South Florida (May 2002)

Downtown Miami from the bridge going over Biscayne Bay. I flew in Ft. Lauderdale, rented a car, picked up Steve from the eye conference, got Corey a litte later at the airport and we drove down to Miami Beach for the weekend. Our friend Doug met us late Friday night from New York and the four of us enjoyed a few days hitting the beaches, crusing and going out.

Me in front of the "Everglades Safari Park" sign. Corey, Steve and I decided to take a trip out to the Everglades, just outside Miami, to see some gators and go for an airboat ride. We went on Friday and got caught in rush hour traffic on the way back, but it was well worth the trip.

Here I am squatting cautiously along the banks of a swamp with an alligator just feet away. OK, so it wasn't that scary, since the gator was pretty small, but we saw much larger on the airboat ride.

Steve, Corey and I on the air/swamp boat, driven by our guide, who's feeding a bird. The airboat ride was exhilirating, as we crossed right over and through shallow water, lillypads and grasses. The boat was very loud, but we managed to creep up on a few gators.

Steve, Doug, Corey and I soon after walking out onto South Beach for the afternoon. The beach is huge and packed with all types of people: white, black, hispanic, straight, gay, male, female, clothed and topless. The water was warm and welcoming, as we spent the whole day on the beach, swimming, throwing the frisbee, walking and just taking in the sights.

Doug and Corey returning from throwing the frisbee at South Beach. Doug insisted we get a frisbee and so we did. None of us were the best frisbee throwers and we occasionally hit some people (or at least came real close). Also, in the background, you can see a cruise ship. We saw several of these large boats leaving from the Port of Miami.

Steve just chillin' on the beach. Behind him, a few of the hundreds of high rise hotels rise along the coast. In this particular area of South Beach, many of the hotels are built in an Art Deco style.

The four of us (me, Doug, Roo and Steve) in front of the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It was about 80 degrees and the waves were just right. There was a nice breeze blowing in off the ocean, so it wasn't too hot. All in all, the weather was just about perfect.

Doug showing his muscle at the pullup bar on South Beach. I think he did about 15, but it wasn't easy. Beside him, a local muscleman does his stuff.

Here I am in front of the gates leading up to the former mansion of the late fashion mogul Giani Versace. He was killed there by Andrew Cunanan a few years ago, and since then, the place has become a popular attraction.

The full view of the Versace mansion shows how large and spectacular the place is. It's right on the main drag in South Beach, so everyone can see it. Right now, no one lives there, but a rich guy from Raleigh owns the place and plans on turning it into an exclusive millionaires club.

Here I am crusing in the Kia Optima we rented for the weekend. It was actually a pretty nice car, with a sun roof, CD player and V6 engine (kind of like a Nissan Maxima). Traffic was pretty congested in South Beach, with so many people "cruising" along the main drag. There were signs that said "Crusing Prohibited When Light Flashing."

Here we are again in the Opty (as we called it) on our way down to the Florida Keys. We had to take Roo there for a scuba trip he was going on to get certified. The drive down there wasn't bad, but traffic in the Keys surprisingly was.

Steve and I left Key Largo, hussled to get back to Fort Lauderdale (a good two hour drive), turn the rental car in, shuttle to the airport and catch our flight. As you can see, we made it. The flight was a zoo, though, with kids on all sides of us, crying, kicking, screaming and singing. We made the best of it though.

Corey, me and Steve along a waterway in Key Largo, the northernmost island of the Florida Keys. We actually went as far south as Islamorada, but hit an awful traffic jam and were forced to turn around. Unfortunately, we didn't get a good feel for the Keys and cross over any long bridges, but it sure did seem like a neat place. At least we can say we've been there.