Murals… Mofongo… MIAMI!

"Miami Beach is where neon goes to die."
– Lenny Bruce

    I have been traveling far and wide and yet somehow forgot what a wonderful vacation destination Florida is.  It’s under 3 hours to fly to with no time change, plenty of under $200 RT nonstop flights, a wide range of reasonable hotels, lovely weather, wide sandy beaches, delicious food, interesting sights and great shopping.  What’s not to love?
     On a recent trip to Miami our middle daughter suggested we go to Wynwood Walls. The Wynwood Arts District just north of downtown is home to over 70 art galleries, stores, antique shops, eclectic bars, restaurants and one of the largest open-air street-art installations in the world.
     Wynwood Walls was conceived by the renowned community revitalizer Tony Goldman in 2009. He was looking for something big to transform the warehouse district of Wynwood, and he arrived at a simple idea: "Wynwood's large stock of warehouse buildings, all with no windows, would be my giant canvases to bring to them the greatest street art ever seen in one place." His goal was to create a center where people could gravitate to and explore, and to develop the area's pedestrian potential. Since its inception, the Wynwood Walls program has seen over 50 artists representing 16 countries and have covered over 80,000 square feet of walls.
     It’s a fascinating and entertaining day out… wear sunscreen and be sure to bring your camera! For more information click on www.thewynwoodwalls.com  or www.wynwoodmiami.com
     Another highlight of our South Florida adventure was a meal that we are truly still relishing.  We visited Jimmy’z Kitchen and dined on Mofongo, which is the “Unofficial National Dish” of Puerto Rico.  Mofongo is made of fried green plantains that are mashed with garlic and served topped with a tomato based stew containing chicken, beef or seafood. Chef Jimmy Carey has carefully created a diverse 50 plus dish menu of healthy choices ranging from Cuban Sandwiches to traditional Mofongo dishes as well as salads. You order at the counter and the food is brought to you.  Beer and wine is available.  Save room for dessert.. the flan is outstanding. Jimmy'z Kitchen has grown to include four locations: the flagship Wynwood restaurant, South Beach, Brickell, and Pinecrest/South Miami. For more information go to www.jimmyzkitchen.com.
    So thanks Miami for such a wonderful vacation.. you filled our artistic souls as well our hungry stomachs.