Miami Beach, November 20, 2005 - Get up late. Jog along the beach. Shower. Eat brunch at a cute outdoor cafe. Hang out on the beach. Shower. Eat dinner at a fancy outdoor restaurant. Sip martinis in a hip outdoor lounge. Sip some more martinis (outdoors) at a fancy and hip hotel. Dance the night away at a cheesy outdoor nightclub. Repeat tomorrow. What's not to love about vacationing in Miami Beach?

(Okay, I got a bit tired of the ubiquitous hip ambient techno music in all the hotels, lounges, stores, and bathrooms. And there was less topless sunbathing than had been advertised. But those are small nits to pick...)

It was such a great place to spend a long weekend, that I wonder why we haven't done it more often. We'll definitely go back, though maybe not in the summer (February through October), since one other thing to love was temperatures in the 70's and low 80's, rather than the high 90's as is often the case down there. That's what chased me away from south Florida ten years ago. (I lived 2 hours north of Miami and, stupid me, only managed to get to Miami once. I was 2.5 hours south of Orlando and got there far more often. But hey, Orlando is fun, too. And coincidentally, that's where we spent Thanksgiving. More on that later...)