LBC morning

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As I predicted, we were not only up early but nearly immediately after we went to bed. The sounds of the long beach Halloween shenanigans started about 11pm and rose to a carcaphony by bar close. Our little artist neighborhood was rampant with screaming party goers who now had an extra hour of drunken fun. Also recall we had all of our windows open and no ability to close them. We drifted for a few hours and then watched morning news on KTLA from 5am until it was late enough for breakfast. Amazing breakfast and then took our new favorite transportation uber to the cruise port. After around an hour of waiting, we are currently pool side awaiting our departure at 4pm 😀

Cabo Wabo

First port, and we were impressed how sprawling the city was for miles around. We did a grueling but fun sea kayak to el arco (the arch) that included seeing seals and dodging tourist boats. Quite an experience to get sucked into the wake of a huge booze cruise barge filled with drunk Carnival cruise guests when you're padding a little kayak. The waves were deemed "okay" or yellow by the Mexican port authority but they certainly rivaled any we had seen with an undercurrent that would open gaping holes in the sand below your feet. Snorkeling was murky but plent of sea life to be seen. Survived our several mile kayak adventure and had about an hour to walk to Sammy Hagars famous bar Cabo Wabo, which was as uneventful as it sounds. Returned to the ship at sunset and had a great dinner and listened to the smooth sounds of a phillipino man singing dead on Neil Diamond covers that nearly brought down the house. Yep, you can guess the demographic, but Chris was most definitely in the super fan category.  Oh, there was also a phillipino trip singing some excellent old country and impersonating a mariachi band.

Day At Sea!

The first day of the cruise was a day at sea. Despite some initial issues with checking in (down computers, etc) the first day was nice, sunny, and relaxing. For most of the day we were topside and enjoyed the sun, pool, some beverages, and the BBQ lunch.

For the evening we kept it simple, took in the sunset, tried a couple of shows available but mainly relaxed to get ready for Cabo!

Long Beach, the suburban beach town

We had a wonderful lazy morning, as we had a unique experience of a flight  that took off at a reasonable hour (2pm).We wandered aimlessly about until it was time to leave for the airport, no other responsibilities than to triple check our luggage, the locks and the stove being turned off. A turbulent flight was manageable for the spectacular views of the Grand Canyon, and having an entire airline row to ourselves. Uber turned out to be the perfect way to transport to Long Beach, despite having to upgrade to a "black car" which turned out to be an Indian man in a mecedes. Second hurdle cleared as we checked into our lovely Airbnb with a garden view in the east village artist quaters. Wandered by the ocean, down Ocean Drive and experienced a very lazy Halloween night. Had a beer at the Constitution ale bar where a man in a hamster costume clearly had put in too much effort. Batman and the Joker were the most popular offerings as the bars and restaurants geared up for a rush that never came. We bailed off to Von's grocery store for amazing deli fried chicken and salad and bed. The time change will be problematic, however, as we already have a two hour deficit and we will gain another hour. Look forward to awakening at 4am to start the day. All open windows overlook a lovely azalea tree and garden lulling us to sleep. Apparently there are no bugs in southern California as we haven't a single screen

. 78 degrees but a cool ocean breeze.

South Beach Sunday

A much quieter start to the day on Sunday as the great spring break switchover occurs. Enjoyed an excellent breakfast and walked through some tacky shops. Spent a few hours on the beach which was predominantly families and a welcome change of pace from Saturday. Much of the day we just wanderered around, enjoyed the sun and interesting sights and sounds. If one could describe the sound of south beach, it would be the gentle ocean waves mixed with constant horn honking. Everyone is honking constantly. For no good reason. Yep, the traffic is terrible on Ocean Drive. Yes, I'm sure it's frustrating to have your Lamborghini stuck behind a guy on a scooter with a lemur on his shoulder. That really happened. Check out lemur guy below. Just another day in SoBe.

Pics from today

The African queen, key largo restaurant, our rental car, the beach!

Key Largo and a busy beach!

On our first full day of vacation we opted to rent a car and head to the Keys.  It was a nice drive - mainly because we hit the road so early, as we would find out.

In Key Largo we got there in time to see The African Queen.  Yep, the same one from the Bogart and Hepburn film.  It still runs and for a fee one can take a ride on it.

For lunch we stopped at the "world" famous Mrs. Macs. While decent and friendly, I wouldn't say I would make a trip specifically to Key Largo to eat there.

Not wanting to miss sun and beach time we headed back to South Beach.  It was at this time we saw the traffic to the keys backing up.  We chuckled at the poor souls until we got closer to South Beach and found ourselves in a similar situation!

But we were able to get back to our BnB in a decent time, however could not find a parking spot...well decision time. What to do with the car?

Easy answer: return it.  Thus ended our short time with a 2014 Chevy Spark. 

We then hit the beach and took in some rays, surf, and lots and lots and lots of spring breakers!

Of course we made time in our "strict schedule" to make room for a nap, which may have gone longer than planned!

Now to find a place to eat and experience South Beach on a Saturday night during spring break.