| Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author

I’ve got quite a number of books that are set in Miami and South Beach, including some new ones: SOUTH BEACH LOVE (May 2021) and EXILED HEARTS(Tentative title – Release Date TBD). One of the reasons why I’ve set stories there is to highlight are the interesting places in the area. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite places in case you’re able to visit one day.

La Carreta and Versailles Restaurants: Set on Miami’s Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana, these are two Cuban restaurants not to miss. La Carreta has a kitschy and very large sugar cart – la carreta – in front of the restaurant. Versailles is the place you’ll always see whenever anyone is reporting on happenings in Cuba. The press always goes there to get impressions from the Cuban exiles still living in Little Havana.

Vizcaya: Vizcaya is John Deering’s estate and an amazing estate right on the edges of Biscayne Bay. The home and gardens are gorgeous and speak to an era of opulence and elegance.

Jungle Island (formerly Parrot Jungle): The original Parrot Jungle was established in the 1930s and after it moved to Watson Island, was renovated after hurricane damage into an “eco-adventure” park. Still a fav place where you can roam and see an assortment of tropical plants and birds.

The Venetian Pool: Located in Coral Gables, this public pool was created from a coral rock quarry. It has a lovely Mediterranean-style ambiance and waterfalls for you to explore.

Miami Seaquarium: The Seaquarium holds a fond place in my heart. I remember sitting and watching “Flipper” do tricks in one of the large lagoons where portions of that television program were actually filmed. There are a number of different aquatic shows you can watch and a small walk along the edges of the bay.

South Beach: There is a lot to see in South Beach. The Art Deco hotels. Lummus Park. Lincoln Road. So much to see and do along Ocean Drive and the nearby streets. Lots to eat and drink as well since this is where a lot of the nightlife goes on. I’d recommend not going to this area at Spring Break times or on busy weekend nights to avoid the real party animals that can make it unpleasant.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook have seen some of my renovation projects, like my park bench makeover, hall tree, or small table. I love being able to salvage things that still have lots of life left to them for a variety of reasons. One of them is because doing so reminds me of my grandfather. He could fix ANYTHING, but on top of that, he came from a time where even the smallest things, like a nail, were precious. I remember him having a collection of nails and screws in the garage in little baby jars because in his day you didn’t throw out useful things.

Now that we’re moving, I find myself doing the same thing as I organize my little section of the garage so that I have a place to work. I’ve got jars filled with screws, nails, and bolts for assorted projects. I’ve got a list of things I want to do and am excited about tackling them.

Another reason I love upcycling is that I get to see a project take shape in a way that is much more immediate than writing. That provides a lot of satisfaction. So does saving money on not having to get new things, but making old things seem new!

Finally, I feel like keeping something useful from ending up in a landfill is my little way of helping the environment.

How much do I love upcycling? Well, the heroine of a new book I’m working on is going to be a furniture flipper! That’s how much! LOL!