SUNNY MIAMI BRINGS WISCONSIN FRIENDS TO TOWN!

Aloft Miami Airport
7720 Northwest 36^th Street, Miami, Florida
Saturday, February 11, 2023
85F, Sunny

Our view from the hotel yesterday in Fort Lauderdale

 Our shopping trips today included Sam’s Club (I bought more books to read), Shell gas station (gas: $3.59/gal), and the Broward Mall in Fort Lauderdale, then the Dolphin Mall and Walmart in Miami.  TK stopped at another Bass Pro Shop, another pair of shorts and another shirt, and we walked another 14,000 steps each. At least we are walking.

Driving to Miami included some nail biting situations, everyone knows that Floridians/visitors to Florida do not use turn signals and do what they please while driving. Thankfully, it really does not take long to get to Miami from Fort Lauderdale.

We arrived at our hotel about 3:30  and checked in—the Aloft, part of the Marriott group is certainly a minimalist hotel. It looks industrial, with pipes showing on the ceiling of our room, barely any storage space. Although it isn’t like we need much for one night in a  hotel, it would be nice to have room for toothbrushes, shaving kit, and other items on the bathroom sink. One chair, small closet, small refrigerator under the bathroom sink.

 Description at their website:  

“5 miles to MIA, Free WiFi and Hip, Modern Vibe”

“Celebrate your style at Aloft Miami Airport, a hip new hotel that's only 15 minutes from Miami International Airport (MIA). Meet & mingle with friends at our W XYZ bar, grab a sweet, savory, or healthy snack from re:fuel by Aloft, our 24/7 pantry, or play in our re:mix lounge. Plus, you can always stay connected with free hotel-wide wired and wireless High Speed Internet Access!”   https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/miala-aloft-miami-airport/overview/

To be fair, we can see the jets taking off very low from our 3^rd floor window, yet we do not hear a sound at all.  The Internet is speedy. This hotel is sort of like a European hotel.

The entry way in our room (Aloft Miami Airport)--lots of unused space!

Bath and refrigerator

Today's HIGHLIGHT?

Our friends, Donna and Lawrence, arrived about 4:30 and the fun started!  They drove in from Wisconsin and had tales to tell about driving in Orlando and their car mishaps along the way.  We are so happy to see them again!

 

We walked across the hotel parking lot to Pollo Tropical for dinner, a South Florida-based restaurant chain and franchise specializing in food inspired by Latin-Caribbean cuisine.  Despite being a fast food restaurant, the choices were tasty. I liked the red beans and rice, and the crispy chicken. TK had an avocado/lettuce salad. No one felt like getting into the fast lane to drive again today. https://www.pollotropical.com/

 

After dinner and some catching up, we made plans for tomorrow’s arrival at the cruise terminal. It was time to make last minute adjustments to our luggage and get ready to sail away  once again!