We Have Arrived In Miami!

Today started off pretty early as I woke up around 5:50 AM.  After showering, etc.. I woke up Brandi, she got ready, and we hit the road towards Mount Dora from Clermont, and the Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza.  This place has an insane amount of antiques, and also a wide variety of vendor stands such as food, different products, so on, and so forth.

I only ended up picking two items, but I am excited for both of them.  I also picked up some tea to review on my tea web show (check out http://tea.ounitproductions.com).  Overall a good experience, although I wish I would have found a few more items, but that’s how it goes sometimes.  After looking around a good 3 or 4 hours, it was time to hit the road once again, and be off to Miami!

It took about four hours to get down to Miami from Mt. Dora, and seemed like an extremely long ride, due to just wanting to be to the beach already.  Upon arriving it was almost overwhelming just how much of a big city Miami actually is.  We’re staying at the Newport Beachside, and let me tell you, this hotel is absolutely awesome.  The hotel itself has several restaurants, a gift shop, a spa, a deck with pool and hot tub, valet parking, a bellhop, a gourmet foods store, two bars, birds in the lobby… the list just goes on and on.  Without a doubt, the most top-notch hotel I’ve ever stayed at.

We’ll be staying here until Thursday, and I am extremely excited about that.  We pretty much just spent the afternoon exploring the hotel itself, our beach out front, and took a walk down Collins Avenue (the road which our hotel is on).  We also had dinner at our hotel’s “main” restaurant, Kitchen 305.  The meal there ended up being pretty expensive, $80, but well worth it (the Mahi Mahi is delicious!).  Very good food, and worth it simply for the experience alone.

It was absolutely beautiful here today, around 80 degrees, and the ocean water is actually quite warm.  There are supposed to be off-and-on thunderstorms the next few days, but Wednesday is looking like nothing but sun.  I can’t wait to do some swimming/bodyboarding, etc.. in the ocean.  We were going to do some today but decided to just take the time to explore.  Also excited to get into the heated pool and hot tub.  There’s just so much down here to do, it’s hard to take it all in, but we’re going to try our best to do so!

So, it’s getting late, and I’m going to do a little more web surfing, head on to bed soon, and get up early and take on the day!  Not exactly sure what it will hold, but something fun I’m sure!  It the famous words of Will Smith, “Miami, I love this town….”

2011 OUP Photography Tour KICKS OFF! HUGE! IN FLORIDA!!!!!

I am writing this right now from my hotel in Clermont, Florida.  Let me tell you, it has been a long couple days.  I woke up yesterday, Friday, around 2 PM and have been up ever since.  I also drove the entire 20-or-so hour drive from State College, PA to where I am right now, Clermont, Florida.  So, if some of this doesn’t make sense… sorry!  I shall try my best….  I stayed up because I wanted to experience to drive to Florida myself.  Honestly, I don’t regret any of it.

Overall it was a good trip except a few things.  Around 1 or 2 AM we ran into road construction in Virginia, and once we were almost at our hotel in Florida, we ran into problems with the GPS, and was unable to find our hotel at first.  After doing some research online via stealing a McDonald’s WiFi connection, and calling the hotel, we were able to find it.  We ended up eating at the hotel’s restauraunt/pub, the Even Par Pub.  Pretty enjoyable atmosphere and good people!

Regardless, it has been a long day, and here I sit at 8 PM, ready to relax, get a full night of sleep, and hustle tomorrow.  I will be getting up around 6 AM and attending the Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza in Mount Dora, Florida at 8 AM.  Afterwards it is off to Miami! I am so excited.  Our hotel in general is awesome!

I promise some more in-depth posts this week, but it has been a loooooooooong 30+ hour day… so I will leave you with a few of my favorite shots from the past 30+ hours of the beginning of the 2011 OUP Photography Tour!

Today Is The Day! HITTING THE ROAD!

It’s now officially Friday, January 14th, and we’ll be hitting the road TONIGHT around 8 PM!  We’ll have a few random stops along the way, who knows where, to get gas, food, etc.. But our main first stop will be Clermont, FL at our hotel for the first night, Meridian Hotel & Suites.  From there it will be on to Mount Dora, FL the next morning and the Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza.

I am extremely excited for this trip.  I’m sure it will be not only fun, but tiring and stressful as well.  Regardless, I feel blessed and really happy.  I am looking forward to exploring new places, meeting new people, and getting a lot of great photography.  Here’s to an exciting trip! LET’S GO!