If I Were On Vacation Now...............

If I were on vacation now, what would I be doing?

Well, it's 9:22pm. If I were on vacation right now, I think I would be sitting on the balcony of my hotel room, sipping a glass of wine or a very dry martini and smoking a fine cigar!!

Closing my eyes, I can imagine the sound of the waves gently coming on shore, the palm trees above me whispering in the air and the scent of the sea.

Hmmm.... What will I do for dinner tonight? A big juicy New York Strip with a baked potato? Fresh lobster with melted butter? Shrimp with plenty of cocktail sauce? How about a big fillet of grouper with lemon and butter sauce? An ice cold beer perhaps? Yes!! Definitely!!

Food is one of the things I try to indulge in when I'm on vacation. I love the seafood that is available when you visit great cities on the ocean. I am also a huge fan of good beef. When I'm in South America, I can't resist the beef. To me, it is incomparable and certainly a reason to travel!

After dinner, I'm off to a coffee shop for a cafezinho or maybe to a nice casual bar for an after dinner drink and a cigar.

Good God Man! Where is my plane ticket???!!!

Palm Trees, Surf, Sand And A Good Bar

Lately, as my workload increases, the thought has crossed my mind of what I would rather be doing instead of putting in a 10 hour day on the job.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I would rather be doing anything other than going to work and dealing with all of the problems and challenges!

But, mainly, I always tend to wish that I was at a seaside bar that serves great seafood and has a casual fun atmosphere.

One such place that I recall from my first trip to Florida was located in Daytona Beach. Correct me if I am wrong here. It's been 20 years since my last trip to Daytona.

It was my first trip to Florida..... Spring break. My friends and I ran across a beachside bar and restaurant called the Ocean Deck just up from our hotel. I have no idea if it is still there or not. But, they had great seafood, cold beer, a casual atmosphere where you could come in off of the beach and grab a table and a pitcher of beer. Man o man!! I was in heaven!!

One thing I remember most about The Ocean Deck was that it opened up on the front and sides so that you basically had an open air restaurant. It was so cool to sit there and feel the breeze, hear the ocean waves coming on shore, hear the palm trees rustling above my head, feel the warmth of the sun and not have a care in the world. I thought I had reached Jimmy Buffett's version of Nirvana!

It was such a great experience, that I even bought one of their Ocean Deck t-shirts. I wore that shirt for years before it finally began to fall apart. It was one of my connections to a great experience in my life. My first feeling of euphoria at being on vacation and getting away from it all.

That feeling of joy and euphoria has never left me even to this day. As I look back on life, maybe I can blame the Ocean Deck for my love of escaping the mudane world of work, of traveling to new and exotic places, of kicking back and relaxing beachside with a cold pitcher of beer or a margarita.

Who knows? I probably would be this way whether I had visited there or not. But, definitely, experiencing a beachside bar and grill called The Ocean Deck in Daytona Beach, Florida gave me my first taste of what it is like to be completely carefree.

Here's to The Ocean Deck and places like her. Little do they know the effect that they have on the average young joe from the Midwest. Creating that bit of inspiration inside of us to continue to search for that ultimate place of peaceful tranquility by the beach.

Coping With Another Monday

28 Days since my return from Miami.

Tomorrow is Monday again. I'll be as busy as ever with my nose to the grindstone.

In the last 28 days, some of the things that I have thought of during these days of drudgery are of the good memories of my trip to Miami.

Going to the beach and swimming with a school of fish.

Finding "The Room". A cool, dark little bar in the quieter part of south beach. I spent a couple of nights here drinking beer and checking out the local scene. I highly recommend it.

Going to Ted's Hideaway. Another favorite bar of mine. Great laid back bar. Good looking bar tenders. Good beer. What more can I say.

The Marriott Hotel at South Beach. One of my favorite hotels. Comfortable, right on the beach, close to all of my favorite bars in town. No need for a rental car or taxi cabs.

Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant. This restaurant was a great find. A classic seafood restaurant that has been around for many years. A testament to great food and great atmosphere. Definitely makes you feel like your doing something special when you eat here.

Starbucks Coffee in front of the Marriott Hotel. So nice to sit at a small table and sip your coffee while watching Miami Beach come to life. Birds chirping, people cycling and walking...... going to the beach. This is relaxation at it's finest.

These are just some of the things that I indulged in during my last trip to Miami Beach. I highly recommend all of them.

I'm already looking for another opportunity to hop a flight back to my favorite tropical location.

Thinking about a late Friday night flight with a return flight on Sunday. If I can find a good weekend to do it, I am there!