South Beach isn't the same when your 33...lol.

I decided to join Denise & Meredith on their journey to South Beach, Miami. I didn't realize that the guy Meredith was seeing was a police officer in Queens on a weekend getaway with 50 of his closest co-workers...haha!

When we arrived in Miami, we walked into our beautiful hotel - SOUTHBEACH MARRIOTT {would highly recommend it}, checked in & headed straight to the beach to take in the sun! After all we're in Miami!!! For lunch we ate at DECO BLUE {our hotel restaurant...very yummy}. One Key Lime Martini & I was good to go!!! After sun bathing all day long we got all dressed up & picked the most expensive restaurant in all of South Beach to eat dinner because it was directly across the street from our hotel & we didn't feel like walking...it's all about convenience!!! DEVITOS was the name & a glass of wine was $25!!! If that was the cost of the wine, you knew the rest of the bill wasn't going to be pretty...and NO Danny wasn't there serving us the food himself...lol. We ordered 3 appetizers & ate a lot of bread!

That night we headed to the Fountain Bleu Hotel & lounge. They renovated the whole place...it was absolutely magnificent! We ended up meeting Meredith's boy & friend and that's when we realized that he knew our whole hotel...even the guys by the pool from LI that we met earlier {small world}! Kenny immediately took a liking to me and of course being a girl who likes a chase - rejected him. He was very clingy and kept on saying "it's b/c I'm short, isn't it?". No, it's b/c you're too pushy...Hello!!! I mean, cmon, he was telling me he really, really liked me when all I did was shake his hand!!! OMG!!! In his defense, I'm sure he truly is a nice guy...I just can't decide that within two seconds of meeting someone! For the after party, we ended up at MANGOS - where the real Miami flava ignites!!! It is filled with half naked men & women on stage...everyone ends up there eventually...even after the Clevelander!!! We danced the night away and for those of you who know Mangos - you never dance alone - there will ALWAYS be some guy or 5 guys surrounding you...even if you have a boyfriend. Think of the positive: You always feel sexy...lol.

After the Mango Madness we headed to our beds.

The next morning we hung out by the pool in our own personal floats {wish I was on one right now}. Then we went sightseeing because the hotels in South Beach are pretty amazing! The SHORE CLUB was having a private pool party all day which we managed to miss & show up just as it was winding down...but Oh My Word, what a Phenomenal hotel!!! The DELANO is another beauty...gorgeous!!!

Afterwards, we ate at the Atlantic Grill because the tremendous drinks hauled us in. Until we realized that every restaurant has the same tremendous drinks. Figures we picked the one with the worst food...yuck! That night we were off to NIKKI BEACH, where many years ago I felt young. Now at 33, Nikki Beach is young & I'm just old...lol. Club Nikki, upstairs, was even younger which I never thought possible! The music was great...enjoyed dancing. We had good conversation outside where we could hear ourselves talk {yes, another sign of getting old}. This is when I realized if you're not drunk - loud music & obnoxious people really aren't fun!!!

The next day was the FINS VS JETS game at Dolphin Stadium {the whole reason we even went on this trip}. After a day of recuperating from the prior evening, we were boarding the HAPPY BUS {no, I can't make that up}. It lived up to it's name. The Happy Bus took us to our very own private tailgate in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers & sides. Only downfall was I finished all of the Bacardi Mojitos {all 4 of them} on the bus & there was nothing left for me to drink {I don't drink beer...although this would have been a good time to start...}. Anyway...when we got to the game - where the "real" tailgating was going on {not that we minded being the only 3 girls accompanied by 50 gentlemen} we had some nice guys buy us beverages.

I always wanted to go to an "away" game. I'm glad I did because it's an experience. Dolphin Stadium was like a club - everyone goes nuts!!! All I have to say is thank goodness the Dolphins won 31-27 otherwise we would have been dead - literally. Dolphin fans are hardcore. I was getting yelled at and my tank top only said "go green". I was trying not to be obvious - it didn't work...lol. Overall it was an experience that I will never forget!!! The ride home was very solemn. Nobody said a word. People take football very seriously - especially Jets fans. But after everyone's naps a second wind came blowing in & we all ended up at Ted's Hideaway. The only place open late on a Monday. It was definitely where the locals go. Only thing, they allow smoking, so I didn't last long.

Our last day we spent poolside - didn't want to get out. Before our departure we ate at BIG PINK - another restaurant around the corner - only this one was worth it. Took our Key Lime Pies to go & ate them in the cab ride to the airport.

I also failed to mention that this was Columbus Day Weekend. On this particular weekend is what's known as CARNIVALE in Miami {similar to our Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC} so you could only imagine the crowds of people...just be careful of the giant snake on the street!!!

The moral of this story is South Beach isn't what it used to be when we were younger...xoxo...audrey