Expedition to Cosmopolitan Art District

Ocean 5 Hotel had ambience and the staff was most helpful and friendly.
436 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Telephone number: (305) 532-7093 Ocean 5 Hotel

I only had to walk across the street to be on the beach. Going to Miami Beach, wear comfortable shoes and cool casual clothes. People are friendly and very multicultural. Conversation with locals and visitors are enlightening and refreshing. Speaking Spanish comes in very handy.
“Happy Hour” on hotels on Ocean Drive include sometimes drinks, sometimes menu items at half price. Cuisine is delightful and the view of people, vehicles, ocean is intriguing.

I enjoyed the food and drinks of various establishments on Ocean Drive across from the Beach. They were all terrific! –Sidewalk outside seating arrangements were romantic and allowed me to enjoy the atmosphere of the area. I stayed in the Art Deco area of Miami Beach. The architecture was amazing and breathtaking. Strolling along the beach was relaxing and fun with the variety of people in their activities. Ocean Drive is lined with hotels and restaurants, where I could dine and leisurely watch people saunter through and a variety of vehicles drive through the area like a parade. The multicultural flavor of the Art Deco neighborhood was refreshing and alive with excitement. I walked down the beach and boardwalk stopping now and tehn to refresh my self at various eateries. There were quite a number of sport activities on the beach.
Shopping was fantastic. Dress code was anything that was comfortable and suitable for the sunny weather. Walking around Miami Beach was easy and shops and malls were very accessible.
Security was nonstop and as a single woman, I felt safe to walk during day or night.Cuisine was seafood and cosmopolitan-Absolutely delicious. Restaurants on Ocean Drive, some with Happy Hour Menu specials on very exceptional cuisine at an affordable price. Dining on Ocean Drive watching the parade of vehicles and the beach activities. Ocean Drive Restaurants and HotelsCollins Avenue (1 street over from Ocean Drive) also had many prestigious hotels and resorts. Miami Beach as I walk down the shoreline.
This was my first trip to the Art Deco District of Miami, my most memorable part experiencing the architecture of the area. Day time was like a trip back in time and at night was a fantasy land with the light play on the buildings.I could sit at a sidewalk restaurant and watch people and old classic cars cruise Ocean Drive.

Historical Pilgrimage Through Thailand

January, I had the privilege of going to Thailand to experience changes 40 years after Viet Nam Crisis era. Our guide was a military Chaplin who worked with veterans and any interested in healing and growing from the difficult time. Pastor Herb Cleveland was our tour guide and friend in orienting us in this country previously known as Siam. Seeing “Anna and the King” was only a glimpse into an exciting ancient civilization.
We spent a week in Bangkok seeing palaces, walking tours of local markets, and learning about the city’s history.






















A quick flight allowed a tour of Chang Mai, visits to churches and monasteries; including the one the King of Siam spends a portion of his life. We paid homage to the Buddhist Temples.




A ride on Asian elephants in Teak Rain Forest was only a portion of the excitement. Some of these elephants paint and their works are auctioned and sold to help pay their expenses. Some of them even enjoy playing soccer. There was a marvelous orchid farm, growing orchids in air, and botanical gardens. Walking exploration of street and night markets exhibited a variety of clothes, native, and eclectic collection of merchandise. Children performed their native cultural dances on stage and some of these markets and dinner theatres.

We visited the Golden Triangle of historic fame where opium was the major money maker in the 60s and 70s. Today’s biggest industry, with the help of the King, is now tobacco, coffee, manufactured goods, and tourism. It’s beautiful with an impressive museum regarding the history of opium, its impact to the area and damage to the human body. We experienced the border of Thailand, Laos, and Burma(now Myanmar).

Payap University at Chang Mai was marvelous and impressive for an international university in this north Thailand area. We were honored to receive a tour of this academic institution.

There is a remarkable organization called New Life Center with a mission. It is a Christian organization which seeks to empower and equip at-risk or exploited tribal women through education and training, in order to create positive change in their lives and in society. We got to meet and participate in contributing to some courageous young women attending this center growing to positive responsible adults.