This as a surprise to anyone, but Miami in June is hot. Ive spent most of my life in the South, but I had always heard of the cool breezes and daily rain showers that kept Miami from being a sweatbox. Perhaps I just had a different idea of a sweatbox. Either way, I was always glad when I could find air conditioning.
It took me 6 months to be able to do anything touristy in 2021, but now that summer has arrived, Im looking forward to spending more time getting out and about. And yes, I am fully vaccinated, so barring some new variant (Im looking at you, delta) or preventative measures, Im going to be doing more traveling and writing in the next couple of months.
Most of my faithful readers will remember that I enjoy sporting events, especially football, baseball, and tennis. Last year, there were no baseball games, and so for 2021, Ive decided that Im going to make up for that with a vengeance. Thats what brought me to Miami.
My favorite team is the Toronto Blue Jays—which will abundantly clear as the summer progresses, if you keep up with
this blog—and the stars aligned for a relatively inexpensive trip to watch them play in Miami: $12 for a ticket, $96 for airfare to Miami, etc. While I hadnt wanted to make the trip solo, its the normal thing at this stage of my life. (Check out basically every other blog post for evidence of this.) Solo trips dont bother me. And its not like this was my first time in Miami. All told, Ive been there 4 times now. But I had never visited Calle Ocho, in Little Havana. Nor had I ever attended a Miami Marlins baseball game, so those two things were on the top of my list.
If I had never been to Miami before, I wouldve considered my current trip to be less than ideal. But as it is, I came down with only a small list, and Im happy to say they were both And I learned a few lessons, which Im happy to impart:If you order a Lyft and then dont show up for it, they charge you $5. Blame it on the confusing layout of the Miami airport, where I was at the departure
stops and my Lyft driver was at the arrivals, on the level right below me. Otherwise, Lyft is my for ridesharing.Its unwise to ingest anything with cayenne pepper when its over 90 degrees outside. Even if that pepper is in the ice cream youre eating. But it gave me an excuse to order another ice cream for a chaser, so I Im not really upset about that.Getting everything into your personal item on the airplane is about the best thing ever, when to air travel. Easy on, easy off, no wait at the baggage carousel, and no baggage fees at all. It also helps when its a single night, and youre in town for less than 24 hours.Domed stadiums are the shit. I think every professional stadium should be domed. No weather delays, no heat strokes, no excuses. I cant imagine attending many games in Florida without a dome to protect the fans and players from the elements, especially during the summer months. Kudos to you, Miami Marlins.It really is a small world. While I didnt run into anyone I knew personally, I did overhear a guy next to me during the game
at one point talk about being from Kalamazoo. When I told him I had graduated from Western Michigan University (in Kalamazoo), he told me that he had also graduated from there. How many WMU alumni were at the Miami Marlins game that day? I would be willing to bet no more than 2.Margaritaville at the Miami Airport sucks. No offense, if youre reading this and work there. They also dont have sweet tea to drink (or lemonade on that particular day). But it was one of the few options I had for a full meal, since I arrived too early to check into my hotel and too late to do breakfast. At least they had a place to sit and relax, with a big TV to distract me from the existential angst.
Before this trip, I had used a rideshare service a grand total of one time: last summer in Washington, DC, when I needed to get back to my hotel after some night photography on the National Mall.
