24th Miami Book Fair International - Day 2

November 4 – I woke about 7:00am, dressed and went across the street to Tapas & Tintos for a complimentary breakfast. I purchased bottled water at Art Deco Supermarket. I caught the “C” bus to OMNI Metromover station.

I attended choral service at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral for awhile. I walked north on the west shore of Biscayne Bay on Bayshore Drive to the Womens Club Building formerly the Miami Public Library. I took several photographs. I walked northwest to the City of Miami Cemetery. The hurricanes of two years ago had absolutely devastated the landscape. I was pleased to see the tree canopy was restored. I took several photographs both outside and inside the cemetery. I did “Veterans & Pioneers” Geocache.

Walking back to the OMNI Metromover station, I passed the Doubletree Hotel where I got a warm delicious chocolate chip cookie. I found Benchmark: AC3191 at the entrance to the loading dock of the Miami Herald Building. I photographed the Octagonal-shaped Sears Roebuck Co. Tower Benchmark: AC3557. I photographed the front door and Benchmark: AC2184 at the Freedom Tower. I photographed Benchmark: AC3539 Miami First (Central) Baptist Church.

I picked up a Miami Book Fair program at Miami-Dade Community College. I was told that I needed the free tickets that had been given out on-line. I said that I was planning to be a “Friend” of the Fair. I was told that I would be able to get the Evening Presentation tickets which turned out to be a bit of a problem to get all of them. I think that the entire ticket thing was a fiasco.

I went across the street to McDonalds for a fruit salad with yogurt. I had the chocolate chip cookie from Doubletree for dessert. I walked to Bayside where I photographed “The Torch of Friendship” and the Hard Rock Café. The guitar was blown off the Hard Rock Cafe roof during Hurricane Wilma, spearing a nearby luxury yacht.

The Miami Book Fair International is the largest book fair in the country. It was initially called Books by the Bay way back in 1984. This year it was being held November 4-11.

I became a book fair “Friend” however I later found out that did not entitle me to visit the VIP tent during book fair weekend as it had in years past. I attended the Inauguration Celebration at 5:00pm of the 24th annual book fair at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC), Wolfson Campus. I attended the reception at the 5th floor terrace, Bldg. 3. Good food, good wine but the music was way too loud drowning out conversations. I heard Rosie O’Donnell in Chapman Auditorium discussing her new book “Celebrity Detox: (the fame game)”.

I rode the bus back to South Beach. I purchased ham & provolone sandwich, Lays BBQ chips and Hershey chocolate bar at CVS/pharmacy for late dinner about 10:00pm. I got the Sunday Miami Herald.