One of my favorite things to do in this city is act like a tourist, exploring the hidden gems and boutiques this city has to offer. One of the drawbacks of being a transplant into a city that I hardly can call home is that I really don’t understand the history or the culture behind the city I see before me. Every city has a rich story behind it that makes its inhabitants deeply committed and proud of it that transplants, like myself, miss out on.
So what I like to do is behave like a tourist (minus the fanny-pack and map) and explore the little things in the city on the weekends. This weekend I enjoyed the two things Miami has to offer: water and boutiques.
The hubby and I went walking through the cute little area called Coconut Grove. It’s a really trendy area that a lot of poshy people like to go in order to be seen. The best part about this area is that it is surrounded by a perpetual enchanted forest that looks and feels a lot like a rain forest you might find in Costa Rica. If you ignore the honking from the angry drivers and the houses that clutter the jungle then you can forget, for just a minute, that you are in Miami.
We snuck back into The Barnacle, a teeny tiny Florida State Park, that sits in between the poshy shops and the bay just south of downtown Miami. The sidewalk is covered with snails and banana spiders and the infamous coral rock lines the walkways. The roots from the trees grow deep into the otherwise impenetrable stone (used in this city mostly for its ability to withstand the horrendous weather).
South Florida has taken a beating these past few weeks as hurricane season has begun. This “season” lasts most of the year, though locals will tell you it is July through October. The rain here is something that one can only marvel at as Mother Nature reminds us that we are just tiny little pieces in her plan.
What city are you exploring right now? And when is the last time you connected with Mother Nature??
xo