By Heidi Hess
I love Miami. I know what you’re thinking ‘Does anyone really love Miami?’ Yes. It’s me. I’m that person. Miami Vice made it cool but it is a vibrant tropical place to go and get your city fix. There are a ton of museums and all sorts of cultural events. Most recently I attended the Van Gogh experience (I totally recommend you do this!) and the Miami Book Fair (Another ringing endorsement here.) And while those things were grand there is one very specific thing I do not like about Miami. The traffic. And this the reason I am hesitant to drive down there. But I have some good news. Brightline is here. And it’s fantastic.
My daughter and I took Brightline down for the Miami Book Fair. They had discounted seats so I thought, why not. What’s the worst that could happen? (The worst case scenario side of my brain kicks in and I have to tell it to shut up. None of these imagined things have EVER happened)
My husband dropped us off at the station in downtown West Palm. The terminal was clean and all of the representatives were extremely helpful (Did I mention that we had no idea what we were doing? Cue the line Scarlet says from Gone With The Wind “I have always relied on the kindness of strangers.”)
We boarded the train, took our seats and we were off. We watched the world wiz by from the comfort of their plush seats. A stop in Fort Lauderdale and we were there.
There was a discount on the tickets but even if there wasn’t, it’s cheaper than gas. And – once we got to Miami they had electric cars ready to take us to our final destination. The driver even put the music on that we liked (It’s was 80’s- am I that predictable?)
Why am I telling you this? Two reasons. First, I love Miami and you should take your family there to explore everything they have to offer. Second, I think Brightline is the bee’s knees and I want it to stick around. And if you don’t know about it or don’t know anyone that has used their services, how can we support it?