Ride on the Island Queen

Trip photos.

 We bought the "premium" Red Bus ticket that gave us a trip on the Island Queen -- the usual type of tour boat, with the advantage of a covered roof. We were just in time for the the 1:00 p.m. cruise on Thursday. We made our way to the top deck and flopped down in a row of three green plastic chairs.

Happily, the narrator had a pleasant voice and didn't overdo on commentary, maybe because she spoke in both English and Spanish. Only a couple of jokes.

The route was fairly predictable, with major emphasis on Fisher Island, "the most expensive zip code in Miami". We had a peak at the Port of Miami, departure port for our Norwegian Bliss cruise. My favorite: a few guys on a work barge who waved at the boat.

We were hot and tired, so the best thing for us was the cool breeze and shelter from the sun. We stopped in the marketplace after the boat ride. Interior spaces were, for me, too damn cold -- as they always are in warmer climates where the AC is jacked up to the max. We settled on Chili's, where we shared a mini-hamburger plate. I had a couple of "two-for-one" frozen margaritas. The mango drinks were OK and not too sweet, but I've had my fix for a couple of years.