One Girl’s 6000 Mile Road Trip Across America. Part 2 of 4
Lazy Days in Florida
Walt Disney World was my first stop in Florida and I had the magic key to all of its parks: the Park Hopper Pass. The pass allowed me to explore all of the major attractions inside the famed park. The kick was that I only had one day to do it all and although I was optimistic about it, I couldn’t fit all the excitement of Disney into 24 hours, so, I opted for visiting the classics: Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
Inside the Magic Kingdom, my main focus was to meet Mickey Mouse and I did, but I also enjoyed some honey with Tigger and Winnie the Pooh, and dined inside Belle’s Castle. I also flew over Neverland with Peter Pan and walked through Cinderella’s Castle.
Over at Epcot, I went inside Spaceship Earth and learned about the world’s technological innovation and progress. I also explored the World Showcase which includes pavilions that are designed to represent a specific country – I visited France, Mexico and Morocco all in one day!
Walt Disney World was an excellent introduction to the Sunshine State but it wasn’t my only stop in Florida. I actually allotted two weeks of the cross-country road trip to explore the state’s landscape and attractions.
During my time here, I had the opportunity to stay in some of the most beautiful hotels in the state, if not the country: The Seagate in Delray Beach; the Dream in South Beach, Miami; the Inn on Fifth in Naples; The Hyatt in Sarasota; and the Boardwalk Beach Resort Condo in Panama City Beach.
The hotels were modern and luxurious and provided me with a relaxing and inspirational visit…which is what every writer looks for.
My first hint of inspiration came through at the Seagate Hotel. My room for example, was a big open space with the most wonderful bed I have ever seen – it was covered in beautiful white linens and about 10 pillows. And the bathroom was just unreal. It had a big whirlpool tub with a window that looked out into the bedroom. The bedroom had two glass doors that opened up to the terrace. I would often draw myself a bath and listen to the palm trees as they swayed against the balcony. It was the tranquil design of The Seagate hotel that allowed me to enjoy silence and find clarity so that I could write with ease and simplicity.
My second hint of inspiration came at the Dream South Beach Hotel, located in Miami’s Art Deco district. The hotel used to be the Tudor Hotel and Palmer House up until 2011 – that is why the lobby and the guest rooms are located in two separate buildings. The Dream was converted and redesigned by Lawrence Murray Dixon, the architect behind some of Miami’s other popular hotels such as The Victor Hotel, The Senator and The Ritz Plaza Hotel.
Not only does the Dream’s exterior have a lot of history and influence on South Beach, but the interior is also something to boast about. Featuring French and Moroccan inspired themes, the hotel lobby, for example, is white with purple and black accents, Godly chandeliers and trendy art work. The rooftop pool includes 70’s inspired furniture with a modern twist, and it looks over Collins Avenue and the beach.
Being surrounded by so much creativity encouraged me to look at things from a different perspective and with that, I was able to get more creative with my writing.
The Florida Keys, my fourth stop in the state, also have to be credited for influencing me to be a more creative writer. During my time there I constantly came across Ernest Hemingway’s influence. In Islamorada, for example, the World Wide Sportsman store housed the replica of Hemingway’s ship Pilar which features his chair and typewriter.
In Key West, I visited his home which Hemingway purchased in 1931 for $8,000. He lived there for ten years with his second wife Pauline Marie Pfeiffer and their sons, Patrick and Gregory. While residing there, Hemingway wrote To Have and Have Not. The book was greatly influenced by the people of The Keys and their struggle during the Great Depression – it was later adapted into a movie starring Humphrey Bogart.
I got to walk up the same steps he walked on, visit his writing studio, and chase some of the 45 cats living on the property – many of them are descendants of the original Hemingway cats. I touched and basked in everything that I could hoping that some of his genius would rub off on me.
Although Hemingway inspired me as a writer, Philip McCabe, president and CEO of the Inn on Fifth in Naples, FL inspired me as an entrepreneur.
McCabe owns The Inn on Fifth, a contemporary four-diamond hotel located on upscale Fifth Avenue, but along with that he has also developed and designed four other hotels and five restaurants during his 17 year stint in the city.
“Fortunately I was born with vision,” McCabe said. “I have creative DNA and I am blessed with that but it was really my team of ‘imagineers’ – architects, engineers, builders and design and hospitality firm FF&E from New York.”
McCabe admitted that his inspiration comes from vigorous research, other hotel properties and personal style. He also mentioned that he is constantly looking to reinvent himself and that investing back into the city is his way of up-keeping its pristine look and high-end status.
“The types of visitors that Naples attracts are professional millionaires,” McCabe said. “People come here for the sub-tropical weather, golf courses, restaurants, shopping, private clubs and medical facilities, and Naples has a basket of amenities that this group of travellers is looking for and can afford.”
Although I didn’t fit into this category, I was still able to enjoy some of the amenities the McCabe mentioned, such as the weather.
I spent most of my time in Florida beach hopping along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico but I considered Panama City Beach (PCB) to be the most beautiful. It is known for its 27-miles of beaches covered in what I like to call ‘cocaine sand’ because it is so powdery and sparkly – the sand was formed by quartz crystals which washed down from the Appalachian Mountains during the ice age.
While visiting PCB, I stayed at the Boardwalk Beach Resort Condo and the first thing I noticed when I unlocked my room on the tenth floor was the blue water and sky. It was hard to distinguish between the two because I didn’t know where the water ended and where the sky began.
The influence of the sky and water was found throughout the condo building: in its lobby, restaurant and rooms. My suite, for example, was decked out in beach inspired bedding, lamps and artwork. This was my last stop in Florida and staying at The Boardwalk Beach Resort Condo allowed me to relax, reflect on the first half of the road trip and prepare for the second half.