I’m Back!

 I’m back from the Orange Bowl!  Another fun trip and several bucket list items crossed off!  The game didn’t turn out like we’d hoped, but the overall experience made up for it.  

Hard Rock Stadium is a beautiful facility, with first class amenities.  We were sitting in the “nose bleed” seats, and there was an escalator from the ground to that level!  It was the longest escalator I’ve ever seen!  We encountered so many Red Raider fans and enjoyed talking with them.  There were a lot more Oregon fans there than I expected, with the game being all the way across the country from them.  The Oregon people we talked to were very friendly and nice too. 

The day before the game, we went sightseeing around Ft. Lauderdale.  We found the prettiest little park with access to the beach.  There were even chairs under some shade trees where you could sit and watch the ocean.  We could have stayed there for hours, but we had dinner reservations and had to go.  We did stop at a really cool little bar/restaurant for a drink.  

Dinner was really good.  Susan had found a seafood restaurant on the water, and made reservations for us for New Year’s Eve.  The food was delicious and the atmosphere was wonderful.  

After the game, we decided to go into Miami proper. We drove around downtown and went over to Miami Beach. It was really fun seeing all the art deco hotels on South Beach, the ultra fancy hotels and condos, and all the expensive cars on the streets.  There were dozens of really nice shops and restaurants.  We would have stopped but couldn’t find anywhere to park.

Remember how I told you that Illinois was one long construction zone?  Florida says, “hold my beer.”Southbound going down wasn’t bad.  A few construction zones with very slight delays.  Northbound was a nightmare.  They were doing most of the widening work on that side.  There were delays after delays.  We sat in traffic for hours.  Finally we found another route to get to Tallahassee, where we were staying that night. It was a good road and so much better than all that construction and congestion.  

On the way home, we decided to get off the interstate and drive along the Mississippi Coast.  We both love the coast. You can drive along the beach on Highway 90 and we love seeing the water.  We stopped at a little “hole in the wall” restaurant that has delicious po- boy sandwiches.  Susan got a shrimp po-boy that was piled high with delicious fried shrimp. I got a New Orleans style roast beef with all the fixings plus gravy!  Yes, we have eaten well on our trip!  

It was a fun trip and, as always, I love traveling with Susan.  We are so compatible in the things we like to do and see.  Plus I just love spending time with her.  

That’s my latest adventure!  I’ll let you know about the next one!  

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