A bicycling advocate was surely on the “design committee” when Miami metro rail was first proposed. It is practically impossible to ride your bike on the roads in Maimi. Having lived in NYC and metro-DC, I can assure you that Miami drivers win the gold medal for “I drive – and am in a huge hurry” attitude. For the past 2 months, Paddy and I ride our bikes with extreme caution….and in tandem….assuming the drivers are not interested in 2 hood ornaments for the price of one.

However, directly underneath the raised metro rail…is a delightful bike and jogging path connecting South Miami to Downtown. A path completely devoid of automobiles…. a bikers dream. This path, would be our ticket to Bayside Miami – in downtown.

The weather was perfect with light headwinds en route to Miami out of the north. Within 45 minutes – we had arrived at the end of our path. This should have been downtown Miami – just 2 blocks from Bayside. Instead, the path ended at the Miami River. I guess the path designers forgot about putting a bridge over the river so that joggers and bikers could complete their journey. Small details. Time for plan B. We abandoned the biker path…for scary Miami roads. Slowly winding our way over one drawbridge, and a series of sidewalks and one way streets – we arrived at Bayside – intact.

It comes as no surprise that Bayside is a tourist trap. The harbor is filled with boats providing sightseeing tours, and Go-Fast boats offering speed rides in the Atlantic. Food choices range from the typical Americana…to local flavors. The language? Predominantly Spanish. Which is OK, other than the constant reminder that I need to get beyond Lesson 2 “Learn to speak Spanish” in Rosetta Stone.

Keeping with the Miami-vibe, we opted for Cuban food. And, we weren’t disappointed. Black beans, rice, plantains, and one last close-up glimpse into Miami. The weather is morphing into summer, and soon Cat Maudy will be departing this Miami winter respite. We took our time, taking it all in.