now.

My first goal was to find a cuban bakery or coffee shop and score some coffee & sweet breads or cookies to go along, then to sit and just people watch. Luckily, as I rounded the corner of Calle 8, I stumbled upon just that and ordered un cafe cubano and some I-don’t-know-what-they-are-called yummy cuban cookies. I took my treats down the street, seeking a bench to chill on, which I promptly found at Domino Park. Domino Park is just what it sounds like - a dozen or so tables, filled with locals (mostly men) playing dominos, laughing, drinking their cafes and chatting. It was a hub of bustle and I sat right down and enjoyed the scene! One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to find the local hubs, sit and just watch the people. I like to blend in (if possible), remain unnoticed and just observe humanity. It’s fascinating. I made eye contact with various of the players (old enough to be my grandparents,) smiled and I think they appreciated that I just quietly came in and sat down. There were loads of other tourists who came in charging with their cameras, hovering around the tables snapping photos, as if these folks were statues or something. It felt weird to me and I appreciated just being on the sidelines, enjoying my cafe & cookies, just watching.

From the park, I just wandered up and down Calle 8, snapping pictures of everything colorful, vibrant and interesting - which is basically everything in Little Havana. From the trash cans with Cuban art on them, to the wall tiles, street murals and picturesque cafes and walkways. I’m not really a shopper, so I skipped all the souvenir stores (although many looked like they had fun stuff!) and always consider my photos the best captures of my experience that I get to take with me for free. I love shooting new places, capturing scenes, art, and interesting corners or angles that people may not notice. So I spend the next 2 hours doing just that and it made me very happy. I also scored a second cafe cubano, because why not?

I’m not one to educate on history or culture, but Cuba does have an interesting, terrible and unique history behind all the colorful culture and rich coffees. I’ve read about it and learned first hand from Maria Cruz. It’s worth a look-up, whether or not you ever visit Little Havana or Cuba. (Same goes for any culture/country - who were the native peoples, what is their true history, whose land am I on, etc. )

Tuesday: Miami Beach Botanical Garden; South Miami Beach; Matheson Hammock Park

There are at least 5 amazing gardens one can visit in the Miami area, but the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is free! I drove the interesting highways over to Miami Beach and parked in the lot for a whopping $2/hour.

I was expecting the Gardens to be the size of the one here in Phoenix, which could easily take 2 hours to wander through. The Miami Beach Botanical Garden was probably only about ⅓ the size, but reconciled the lack of acreage with rich, lush, tropical radiance! They had a pond with fish, turtles and frogs! A Japanese style garden, a labyrinth you can walk through, various fountains peacefully cascading water and everything in bloom, green and refreshing. Just walking around was like breathing healing air.

I spent about an hour there and still had time on my car to spare, so I was like, “OK, what am I near right now? Where can I explore?” Turned out I was a 15 minute walk from South Beach, aka: the Ocean, so I headed east! Walking towards the beach, I heard dozens of languages, most of them totally unfamiliar to me, like from Eastern Europe and Asia for sure. Pretty neat.

The beach was calm, free (take notes, NJ) and very blue!! I walked to the water, sat in the sand and enjoyed the moment. I didn’t have a bathing suit on, so I just walked in to my ankles, but the water was refreshing. I would have jumped in, but I still had things to do that day and didn’t want #wetbuttcarseat.

I made my way home just in time for the afternoon shower to land. Afternoon showers are a thing in Miami during the rainy season. They usually pass in 1-2 hours, which this one did. Enough time for me to eat lunch and read a bit.

My next stop was the Old Cutler Trail, which I had read was great for biking or walking along. It was 13 miles in total, but one could start wherever and just meander. Well, I found the start of the trail in a gorgeous, historic neighborhood, but it seemed much more ideal for biking. I didn’t just want to walk in a neighborhood, so I kept driving along Old Culter just to see what I might find. This is just how I roll.

Shortly, I saw a sign for Matheson Hammock Park, aiming toward the bay, so I followed that sign. For $5, I could drive in and explore the bay area, swim and relax. It was shortly after the storm, so the place was pretty empty except for me, some lifeguards wandering around and the sunshine. Palm trees, calm beaches, a view of the Miami skyline. I explored the beach pretty intensely and witnessed all kinds of crab life happening right at the waters edge, and quite literally under my feet! It was a very lively shoreline! I watched the crab and critter bustle for quite some time! I relaxed on the picnic tables and watched the water, felt the breezes, just took in this secluded place I happened to find. I felt lucky!

Wednesday: Ancient Spanish Monastery

On my last day in Miami, I ventured to North Miami where the Ancient Spanish Monastery was situated. I guess, Dear Reader, you’ve figured by now that I’m not one to just lay on the beach for 3 days straight! Don’t get me wrong, I love the ocean, but if I have the opportunity to explore a new city, I dive in! I love any reason to wander, take pictures, see something new. So, prior to my trip, I of course researched and selected a few main sites to visit, one of them being this Monastery that just looked gorgeous. I love old buildings, things that feel European and old, and of course there is my ever-affinity to anything related to #monasticlife! Well, this monastery would prove much more interesting than I anticipated!

History from Spanish Monastery:

“Construction of the Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was begun in the year 1133 AD near Segovia, Spain. Cistercian monks occupied the Monastery for nearly 700 years. After a social revolution in the 1830's, the Monastery’s Cloisters were seized, sold, and converted into a granary and stable.

In 1925, William Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters and the Monastery's outbuildings. The structures were dismantled stone by stone, bound with protective hay, packed in more than 11,000 wooden crates, numbered for identification and shipped to the United States. Soon after the shipment arrived, Hearst's financial problems forced most of his collection to be sold at auction. The massive crates remained in a warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, for 26 years. One year after Hearst’s' death in 1952, they were purchased by two entrepreneurs for use as a tourist attraction. It took 19 months to put the Monastery back together. In 1953 Time magazine called it ‘the biggest jigsaw puzzle in history.’                                                           

In 1964, Colonel Robert Pentland, Jr, who was a multimillionaire banker, philanthropist and benefactor of many Episcopal churches, purchased the Cloisters and presented them to the Bishop of Florida. Today the parish Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux is an active and growing congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida.”

The photos show how beautifully restored this place is, in addition to it being basically another botanical gardens. There was a labyrinth on the grounds one could wander through and rows of perfectly planted, vibrant flowers. Moving through the Monastery was like being in a different epoch. Knowing that generations of monks silently moved through the corridors, ate in the refrectory and lived religious life within those stones was pretty amazing. Worth the visit, if you geek-out on this stuff like I do. Plus, a gorgeous place to take pictures!

En Fin

My adventure in Miami was fabulous and now I want to move there. Seriously, the green and the water, the tropical vibe got me. While I love the desert and all Phoenix has been to me, Miami felt like my next move. Next move, like give me a year or so to get my biz going, then tropics here I come! Not to mention, my brilliant sister & her fab partner Pete live there. Miami felt real good.

Te veo, Miami, te veo. Ya pronto.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

My Favorite New Destinations of 2017

Every year, I like to take a look back at my favorite new destinations of the year. What were the new places that I enjoyed the most? What are the places I’d most like to recommend my readers to visit?

In 2012, I chose places like Iceland, Montenegro, and South Africa.

In 2013, I chose places like Japan, Berlin, and the Scottish Highlands.

In 2014, I chose places like Sri Lanka, New Orleans, and Skellig Michael, Ireland.

In 2015, I chose places like Nicaragua, Albania, and Chicago.

In 2016, I chose places like Puerto Rico, Alsace, and Western Australia.

Each year I choose a mix of countries, regions, and cities. Sometimes I rank them, sometimes I choose a favorite, sometimes I list them all as equals. It depends on how I feel about the year as a whole. This year, I think it’s best to name one destination of the year and a runner-up.

My 2017 was all about Europe and the United States, with a bit of the Caribbean. As I grow older and become more settled in my life in New York, I’m more interested in taking shorter trips to closer destinations. The younger Kate would probably be cringing at that, but that’s the truth!

I was also fairly strategic this year, spending little out of pocket on airfare and turning work trips into longer trips. When I got a comped flight to Romania for a conference, I added visits to Moldova and Ukraine. A comped trip to Universal Orlando turned into a longer trip to the Keys and Miami. And when it came time to go to Vegas, last-minute airfare was pricey but I used my miles and spent just $11.

Do note that list is exclusively places I visited for the first time in 2017, so places like San Juan, Bucharest, and Philadelphia are ineligible.

My Favorite New Destination of 2017: Ukraine

Ukraine surprised the hell out of me. I expected a furtive, unfriendly country with all the worst stereotypes about Eastern Europe. Dirty cities, terrible food, a difficult language barrier, and feeling unwelcome and isolated.

Instead, I found a grand and gorgeous country filled with breathtakingly beautiful architecture, fantastic food, and incredibly stylish people. And a bonus? It was dirt cheap. The cheapest country in Europe by far, and much cheaper than Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. I would pay 95 cents for a huge fancy latte in a fancy cafe and 30 cents for a regular latte elsewhere. A three-course meal with wine would rarely cost more than $10.

If I could choose one favorite city of the year, it would undoubtedly be Odessa. I’ve wanted to visit this city for so long, since reading Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslian Charles (yes, I’m recommending it for the 47th time, because it’s that good). I found Odessa mystifying; by the time I arrived — especially after bleak Chisinau — I was in love in about ten minutes flat.

But that wasn’t all. I found Kiev to be a chic, modern, and culture-filled city with gold-domed churches and the most fashionable women in the country. And my day trip to Chernobyl was one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had while traveling.

I would absolutely love to return to Ukraine. It’s definitely in my top ten favorite countries in Europe. Most of all, I need to visit the city of Lviv! So many people raved about Lviv and it broke my heart that I didn’t have enough time. Next visit for sure.

READ MORE:

In Odessa, Romance and Grandeur

In Kiev, a Stylish and Surprising City

What’s It Like to Tour Chernobyl Today?

Runner-Up Favorite Destination of 2017: Key West, Florida

Oh MAN, did I love Key West. Throughout my life there have been all kinds of party playgrounds: Montreal when I was 18, Prague when I was 20, Las Vegas when I was 23, Bangkok when I was 26, San Juan del Sur when I was 30. But as I get into my thirties, I’m all about places like Key West. It’s the kind of place where you just let loose and have a good time. I can’t imagine being remotely uptight there.

But it’s not just a party place — it’s also full of gorgeous buildings, phenomenal food, and interesting cultural attractions. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Little White House, Harry Truman’s vacation residence. And just off Key West in Stock Island, I stayed in perhaps my favorite hotel of 2017 — the Perry Hotel.

I lucked out with two trips to Key West this year — and on the second one, I was there for the Hemingway Lookalike Contest! I need to go back again!

Key West did suffer when Hurricane Irma arrived earlier this year, but the damage was far less than expected. The island has recovered and is fully open for business. So if you’re wondering whether it’s a good idea to visit Key West right now, GO. They need your tourism dollars. (Some of the other Keys haven’t been as lucky, sadly, and will be recovering for a long time.)

Personally, I can’t wait to go back. There’s so much more I want to do, like visit Dry Tortugas National Park (if you want to do that, book it ASAP because it fills up quickly!). Mostly, I want to visit for more than two nights and just chill. I want Key West to become a regular tradition for me.

READ MORE:

Key West, You Are My New Favorite

A Sizzling Summer Trip to the Florida Keys

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city I’ve been wanting to visit for years now, and I enjoyed my trip there immensely. I went in expecting a liberal and artsy enclave amongst the mountains, and I discovered a treasure trove of arts, culture, shops, craft beer, and truly fantastic cuisine, including my favorite restaurant of 2017, Cúrate. Oh my God, that meal was so good I nearly cried!

But what truly blew me away about Asheville was the people. I swear to you, Asheville has some of the warmest, kindest, friendliest people on the planet. It’s not faux-politeness like I’ve seen in other places in the South. It’s genuine.

And I don’t know how that’s possible — Asheville is a city of transplants! Almost everyone is from somewhere else! HOW DO THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PERSONALITY?! Either it’s a Stepford Wives-type thing or the most wonderful people in America simply choose to live there. I mean, one night I went out to a bar and made a friend, and the other night I ended up going out for drinks with my waiter. Me, who hates talking to strangers. That’s how friendly Asheville is.

If you’re looking for a getaway within the US — you could do it in a weekend, or spend as long as a week — I highly recommend adding Asheville to your list. I find it an especially apt choice for couples if one person is into the outdoors and the other is more of a city person.

READ MORE: 14 Reasons Why I’m Smitten With Asheville, North Carolina

St. Petersburg

Another city that surprised the pants off me was St. Petersburg, Russia. What a magnificent place! I only had 36 hours there or so, and I spent about 35 of them marveling at everything around me. The grand buildings. The canals. The churches. The museums. Everything was more elegant in St. Petersburg.

Lots of cities like to compare themselves to Paris, but I’ve never thought anywhere was remotely like Paris — until I went to St. Petersburg. It matched Paris in grandeur, in fashion, in art. I mean, look at the Hermitage! It’s basically what would happen if you said, “Hey, what if we put all this art in Versailles instead?”

My quickie trip to Russia on the St. Peter Line ferry was a teaser trip of sorts, a chance to visit visa-free and see if I’d like to make the effort to get a visa and have a longer visit. The verdict? Yes, I’d love to go back. Even though some of my Russian readers have pointed out that St. Petersburg is very different from the rest of the country, I’m intrigued enough to plan a longer visit. Maybe on the Trans-Siberian railway someday!

READ MORE: Visiting Russia Without A Visa On the St. Peter Line Ferry

Colorado

How have I never visited Colorado before 2017? It seems like everyone is crazy about this state. I came to Vail for a campaign and decided to stay a few days longer and check out Denver and Boulder as well.

Vail was the main reason for my visit, and I fell in love with the famed ski town in an instant — and soon learned that locals think Vail is better in the summer than the winter! Whether I was hiking the mountains — once with llamas in tow — or biking around town and sampling fares at all the best restaurants, I was delighted by the fresh mountain air, the dizzying altitude, the craft beers, and the motley crew of Coloradans who live for being outdoors. Vail convinced me without a doubt that I’m much more of a mountain person than a beach person!

After Vail, I visited Denver for a few days and my lovely cousins, Colleen and Cynthia, took me on a tour of the city’s best spots, including The Tattered Cover bookstore, Hop Alley for trendy Chinese food, and D Bar for mind-blowing desserts. The next day, I took a brief detour to nearby Boulder and met up with my friends Carrie and Matt for the best breakfast of my life at Snooz, a stop at an authentic Tajik tea house, and, um, lots of people protesting circumcision.

A lot of young professionals have been making the move to Denver lately, including some of my friends. I really enjoyed Denver but didn’t feel the urge to move there — it’s important to me to live somewhere walkable, and Denver is definitely a driving city. But I see myself making many return visits to Colorado in the future. I want to see more mountain towns. I want to hike. I definitely want to return to Vail and hit up my favorite spots again. Maybe someday I’ll even learn to ski!

READ MORE: Vail, Colorado, Might Be Better in the Summer!

St. Maarten

Some places give you a good vibe right away. I didn’t expect much out of a destination you only visit for a few hours from a cruise ship, but St. Maarten filled my heart with happiness from the moment I saw it. This place felt right.

St. Maarten is a tiny island split into two nations: the Netherlands and France. I only visited the Dutch side (to my stomach’s chagrin — it wanted baguettes and Normandy butter!). I found beautiful beaches with crystal-clear water, cute restaurants and yacht-filled areas, and nice shopping and people. As I took a bus from one side of the island to the other, I yearned to stop and explore like crazy.

Oh, and there was Maho Beach — one of the world’s most extreme beaches, where airplanes once landed scintillatingly close to you, almost brushing the top of your heads.

St. Maarten is one place that was hit very hard by the hurricanes this year, and it’s not open for tourism at this time. In fact, Maho Beach was destroyed. When the time comes, we will need to support St. Maarten in its economic recovery.

READ (a little bit) MORE: AK Monthly Recap: March 2017

Miami

How is it possible that I didn’t visit Miami until 2017?! I feel like everyone’s been to Miami, and I fly through Miami all the time! In fact, I only visited Miami this year (and twice) because it was an easy addition — an add-on to the end of a cruise, and a logical stop en route from Key West to Orlando.

I spent those two trips in two neighborhoods: South Beach, the famous high-end neighborhood along the best urban beach I’ve ever seen in the US, and Wynwood, the artsy, hipster neighborhood more inland. Those two neighborhoods couldn’t be more different, but I was crazy about Miami’s colors, Latin culture, and the fact that it’s home to the most attractive people I’ve ever seen. Seriously, the phrase “really really ridiculously good-looking” was made for Miami. It was like the bar was set at a much higher hotness level.

Miami is now one of my top picks for a weekend destination in the US, and especially a winter sunshine destination. There is so much more to explore in this city, and even though I experienced two very different neighborhoods in depth, I’ve only scratched the surface.

READ MORE: Miami Is Nice, So I’ll Say It Twice

Porvoo, Finland

Finland is a country that I know and love, but Porvoo is the new destination that captured my heart this year. Located just one hour from Helsinki, this charming little city is home to an old town filled with 18th century wooden buildings. It was like a mini version of my favorite place in Finland, Rauma, but much more accessible to the capital.

So many people visit Porvoo for just a day trip — and there were tons of cruise ship passengers — but I really appreciated staying overnight. It gave me an opportunity to photograph the city during the best light of the day — and this was probably the most photogenic place I’ve visited this year.

At first glance, Porvoo is just a tourist-driven town filled with gift shops, not unlike the many seaside villages in Massachusetts that I grew up visiting. But when you get under its skin, you discover things like history, culture, and forest fitness. And getting to spend the night in one of those famous little red houses was a major highlight for me!

READ MORE: Finland in the Summer: Quirky, Isolated, and Pretty

The Hamptons

I think Long Island is one of the most underrated destinations in America. Yes, it’s the butt of lots of jokes — the accents, the malls, the big hair and giant jewelry — but it’s also home to a surprisingly good food and wine scene, as well as beautiful beaches.

Last year I spent time on the North Fork; this time I visited the South Fork, home to the Hamptons. My friends Beth and Colleen and I spent a day out in the low-key and fun beach town of Montauk, juuuuuust far enough to be an ambitious day trip from New York City, and we spent a bit of time exploring towns like East Hampton and Bridgehampton and the surrounding wineries. We hit up several of the destinations from The Affair, a TV show I love, and had one memorable meal that will be listed in my WORST travel moments of the year (stay tuned for that)…

A lot of people joke that the Hamptons are basically New York City transferred to a beach — same people, same culture, same attitudes. And…that’s kind of the case. But it’s impossible not to relax a tiny bit when you’re surrounded by beautiful beaches.

READ (a little bit) MORE: AK Monthly Recap: July 2017

What was your favorite new destination of 2017?

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