We spent all of last week in paradise, and it was as wonderful as we hoped it would be. Early on Monday morning, we jetted off to a new-to-us place before the sun came up. This was our home-away-from home until the following Saturday afternoon, and we soaked it all in as best as we could.
We originally had a camping trip planned for spring break this year, and were sincerely looking forward to it. By the end of 2022, however, we were so weary from all the trials we faced all year long, and we knew that there was only one thing that could lift our spirits: the ocean. So, we changed plans. Flights and hotels were booked soon after, and we headed as far south as we could go without leaving the US:
Miami Beach, Florida!
We had heard mixed reviews about how family-friendly (or not) this beach was, but we decided to see for ourselves. Miami's clear water, white sand, fun atmosphere, and warm sun wooed us from the start. It was the perfect place for our spring break adventure! We flew Southwest from our home airport, checked into The Confidante six hours later, and went immediately to the water after getting settled into our room. We were given the option to upgrade to a suite with a partial ocean-view window at check in (thanks to my Globalist status with Hyatt), but we opted for a smaller room with a balcony. In my opinion, there is nothing else like sitting on a balcony that looks out over water. *happy sigh*
The goal of this trip was simple:
rest & relax
Our typical travel style is go-go-go and see-see-see, and we included some of that into this week. But for the most part, we stayed nearby the hotel and soaked up the sun. Miami is famous for lots of things, but beach bummin' was exactly what we needed.
Every morning when we woke up, we enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast at The Confidante's on-site restaurant, Ambersweet. We ate outside every morning except one, and the scene was just gorgeous; the staff was exceptional, as well. Everything was so yummy, and I'm pretty sure we all ate our body weight in fresh fruit every morning!
After breakfast, we headed back upstairs to get our swimsuits and sunscreen on. We finished breakfast and were out at the beach by ten o'clock most mornings, and we didn't rush all week long. *another happy sigh*
The hotel provided complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas, and we enjoyed that a lot. It was so nice to not lug down 200 pounds of beach gear and set it all up before getting settled (aka what we do when we visit SC beaches), and the kids did really well considering we brought zero beach toys. There was minimal whining at times, but my kiddos were mostly content to build sand castles and splash in the water. We had read reports of sargassum (seaweed) being headed toward the coast, and we did see plenty of it each day. The good news is that it wasn't as bad during low tide, and the current moved it along so that there were breaks. Once you got out into the water, it was clear and blue and glorious.
For lunch, we ate what we brought from home, which consisted of sandwiches, chips, Larabars, applesauce, trail mix, and treats. We kept our water bottles filled and close by, and we splurged for poolside drinks a couple of times throughout the week, too. Packing food on vacations is one way we are able to stick to our budget, and I especially love doing that because it allows us to splurge in other areas if we desire.
For dinner, we chose places we could easily walk to since we opted not to rent a car. We love to stay places where we can easily walk to nearby restaurants and shops, and our location in Miami was great for this, too. The furthest we walked was half a mile away (which was a quick dash down the boardwalk), and we enjoyed a poolside dinner on our final night so we could stay by the water as long as possible.
The restaurants we ate at (all of which we would enjoy again) were:
We chose this location because 1) it was on the east coast and 2) it was a warm beach with easy access to the water. It was even better than we thought it would be, and our kids are already begging to go back just days after coming home. The food on-site was delicious, the retro-glam decor and overall vibe made us so happy, and all of the amenities available to us at our hotel were incredible. We even had bikes available for us to use to ride up and down the boardwalk.
We were originally only staying four nights here, but we decided to add an additional night a few days before we left home because we knew we'd want one. That was probably our best decision! Not even five nights was long enough here, but we made sure to make the most of it.
On my mind tonight after a few days back at home:
my favorite color is whatever color the ocean is, and the Miami water spoke all kinds of inspiration into my soul.
Sobering and empowering and humbling and downright remarkable — that’s what this scene is to me. A glimpse into glory, with blue sky above me and blue water below. Each shade it’s own, beautiful and majestic.
Long story short:I’m a big fan of the ocean.
I’m a big fan of this week.
I’m a big fan of being a wife and a mother.
I'm a big fan of seeing it all.
Miami was a dream we didn't want to wake up from.
I pray we have many more adventures like this (and beyond) in our future.
See our bonus adventure here, too!
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