Some Dave Matthews and a Little Miami Beach

Dave Matthews Band announced that after this, their 25th year of touring, they were going to take a break. They didn't say for how long, but a break none the less. This was enough to make me want to see them 'one more time' and that was above my typical Deer Creek shows (which were last weekend, and yes, I went to both). Eric, not being a big DMB fan, usually takes some convincing. So when tickets went on sale, I scoped out alternative locations, figuring I'd compromise and NOT make him go to two local shows, and instead, attend one out-of-state show with me. Turned out that Dave does two shows in West Palm Beach over a weekend, just like he does here in Indiana. So a weekend show at a venue he obviously likes? Plus, south FL, which Eric loves? Sold.

Of course, after buying the tickets, making the travel arrangements were proving to be a littler trickier. Flights into any of the SE FL airports were not cheap and/or not convenient, considering we didn't want to go down until after work on Friday. Plus, none were direct. Eric then suggested flying into MCO (Orlando)... bingo! A horribly early direct on Saturday morning had us on the ground at 8am, which left us plenty of time to shoot down the turnpike and enjoy a little Miami Beach before the concert.

Which is exactly what we did. Our flight was half-empty at 6am (go figure), but thankfully, they have to move the planes around, so it wasn't cancelled. And we were in out rental car and on the road by 8:30am. Anyone who knows the FL Turnpike knows there's nothing between Orlando and West Palm Beach (even though it's fun to say Yeehaw Junction), so it was an easy drive. We first stopped at Eric's old stomping grounds of Delray Beach, where he practically lived for three years building a shopping center. He was hoping for some inspiration, but it was too hot to wander around and reminisce, So back on the turnpike we went, this time the destination being Lincoln Road.

Our main thought of going to Lincoln Road was to get lunch as SushiSamba - a favorite of ours. When we got there, they were still serving brunch, which looked really good! So even though it was close to 1pm, we jumped at the brunch option, and there were NO regrets! It was SO good! So while we didn't get our sushi fix, we did walk away with a new appreciation of the restaurant... it's so much more than sushi! Yum!

At this point, I just wanted to see the beach, even though I had no way to enjoy it (so suit, no towel, etc). So we walked straight down Lincoln Road to the beach. It was way hot (low 90's and not enough of a breeze), but it was s sight for sore eyes. I so miss the beach. One day I'll live near one again (somewhere!)

We were dying at this point (my blood has thickened!), so we walked back towards where we came from, stopping by SuperDry along the way, both to cool off AND shop. But we were back in the car and on the way north to our hotel by about 3pm, which would give us plenty of time to settle in, maybe take a nap, and get ready for the concert. We decided to stay in the Boca area, thinking it was between Miami and WPB, and it turned out to be a good decision - never felt like a long drive, in either direction.

The concert. The reason for making this trip. I know I saw him in Noblesville last weekend, and he always plays a different show every night... but this being a different venue really made for a different show. And I still heard songs I didn't hear either of the two nights a Deer Creek. But one song stood out for me, even though it was a duplicate play... Ants Marching. I LOVE this year's rendition. Boyd going into what can best be described as 'hoedown mode' midway, and then the rest of the band joins in after a couple of minutes... LOVED IT!  (Check it out below)

After the show, it was back to the hotel, where we crashed pretty quick. We really had no set plans for Sunday, as we didn't need to be in Orlando until well into the afternoon, since our flight wasn't until 6:45pm. So we figured we'd make a plan in the AM. After sleeping in a bit

We had breakfast at the hotel and then got on the road. We really were in no rush, though Delta kept sending us messages about our flight being delayed. Turns out they switched planes and ultimately delayed us by a half-hour. But we ignored that fact until we got to Orlando. Our first destination was the Everglades. There was a park, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, that has only been in existence for about 7 years, or so. It's kind of the northeastern edge of the Everglades. Overall, very large, but only a small part is accessible by either vehicle or foot. We drove/walked around for not quite an hour, and really took in the beauty that is south FL, undisturbed. From there, we headed east and drove along the Indian River from Jupiter up to Ft. Pierce, trying to find a lighthouse Eric thought he remembered along there. We never found it, but we did find some more park areas we'd like to go back to. After that, it was time for lunch, and then onward, up to Orlando.

We actually barely made it to the airport on-time. If our flight hadn't been delayed already, they probably would've been calling our names over the PA system. But we did have a few moments to sit and grab some snacks before we actually boarded. We landed around 10pm-ish, and went straight home to go to bed. After all, we did have to work today. But wow... what a trip! For as short as it was, we crammed a lot in without it feeling like we were cramming a lot in. And now that we know we can do this, we very well may do again in the future. But maybe plan a few more of our ventures out, just so there's no question on if we can find something or not.