Saturday February 21, 2026
This was our bonus day, we couldn't get flights home until Sunday at 5 am so we had to find a hotel in Miami and spend a day there after checking out of the Indigo Reef verbo. We decided to no go to the Everglades in the morning, all activity weary, selected to use the time getting packed up and out the door without a time restraint other than check out time. We barely got out by 10 am on the dot. Such a beautiful place to stay, so grateful!
We left at 10 and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Miami and dropped our bags at the Ramada. Wendy stayed at the hotel to rest and Kim, Shawna, Amy and I drove to Bayside, a huge shopping center with several restaurants by the cruise ports. Three cruise ships in port made for a lot of people! I looked for people to talk to from Brazil so I could maybe place the Livro de Mormon I'd been carting around the whole trip. I saw 1 person with shorts that said "Brasil" on them among thousands, but it was noise and crowded and they went a different way. Maybe next trip. I purchased some coconut ice cream in a coconut shell with an umbrella at that Bayside Mall. Shawna found the most perfect key chain with an image of a woman snorkeling and snorkeling charms that said "Florida Keys on it. The fact it didn't say Miami was a miracle and Shawna bought 5, one for each of us! So cool. She is so generous.
We drove to little Havanna after that and explored a few shops. I was pretty insistent that we only reserve parking for 2 hours so we could get back to the hotel by 7 pm and I could get to bed early, so we didn't have very much time to explore, but Kim did find an amazing dress in a Cuban formal/business wear store. We could have stayed there another 2 hours exploring the fun murals and tasting food or looking in art shops. I was tasked with finding a place to eat since I was the one rushing us out of stores so I did my best not knowing anything about the area. Thankfully the bad karma had ceased because we found the best Cuban Italian restaurant called "Ciao Havanna" and got a booth right away. It had live music and really great Vaca Frita which we all ordered. Kim got a Cuban dessert we all shared. I loved the vibe and the music.
We made it back to the car in the nick of time and made our way back to the hotel. The ladies dropped me off and all the food and let me stay while they returned the car at the airport and took the shuttle back, which was very kind of them. Wendy let me in the hotel room we were sharing and she had enjoyed her day resting by the pool. I was literally in be by 7 pm, knowing it would be a long travel day and early morning. Whew! I think Jared would be proud of me, I explored, and savored, and enjoyed this trip right to the very end.
TRIP QUOTES
"I'll have the key lime pie."
"I'm thinking of trying the SHIRMP platter."
"She's confessing her spending sins."
"Beeboobeeboo"
"Venmo Keith yet?"
"Only one road, north or south?"
"What's that divided by 5?"
"My butt is gusting."
"It's on the google doc!"
"Shawna do you have___?"
"False Advertising"
"Here little turtle turtle."
"Conch custard anyone?"
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