New Years – 2012 – Day 1

MaryTherese and Cedric meeting us in Atlanta

We were up bright and early for our 6:30am flight to Atlanta and then to Ft. Lauderdale airport. The neat thing was that Jason and Sharon and the kids were also on the flight to Atlanta. Then they had to change planes and flew to Orlando to go on a Disney cruise.

When we arrived at Atlanta and walked off the plane, MaryTherese and her husband Cedric were there to meet us. MaryTherese is an AirTran stewardess who we met several years ago and have become friends with. She and her husband live just outside the Atlanta airport so they came to say hi and also brought us muffins!! What special people. Just after Thanksgiving we shared an evening with them when they were in Bloomington for an overnight stop.

It all fit!!

After an hour of conversation with them, we got on the plane to Ft. Lauderdale and were then by Noon. It was a short walk to the rental section and we picked up our rental car. The agent said we would never fit our luggage into the car, but we did it. Of course we had to have the top down to make everything fit!!

The weather was 72 degrees and sunny, what a great way to finish the Christmas holiday.

Our room was ready at the Marriott Residence Inn so we were checked in and were changed and back outside by 1:30pm.

A Lnyx at C. Madeleine's

We first went to a deli that was ranked one of the best in Miami and spit a sandwich – it was a hole in the wall but really good.

Our first major stop for the day was at a vintage clothing place called

C. Madelene’s. The New York Times called this store “One of the fashion wonders of the world” and it was amazing. The entire store is filled with vintage clothing and none of it inexpensive. We spend about an hour there just laughing and with Barb trying on a dress that thank goodness was too small.

Then it was to South Beach and a walk in the Lincoln Avenue section of town. This is an 8 block section of South Beach that is full of great shops and the streets are blocked off for only people – a fun place.

Finally we went to eat at a place we had read about called Pubbelly where we shared a small dinner.

Lincoln Ave on South Beach

Then it was about 45 minutes north to our hotel and we called it an early evening. Lots more to do and see tomorrow and it was fun first day.