The World on Wheels: Death and Libations in South Beach

Monday, April 6, 2020

Death and Libations in South Beach

(Please read our Covid 19 Statement first - Ed) Years and years ago, I used to do a tour, strictly for family and friends, called the 'Death Tour' where we'd visit sites where the famous and infamous left this mortal coil. It was a Christmas Eve tradition, evolving from ways to keep everybody from getting bored until midnight, when we'd open presents.

I no longer do that, but today's chapter of our Florida adventures covers a stop that would have made the tour...

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South Beach is another of those Miami locations that's a bit harder to do via public transit. There is a bus which goes there from downtown, it would take a few transfers to get to it so it's not the easiest one to make. Especially since it goes right over the crowded MacArthur causeway, getting stuck in that traffic.

Instead, we book a ride on Lyft. It's doable if you have a light, folding wheelchair and can transfer into a car seat. We can do that with Tim, as we've practiced for emergencies without the chair before.

Now, we get taken directly to Lincoln Avenue, at the south end of South Beach, and don't have to worry about finding a place to park.

Lunch today is at a French place, La Provence, which is supposed to have some of the best croissants in the area. Actually, they're a bit heavier than I'd like and the place is buzzing...with flies. Seriously, they need the help of a pest control specialist here. Other than that, the food wasn't bad but nothing to go out of your way for.

Across to a Walgreen's to pick up a few supplies and then over to the water.

While Letty is off taking pictures, Tim and I strike up a conversation with another wheelchair user from Argentina who's here with his wife. She's out on the sand but he can't get his chair out there.

We do find some mats that let chair users go out to the beach but they don't get you too far.

He tells us about Argentina and it's accessibility (buses pretty good, trains not) and that Buenos Aires can be a bit dangerous.

Speaking of dangerous, it's been a bit over 20 years when the day got very dangerous for designer Gianni Versace. Across the street from us now is he mansion he lived in when he was alive.

On the morning of July 15, 1997, Versace was returning from his morning routine of grabbing something to read from the local newsstand and having a cup of coffee. As he approached the entrance of his house, Andrew Cunanan came up and gunned him down with a gun he'd stolen from a friend.

Now, it's an upscale hotel and restaurant.

We wonder if the hostess standing at the podium of knows she's standing on the spot where this fashion icon's life was taken from him.

Moving on to happier touring, we go to Mango's Tropical Cafe, which is more of a bar, really, to have a cool mojito.