Key West

Okay so I recently went on a little trip and I have failed to tell the world about it.

During the first week of Sept. I celebrated 21 years of life by doing what other 21 year olds do, drinking.

Oh I went drinking alright, but 90 miles from the coast of Cuba. I went to Key West, Florida.

According to the History of Key West, the island was originally called Cayo Hueso, the page goes into detail on the historical use of the island of Key West. Fishing port, trading port, creators of Key Lime pie, and Ernest Hemingway.

I didn't stay in Key West, I stayed in a hotel in one of the neighboring islands, the Sugar Loaf lodge. The place has a wonderful view of the waters in the back, had a bar to order drinks, and a bat tower in the backwoods behind the hotel.

The view from our hotel room. 

The Sugar Loaf bat tower

For my trip I decided to primarily act as a tourist in the Duval area. Drinking at the various bars, visit the Hemingway house full of cats, climb the top of the lighthouse, and went on a ghost tour at night with the Ghost and Gravestones Tour. Every local screamed to us "Doom!" as we went location to location learning of the deaths and history, based on what I learned we were the doomed.

View from top of the inland lighthouse. 

This was not my first time going on a little ghost adventure, I have done a ghost tour before while visiting the historic town of St. Augustine.

But I learned of the eerie hauntings that plagues the town full of bars, expensive housing and tourists attractions. My tour guide claimed that Key West is one of the most haunted cities in the U.S., along with Savannah, GA, and New Orleans, LA. Personally I can't find an article that backs up that claim. But it is one of the most haunted places in FL.

On this ghost tour I was introduced to a peculiar entity, his name is Robert. Robert lives in the Civil War Fort, Fort East Martello. Because it is said that this entity is malevolent, I had to ask permission before taking a photo with the doll so he would not harm us. Originally the childhood doll of Key West painter and author, Robert Eugene Otto, some have dubbed the doll the originally Chucky doll. Here is more information about the legend and history about Robert.

Robert the Doll and myself. 

The ghost tour also introduced me to a darker story than that of Robert and his pranks. A love story that is definitely frowned upon and illegal in the United States. No I don't mean a love between an adult and a minor, I mean a love between the living and the dead. I am talking about the relationship of Carl Tanzler and his precious "Elena", a girl's body he took from the grave to attempt to reanimate her. But in the process of his failed Frankenstein experiments had relations with the body. I got the chance to purchase the novel that tells it all, Undying Love: The True Story of a Passion That Defied Death. It follows the story that put Key West on the map, well besides for its Key Lime Pies.

I also got the chance to kayak on the beach in Key West and enjoy the various sites of what Florida has to offer.

I could rate this trip, I would give it a 8 out of 10. I enjoyed the history lesson of Key West, the bars, and the tourist atmosphere that makes you wish you can stay longer. 

Hollywood Beach

As I prepare for my upcoming trip to a Caribbean Island, I find myself thinking back to the beaches I have experienced within my own life time. One of my favorite beaches here in South Florida, is Hollywood Beach. I have mentioned Hollywood Beach before in a previous post, but I figured I would elaborate on why it is one of my favorite beaches.

Hollywood Beach, a 2.5 mile long stretch of oceanfront restaurants,shops, and resorts. It is a place that I consider a piece of paradise at home. Located between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami Beach, it is a place that is within a reasonable distance from what is considered suburbia.

There are many things to do at this beach besides swim, There are several volleyball courts set up in the sand, as well as playgrounds located at two locations on the boardwalk. There is also an amphitheater were local bands perform and bring crowds together with the sound of music.One of the newest resorts, Margaritaville, has been bringing more tourists to the area, making Hollywood Beach more popular.

While conducting my interviews for the locations I met two wonderful women from Texas on vacation. Their names were Gloria and Veronica, they were told by Gloria's brother that Hollywood beach "is one of the most beautiful beaches in the South." To me growing up here, I didn't realize the growing popularity of my hometown beach.

I met a man named Glenn, he was a New York resident who recently moved down to South Florida. He told me he has been living in Florida for 14 days, and he has been at the beach 10 out of the 14 days. Very unique, he told me the people here were very different than those in New York.

I have also spoke with the owners of the Surf n Spray Ice cream parlor. Store owner Tom and Kathy, were very nice and open to the thought of an interview. When I interviewed them, they mentioned that they have been in business for 17 years. I grew up with this ice cream parlor, it was a tradition for me to get pizza and ice cream on the beach. Kathy, told me that they serve thousands of people every week and they meet people from all over. People like Tom and Kathy really inspire me, they love their business and love what they do, they seem to be happy serving and meeting new people.

There are over 50 different shops and restaurants at the beach. As I mentioned in one of my previous post, Florio's is my favorite place to eat at Hollywood Beach. For this article I chose to also broaden my horizons and try some of the other restaurants that are on the beach. My friend and I took a trip down to Nick's Bar and Grill and give it a try. Nick's Bar and Grill is very popular and has been around a good few years.

I had the chicken wings and a side of fries, my friend had the seafood salad and fries at Nick's Bar. I was completely satisfied with my dish. My Russian waiter and waitress were very friendly as well, striking up conversations with my friend and I as well as recommending dishes. I'd say I would definitely go back and visit again.

I also tried the Taco Spot on the Boardwalk. I would always walk past the Tikki styled building never giving it a second thought until that day I went with my boyfriend. The food was delicious, I never had a better chicken taco on a corn tortilla with a side of rice,beans and corn until I went there. The service was nice, the food was amazing, I scarfed the food down in under 10 mins. The drink I had was also satisfying, a Miami Vice, I almost never have alcoholic drinks on the beach but this was one of the best, it had me feeling loose and less stressed after I finished my drink.

Not only are there several places to eat and shop at but I like seeing the people and the unusual stories one can tell at this location. I met a man named Lester who told my friend and I one of his experiences at Hollywood Beach. "I was eating at Florio’s pizza joint, and my waitress and I saw a guy walking fully clothed. He looked normal until he turned around, the man has a huge rip in the butt of his pants, and he had no underwear on. My waitress almost threw up," said Lester.

The only problem I see with the beach besides parking is the trash build up at the beach. Litter is a problem at most beaches in South Florida. As a kid I would find cigarette buds, plastic cups and wrappers, as well as other forms of trash on the sand and water on the beach. I have actually participated in a beach clean up and I feel the need to attend again this year. Hollywood Beach is very strict with litter, if caught littering one can be fined up to $500.

Luckily I found a organization that comes together to clean up Hollywood Beach and others nearby. Coastal Cleanup, a volunteer organization, hosts annual events to clean up Hollywood Beach, the next scheduled cleanup event takes place Saturday, September 17 2016 from 9 a.m. to noon. To register email coastalcleanup@broward.org, include your name, contact information, which site you would like to participate, and number of attendees. I highly recommend to those who want to do something for their community to participate.

All of this started in the 1920’s when John W. Young came to what is now City of Hollywood to create his “Dream City in Florida,” between 1925-1926, Young built the Hollywood Board Walk to visitors to the oceanfront and to entertain them. Young referred to the City of Hollywood as “Hollywood-By-The-Sea.”

Being the stranger

While reading James Baldwin’s, Stranger in the Village, I felt not only the urge to travel but a sense of empathy towards his story. I understand the feeling of being looked at like you don’t belong. When I was about seven years old, my family and I went on a road trip to a family’s farm in Ocala. Not a beautiful Swiss village like the author experienced, but I experienced the farmlands in Florida. If one has ever been to Ocala, they know some parts of it are very widespread, very country like as far as landscape goes. What Baldwin felt was a strong feeling of dis-attachment to his surrounding area. I felt the same thing, but I was only seven when I felt it, not as an adult. One morning in Ocala, my dad wanted to grab some breakfast at a Dunkin Donuts that we saw the night prior. When my parents, baby sister and I stepped foot into that Dunkin Donuts you can hear a fly fart. The entire Dunkin Donuts lobby was silent, everyone stopped talking and just stared at us. No one moved their eyes from us when we approached the front counter, even a little boy, same age as me at the time, was looking at me like I wasn’t a little girl. I wonder how he saw me, I often wondered how he mentally contrasted us in his young mind. In Baldwin’s article the children ran down the road, calling him a “neger” but they didn’t know better. No one told them it wasn’t polite. Then again no one told the people in the lobby that staring was not polite either. Being only seven years old, I had a problem with not thinking before speaking; I looked at my dad and said loud enough for those to hear “Daddy, why are they staring at us like that?” I believe that snapped everyone into reality because the full lobby of people resumed talking amongst themselves. My dad didn’t say a word to me inside the Dunkin Donuts but when once we left he merely said they were staring because we are different. Now down here in South Florida, I have always been told because of my fair skin complexion no one would ever realize that I am a West Indian and Hispanic mix, most assume I’m just Hispanic, sometimes mistaken as white. When I was in Ocala I feel like those people saw all the minority in me and judged me for it. My father felt the same way Baldwin did in the article, a sense of anger for being looked at differently. My dad said never wanted me to feel racism because of the way I look because he had to go through the same things when he first came to this country from Trinidad. I remember speaking with a student in high school, whose ancestors were American to the bone whereas I am the first U.S born citizen in my family; he told me in his eyes I’ll never be white or considered full American because of where my ancestors hail from and what my mixed cousins look like. At first that offended me but most,not all, white people I have met in my life has proven to me that they hold a piece of racism in them. With either slick comments about me eating rice and beans, black jokes that are out of line, calling indian people terrorist, referencing my family to the Spanish requisition, asking if Trinidad a Spanish country, or assuming my dad or I speak Spanish. I felt the tension in that restaurant and so did Baldwin when he would walk the streets of the Swiss village, we both felt like outsiders. But he was an outsider in a foreign country, I was an outsider in my own home state, in my own country.

Beaches

Growing up in what is considered suburbia, I would often come across those who claim "There isn't anything to do in Florida." I would know I was one of those people, but I opened my eyes to the many possibilities of entertainment here in South Florida. For example, all throughout summer of the best places one can go to down here is the beach.

In Broward, the best known beaches we all knew about were Hollywood Beach and Dania Beach Ocean Park. Although the two are next to each other, they are two different environments all together.

Dania Beach Ocean Park, a lovely and quiet beach that faces the blue Atlantic Ocean, just North of Hollywood Beach.

 One of the main attractions Dania Beach's Ocean Park has is the fishing pier.

 Some consider it to be one of the best fishing spots in Florida, it is open from 6am until midnight. The pier also has a Quarterdeck restaurant attached to the front entrance, for those who are fans of the restaurant. If Quarterdeck is a little too pricey, there is also an alternative sports bar at the opposite end of Ocean Park.

Dania Beach Grill. There happy hour lasts from 4-7pm, offering two dollars on draft beer. I highly suggest trying to wings at this bar, un breaded and cooked thoroughly, perfectly sauced all over in their spicy buffalo sauce. Hmmm delicious with a side of fries. Dania beach is the place to go to get away from the the noise pollution.

If you travel a little further South, you will come across Broward's own Hollywood Beach. Founded by Joseph Young in 1920, "Hollywood by the Sea" has been apart of South Florida tourist history. 96 years later and Hollywood beach is still standing and bringing more and more tourist every day.

 Ever since the opening of Margaritaville on N Ocean Drive, more tourist have been venturing to Hollywood. They have an public parking garage that offers $12 all day parking, if that is too steep for your pockets the parking garage on Garfield offers $1.50 an hour parking and a glorious view as well.

'Right in front of this Garfield garage is a little restaurant that is a must try for first time Hollywood Beach tourists.

Florio's Restaurant, in my opinion is has the best pizza on the beach. Either eat inside the restaurant or order at their takeout window, you will not be disappointed.Their brooklyn style pizza is made fresh and is served right out the oven, the cheese and sauce just melts in your mouth with each bite. Order up a side of garlic knots and you'll be in carb heaven! There are also various other ice cream parlors and restaurants to try, not even I have tried them all and I've been living in Florida for about twenty years,

There are many beaches here in South Florida that are fun to go to, no matter what time of the year. You can walk the boardwalk, bike, skate, or rent a family bicycle to ride, swim in the water, play soccer, football volleyball in the sand, or drink at the various bars. Or check out the various things to do at Margaritaville.
 Or walk more North to get some secluded beaches. Being bored in South Florida can be solved easily by going to the beach. Remember your sunblock!

(All photos were taken by me)

Prayers to Orlando

By now many have heard of the mass shooting that has taken place at Orlando's Pulse nightclub on June 12th. Many Pulse clubgoers were enjoying Latin Night when at 2 a.m. shots were fired from inside the club. Police responded and were at a standoff with shooter, Omar Mateen until the shooter was shot and killed. The shooter claimed to have ties with ISIS according to reports. He took 49 lives and injured more than 50 others. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have lost their loved ones. I never imagined a tragedy to hit so close to home.

On the internet many have posted their prayers and sent out their condolences to the victim's families and friends, while others have not. I have seen other posts on social media such as Facebook, pointing fingers to the Islam religion, speaking ill of those who live the alternative lifestyles like the victims and so on. Some even blame the President of the United States himself. The ignorance and calling to blame is deafening to the real issue. 49 innocent lives were lost, not "just homosexuals", but human beings who had families and lives of their own. One person, a U.S. born citizen not an immigrant, took the lives of these people. Not the entire Islamic faith, one person with extremist views. This was an attack on America as well as an attack on the LGBTQ community.

Instead of separating from each other because of our views and lifestyle choices, we should be coming together for those who have lost their lives. As one nation, with many cultural differences, we should all be spreading love instead of hate. Those who disagree with the LGBTQ lifestyle because the bible says it is a sin or call the Islamic faith evil. Well here is my reply to you...

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1

"O you who believe, let not a people ridicule (another) people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule (other) women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult another and do not call another by (offensive) nicknames. Wretched is the name of the disobedience after one's faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers." Quran 49:11

"The vile are ever prone to detect the faults of others, though they be as small as mustard seeds, and persistently shut their eyes against their own, though they be as large as vilva fruit." Garuda Purana 112

"And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Peter 4:8

"As rain falls equally on the just and unjust, do not burden your heart with judgements but rain your kindness equally on all." Gautama Buddha

"Love others as you would love yourself, judge others as you would judge yourself, cherish others as you would cherish yourself. When you wish for others as you with for yourself, and when you protect others as you would protect yourself, that's when you can say it's true love." Confucius

Many religions have taught us to love one another and not to judge others. Spread the love

How to plan the perfect trip

It is summertime, vacation time for those who are in school and grind time for those who are working as well. But why not have a little fun this summertime. Right now there are summer deals with certain airlines and many more things to do over the summer. I, myself enjoy taking little road trips with my friends and most of the time, if planned correctly, they are perfect. I’m going to give a little advice today on how to plan the perfect trip. Keep in mind I don’t exactly mean a big luxurious trip, but one good enough to keep in your memory books with your friends. Being a part-time college student and a part-time worker I don’t have that much money to my name but that doesn’t stop me from seeing and doing things. Living in Florida, there are always places to go and things to do as long as you have the means to do it. I try to go on a little adventure at least one every week or so, depending on the work schedule. One doesn’t have to be a part of a travel club to be able do things. With the proper research and budgeting you can still have a ball.

The first thing I do when it comes to planning trips is to choose when I would want to travel. Would I want to go somewhere for the summer or winter? Do I want to see snow or be in a tropical area? Do I want to stay in state or go out of state? Simple questions like that. I also take into consideration if there is a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday coming up. My friends and I, we like to travel places for our birthdays. I like to start contemplating the trip at least 6 months ahead to get a general idea of what I want to do, and then a month and half before the actual date start getting everything ready. That is just me personally, everyone differs when it comes to planning. You can plan 6 months ahead or two weeks ahead, as long as you plan out everything.

Picking what you want to do and where can be difficult for some people. Take into consideration some of your favorite subjects and shows to get a general idea on where you would like to go. For example, my favorite travel channel show is Ghost Adventures, for one of my vacation trip I chose to visit a town they went to in one of their episodes. Or use things like Pinterest to get ideas on where to go. For example, let’s say one loves all things historic, many states have historic districts, plan a trip to one. Once I’ve picked where I want to go, I looked at what there is to do at that location. I looked at the events going on in the city and “must go” places that are recommended online. I also looked at highly rated (but affordable) restaurants in the town. Also look to see if certain attractions you’re visiting gives discounts for those in college or in the military, which will always help when it comes to the budget. Planning where and what to do can give the trip much more structure and can give a general time frame for each place to see.

Once I picked where to go and what I want to do, I then start looking for a place to sleep. Finding the right hotel can be a little frustrating to young travelers because some places do not book rooms for those under the age of twenty-one. You have to look around and see what hotel will book for eighteen and up. For me, I use hotels.com to help me look for great hotel deals. I am not a picky person when it comes to hotels, it’s not like I’m spending all day at the hotel anyway. On hotels.com they have given me very affordable deals and if you connect it to your email you will get notifications on your android phone about the trip. Unless you have a relative to stay with this is your best option.

Once I’ve picked why, where, when, and what to do, I start to think about the “who” in my five W’s. Invite friends on the trip, traveling is always better with your best friends. I will never travel alone for safety and entertainment measures. Traveling with a friend can also help save more, splitting the cost of things is the best way to do it. By this point I will have figured out the total amount of money needed to for the hotel and attraction. Splitting this between the amounts of people coming along will lower the cost you have to pay yourself. Once you’ve figured that calculation, start adding other necessities, things like:

·         Gas money or airfare

·         Possible rental car

·         Money for drinks (pregame at the hotelroom)

·         Spending money

o   Money for food

o   Money for gifts/souvenirs

Once I’ve figured out how much I need myself, I just start saving after each paycheck. Figure out how much you’ll need to save and start putting it away. For example, if a trip costs $800 and you get paid $300 weekly, put away $75 each paycheck. You would reach that $800 goal in 11 paychecks if planned properly. Manage the time and money differently if you're a last minute planner. Get hype about it too, don’t think of the money you put away or else you’ll be tempted to touch it. Now all you have to do is tell your job or school about your upcoming vacation and go enjoy yourself. I know when I do it this way I have the time of my life. Have fun!

 

Texting & Driving

Today,
A new law was passed in Florida. It banned texting and driving. If those "it can wait" commercials don't do enough for you Florida citizens, then here's a new way to stop. Maybe it will lower there count of car crashes due to texting. I do not condone the use of cellular devices while driving