After Hurricane Irma, pretty much all of the South Florida region has needed a major make over and clean up session. Majority of landscaping and natural fauna was damaged and destroyed. I was amazed at how powerful the "not eye" of the storm was. I mean, thousands of pounds of giant palm trees and mangroves were completely uprooted. I have been wanting to take a walk over to the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens for quite some time now, and thought now would be a perfect time. Though, the gardens are not nearly as covered in green perfection as a month ago, the grounds have started undergoing the major clean up. Palm trees have been stilted and down trees, plants and branches have been cleared. The garden remains a wonderful city escape. The oasis is full of butterflies, the sounds of water fountains, and plenty of Florida sun peering through the many floral bushes and palmetto branches that survived the storm. It will only take a short while before new sprouts grow and the natural pruning of the storm will result in more beauty. #floridastrong xo RCN
Morada Bay
I realize that the last three posts in "Explore", are all spots in Islamorada. I guess that speaks to how much I love it. Morada Bay, is a must stop in the Keys. Even if you are headed all the way down to Key West, it's worth a pull over for lunch at the Beach Cafe.
My first trip to Islamorada, we were unable to eat and visit Morada Bay because the Netflix television show Bloodlines was being filmed. Ever since then, my friend Danny has me hooked and I am really obsessed. Link to check it out, HERE. The second visit was a success, and I was able to watch the sunset with a ridiculously large cocktail in hand.
The white sand is soft and powdery while the palms above swaying with the breeze perfect the island soundtrack. The Beach Cafe salad is my favorite, with seared Ahi Tuna. Zach loved the Mahi-Mahi tacos. You can't go wrong with fresh fish. And if you forgot your suntan lotion, there is a quaint beach shop located in a parked vintage airstream trailer right beside the cafe. I had to pick up an extra Sun Bum key lime lip balm, just because. We have already decided our next visit to Morada Bay will be for the Full Moon Party! xo RCN
Source: http://moradabay.com
Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Islamorada
Zach surprised me for my 30th birthday. I am not surprised he planned a beautiful getaway for us, but I was surprised about what he planned. I LOVED it.
Islamorada in the Florida Keys is less than two hours from our home in South Beach, which is a perfect distance for a night away. Zach arranged with my girlfriend about watching Ethel for the night. THANK YOU Col!! Colleen, her husband Steve, and sweet boy Hudson, joined us for brunch at Yardbird on my birthday morning before we ventured off to The Keys. Also, a surprise! Oh, and Yardbird is one of the best restaurants in SOBE. Check it out HERE. The Eggs Benedict and pretty much everything else on the menu is to die for.
We checked into Cheeca Lodge early afternoon with champagne in hand and more awaiting in the room - good move Z. I slipped on my new favorite swimsuit from PacSun and we headed out paddle boarding on the still ocean. Kayaking, snorkeling, fishing excursions, golfing etc. are all available at the resort. They even have clear canoes! We spent majority of the afternoon just chilling by the water sipping on daiquiris and munching on Grouper ceviche, yum! Early evening, we took a quick trip off the resort to Morada Bay (very close to Cheeca) to see the sunset on the bay. Upon return to Cheeca, we ordered take out from Nikai, the sushi restaurant on property, and ate dinner at the tiki bar right off the beach. The sushi was wonderful. I love a unique roll option, which they had! My favorite rolls were the Big Kahuna: tuna & avocado topped with lobster salad, pineapple ginger glaze & toasted macadamia, and the Dirty Vegas: tempura shrimp & escolar tartar topped with spicy hamachi, sweet chili garlic sauce, tempura crunchies & black sesame seeds. So, so good!
The backdrop and beauty of Cheeca is perfect for a romantic and celebratory weekend in both daylight and darkness. The long dock is a perfect little stroll under the stars before bedtime. We closed off the night with a toast on our private balcony. I will never forget my 30th birthday or Cheeca Lodge. We will be back! xo RCN
Source: cheeca.com
Florida Keys Brewing Co. & Islamorada Beer Co.
Zach and I share a very dear friend that recently visited us in Miami. Danny made the short trip from Philly to hang out for a few days and also to run the Miami Half Marathon. We figured since running 13.1 miles can take a lot out of a person, why not help Danny get his groove back after the race by celebrating with some cold beer and sunshine (Z and I sat this race out!). Being that Islamorada is not all that far from Miami, we figured let's all make it a first together, and head south to the Keys to enjoy some local beer after the weekend run.
Both Florida Keys Brewing Co. and Islamorada Beer Co. are located in Islamorada. Both places are designed colorfully, stocked with delicious on the spot brewed beers, and full of fun bar games. We went for the beer, though giant life size Jenga can be quite fun, too. Florida Keys Brewing Co. was my favorite of the two stops. And, if you are along for the ride and don't actually enjoy drinking beer, you may at the least enjoy reading the names of the brews, like, Pelican Poop, Iguana Bait, or Rum Smuggler.
I'll be back to the Keys in a couple of months. Any suggestions for other cool places to visit? Please let me know! xo RCN