miami Archives - Villa Vanderlaan

October 1, 2016September 29, 2016

Day 70 – October 1

Our last day off, we had Monday through Wednesday off.
We did not go anywhere like last time when we went to Miami but stayed home this time.

last day off

Camy had to do some homework so that is just what we started out doing today.

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We had some birthday cake left so we could not resist and had a slice.
Mmm, out on the pool deck we enjoyed the cake and the sun, of course.

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Since we had some paint left from the WC downstairs and our bathroom upstairs we decided to paint Camy’s bathroom as well. The ceiling is white now and we did one of the walls as well. The remainder will be painted light blue.

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After that we cleaned up the pool deck, nice and neat!
Time to get a tan, oh no the sun was already there….

September 1, 2016July 30, 2016

Day 40 – September 1

Good morning everybody!
Breakfast is ready, well… push the button and you will get your pancake.
Just the perfect way to get your pancake made within 2 minutes.

We will be visiting Marlins Park today, home of the Miami Marlins.
New York Mets vs Miami Marlins. Another awesome stadium and much better than the old New Miami Stadium (or Joe Robbie or Dolphin Stadium when you want call it by that name) they used to play in.
Wonderful to see all these people, entertainment and your favorite pastime and food…. lots of it.
Miami came up on top and won 9-6 with a blast from Stanton.
Good game and another stadium to cross off from the list.

Book your tickets, click here:

August 31, 2016July 30, 2016

Day 39 – August 31

We loved the beach so we decided to go back and enjoy it one more time.

But before we hit the beach, we did some shopping first.

And who does not want a sandwich, love the sandwiches sold at 7-Eleven!

And yes, the girls have a good time here, all main brands are available, clothing, make-up, you name it. Here an idea of what it looks like.
Everything is set up real nice and booths that sell fruits and smoothies

And now it is time to enjoy the real American hot dog!

And here a view of the well-known (expensive) hotels and of course the yellow cab we all know.

Finally it is time to enjoy the beach! Water reaches the same temperature as the outside temperature, so no cold water!

Building our castle…..

ENJOY the moment, so this is a selfie of a happy human being!

To finish the day we treated ourselves with a burger, no Mc Donalds or Burger King but at BurgerFi. This is a restaurant with another concept, more like the Dutch “snackbar”. We had a quinoaburge, double cheeseburger and a regular burger. And of course fries!

Bon appetit!

August 30, 2016July 28, 2016

Day 38 – August 30

Today we woke up in Miami,we arrive here last night. The day started with a nice dip in the pool. For today we planned to go visit Coral Castle and Fruit & Spice Park.

Coral Castle, which we visited first, is a museum built by one man.
This man, Ed, build the castle himself without help from anyone.
Everything is available, all made of coral of course, tables, seats, beds.
We can certainly recommend to visit this castle.

Afterwards we took off to visit the second park. We took a guided tour through the Fruit and Spice Park. They told us all about the different fruits and spices that grow here and also made us try them. We know about mango’s, avocado’s and banana but they also showed us Jack Fruit, American Persimmon, Betel Nut and many more.

To finish up the day we went over to famous South Beach.
It was very crowded and had a hard time parking the car but we finally found a spot. It happened to be right across the street from where Gianni Versace was murdered a couple of years ago.

August 29, 2016July 27, 2016

Day 37 – August 29

It is Friday again, time for Chapel. We also participated in the worship this morning, which is attended by all students during their first period.
And like we told you before, parents are more than welcome too.

Also at school today were some Cranes. Real nice, tall birds, this is only about 6 feet from them. Normally a bird would have taken off but not these.

When school was over today and the weekend had started we took off for Miami right away. Too bad it rained, but you can not have it all. It is Labor Day weekend so there will be no school on monday and we decided to take advantage of that by taking a little holiday and go see Miami. South Beach, Miami Marlins and shopping is on the to do list.

But first, we will spend the night at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel.

Later that night we ran into the Duck family. How cute, mother and 7 babies in the middle of parking lot.

June 5, 2016June 4, 2016

It was voting time again!

It was voting time again and Orlando and three other cities in Florida have been named in the top-25, as best destinations to travel to within The USA. New York City was named as the #1 best city.

#3 Orlando

#11 Miami Beach

#23 Fort Lauderdale

#25 St. Augustine

#3 Orlando features 7 of the 10 most visited theme parks in North America (5 of the top 10 in the world), as well as the 4 most visited water parks in the U.S. The Walt Disney World is the area’s largest attraction with its many facets such as the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and Downtown Disney.

SeaWorld Orlando is a large park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters and water park. It also comprises more than one park, alongside Aquatica and Discovery Cove.

Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, comprises Universal Studios Florida, Universal CityWalk, and Islands of Adventure.

The Wet ‘n Wild water park is another famous attraction.

Find tickets to these parks right here!:

Orlando Theme Park Tickets – which ticket is right for me?

#11 Miami Beach is a beach destination that has it all and has evolved into an urban metropolis with all the amenities of a beach-town and a big city, a thriving arts scene and a busy business center.

The Art Deco District in South Beach, is reputed as one of the most glamorous in the world for its nightclubs, beaches, historical buildings, and shopping.

When you want to explore Miami:

Save $20 on a 5 Day Miami GoCard and visit over 30 attractions, including Jungle Island, Kennedy Space Center and Miami Seaquarium!

#23 Fort Lauderdale is a city on Florida’s southeastern coast, known for its beaches and miles of boating canals. The Strip is a popular promenade running along oceanside highway A1A.

When looking to spend a night in Fort Lauderdale:

Fort Lauderdale – Hotels from $56 a Night!

#25 St. Augustine is a popular travel destination for its Spanish colonial-era buildings as well as elite 19th-century architecture. The city’s historic center is anchored by St. George Street, which is lined with historic houses from various periods.