For Christmas 2023, we also flew to South Beach. With winter approaching in Colorado, sandy beaches and sunny weather appealed to us. Before moving to Colorado in the 90s, I lived in Florida for eight years. Despite living in the suburbs, I often visited Miami Beach.
I remember the holidays being exciting and fun, perhaps because I had family there. However, I didn’t have as much fun this time around. The weather was overcast, cloudy, and windy. It was not beach weather. We planned to make the most of our time, so we visited several sites, ate at excellent restaurants, and walked along the boardwalk.
I particularly enjoyed visiting the Versace mansion, which is now a restaurant. Our Christmas Eve celebration and my husband’s birthday were spent at Mango Tropical Cafe, which features live music.
It was a quiet Christmas Day, so we went window shopping on Collins Avenue. We had a layover in Houston the day after Christmas. Once we checked out of the hotel, we relaxed by the pool until it was time to leave. Although it was the perfect day for a beach trip, we were on our way out.
Our flight to Houston was delayed, so we missed our connecting flight to Colorado. We had an hour layover, not nearly enough time to visit with my stepdaughter and her baby, but since we had to take a different flight, we extended our vacation to spend time with her. Everything went perfectly.
It’s probably best for us not to travel during the holidays. The airports can be too busy during the winter months, and the weather and flights (depending on where you are going) can be unpredictable. Although the trip out of the house was enjoyable, the hassles we encountered on both trips made me wish I had stayed home instead of traveling.