ashleyd /

48 Hours in South Beach

This is definitely something I could get accustomed to seeing every single evening after a long day of work. There is nothing like the warm, setting sun over the ocean and the sound of crashing waves.

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I spent a whirlwind 48 hours down in Miami for a business trip with my co-workers. It was one of the better work experiences I’ve had down in South Beach for a multitude of reasons and while I am definitely exhausted I was able to enjoy the trip. (You can see a few of my other Miami posts here, here, here , and here)

Run

No trip, whether business or personal, is complete without a run around the area to explore new sites and enjoy fresh air. This trip was no different and while I only squeezed in one run during the 48 hour trip, it was at least a good one. The views were gorgeous early Tuesday morning as I ran down Collins Avenue enjoying a strong breeze and took in the art deco hotels and sites.

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Hotel

Grand Beach Hotel: It is often difficult to find hotels in South Beach that fit the price range for corporate travel. We were all very pleased with our hotel this trip, Grand Beach Hotel. Located in South Beach the hotel boasts an all-suites model which means that every room is complete with 2 full baths, sofa, private balcony with ocean view, and king size bed. The balcony allowed me space to enjoy the morning breeze as I checked emails and the beach access was convenient for our group’s free time yesterday afternoon. I really can’t find a negative thing to say about the hotel. The staff was friendly, the breakfast was delicious, the pool was gorgeous, and the hot tubs stayed open all night!

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Dinner and Night Life:

 Last night our celebratory team dinner was held at Yuca which is a located in the middle of South Beach on Lincoln Road. From the first sip of their mojito I knew it was going to be a delicious evening. Everything was a fresh and new taste on Cuban classic dishes such as mojitos, empanadas, and slow marinated flank steak with plenty of spice. There were multiple large groups at Yuca last night but the service was still very attentive. I would come back here again for a fun dinner in South Beach before a night on the town as it was walking distance from the other bars we visited last night including The Delano and The WALL Nightclub Lounge at the W Hotel.

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Your turn: Which do you prefer- South Beach or Las Vegas? If you’ve never been, which one do you want to visit?

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ashleyd /

Visiting New York City: A Day In Brooklyn

My parents are in town and that means we’ve been going non-stop! It’s so much fun but holy heck I’m ready for a nap.

For the past year I’ve heard about Egg from my parents. Last year during a snow storm my parents ended up having an amazing breakfast experience there due to the food and overall staff kindness and needless to say they’ve been talking about it ever since. Yesterday we ended up spending a perfect afternoon in Brooklyn complete with brunch, fresh air, flowers, and a museum visit!

Here is our itinerary in case you want to replicate our Brooklyn afternoon:

Egg Restaurant (Williamsburg, cash only, no reservations) A laid back, casual, little bit hipster brunch spot in Williamsburg that sources their ingredients locally and includes complimentary delicious beignets with every meal. The highlights were their French press coffee, mint roasted grapefruit, candied bacon, and home made biscuits. The line may look intimidating but it moves pretty quickly. 

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Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (Prospect Heights, $8 donation requested) This is truly a hidden treasure! I’ve never heard much about it but it really is one of New York’s best kept secrets! Even with the recent rains and overcast skies it was a beautiful way to spend two hours and so relaxing compared to the speed of the city.

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Brooklyn Museum ($12 suggested donation, right next door to the Gardens) The Brooklyn Museum is another hidden treasure that I’ve run by more than a few times but never visited before. The museum itself is best known for it’s Egyptian wing which was incredible! It amazed me that they included a mummy outside of the sarcophagus and some really detailed videos describing the processes they used to restore them. In addition, we spent time seeing the John Singer Sargent watercolor exhibit and the Rodin collection.

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Overall it was a great afternoon in Brooklyn and I would suggest everyone enjoy a similar afternoon whether you’re a local or just in town visiting!

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ashleyd /

A Whirlwind Friday

Happy Saturday! Here’s a sneak peak of how we spent our Saturday.

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It was quite the whirlwind Friday! My parents really know how to keep me moving when they are in town, that’s for sure!

After a less than stellar 10 mile run with Katie yesterday in preparation for the Brooklyn Half Marathon next weekend, my parents and I headed out to New Jersey to see my “Jersey family” and my cousin’s adorable 10 month old, Sedona. I really don’t have baby fever in the least except for when she’s in my arms. Ask me any other day and the answer is “a good solid 3-4 years” but yesterday, you could have let me take her home and I would have been just fine!

I mean how can you not love this adorable little ball of joy. She is at such a fun age right now, telling everyone hi and making sure she’s the center of attention. Her flavor of the week is lemons. No kidding. This kid loves biting, sucking, gnawing, and entertaining herself with a lemon piece. IMG_2722

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We also had some deep, serious conversations. “Sedona your mom won’t mind you coming to Geneva with me will she?”

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As you can tell, she’s jealous of teeth now that her first two teeth have started making their presence known.

After going out to Jersey and back we had just 30 minutes to change clothes and walk over to Raymi for a happy hour with a few of our friends. It was SO much fun for my parents to meet our friends after hearing about them for the last 4 years. Unfortunately not everyone could make it but it was still a wonderful night filled with lots of laughs and great conversation!

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Our “happy hour” was supposed to last until 7 but some how at 11pm we found ourselves finishing dinner. Once again Raymi was perfect for a crowd and each bite was delicious. I especially loved the plantain chips, ceviche sampler, the steak, and their take on seafood paella. Their happy hour special for mojitos wasn’t bad either!

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What’s your favorite happy hour special?

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