Visit a 12th Century Monastery on Miami Beach

One of the last things I expected to explore while visiting Miami Beach in Florida was a 12th century monastery, ancient and grand amid the hustle and bustle of swimsuit clad tourists. However, that is exactly what I found myself doing last October.

Bike Along the Shores of South Beach in Miami

During the planning phase of my trip to Miami, which happened in October, I read several blog posts and articles about how to get around Miami Beach most effectively. Walking along the boardwalk, taking shuttle buses to and from your hotel to the various beaches, grabbing an Uber - there are many different ways to access the different hot spots in Miami Beach. One that I knew my husband and I would want to try was to rent a bike and cruise along the streets and boardwalk, taking in the sights while getting some healthy exercise.

Touring San Francisco's Alcatraz Island

Today on Facebook, one of my friends shared a photo taken last September during our ladies' San Francisco trip. In the image, four of us are standing in the interior of a ferry, soaked to the bone. We are dripping wet, cold, and smiling like fools. The picture brought back such excellent memories, and now I have been inspired to write about that time we visited Alcatraz Island.