Grace decided that she should take her niece out sight-seeing. Kane suggested the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens with its stunning architecture, grounds and artwork. It featured 34 rooms arranged around a breath-taking courtyard. The Renaissance-style villa is filled with the most exquisite European furniture and arts reaching from the 15th to the 19th century. There were over 1,100 craftsmen bought over from Europe for true authenticity in design, to complete this 28-acre estate.
Amarelle thought it sounded like a really neat place to visit. Grace smiled and said then they'd start there. Ama was excited to get to spend some time with her favorite aunt. After breakfast, she went to get a quick shower and then dressed. Maverick and Kane wished the two ladies a wonderful day out since they both had to get to work early. Ama wanted to get some pictures so she had her phone out and ready when they arrived.
The pair walked around taking everything in. Ama took a few selfies making Grace laugh. 'It's nice to see her so relaxed' Grace thought to herself. She didn't know why her sister didn't support her daughter like she did her other children. Just because someone's different doesn't mean they don't deserve the same love and support. Grace had felt ostracized in the family as well, so she fully understood her niece. She looked at the younger woman with a smile.
Ama never had a problem with showing her uniqueness. From the way she dressed to her hair and make-up. She also wore her heart on her sleeve. Honestly, Grace and Amarelle were quite alike. Much more alike, in fact, that they were closer to mother-and-daughter and aunt-and-niece. As they walked around taking in the beauty of the Museum and Gardens, Grace began to think about asking her to move in with them. Naturally, she'd have to talk to her lovers before making that offer!
"Oooh! Let's hit the beach!" Austin happily said as they all cleaned up from breakfast
"Hmm. Anyone else have a suggestion?" Luke asked
"We do have a pool. We could just relax around the pool today and bbq." Tim suggested
"But....MIAMI!" Austin retorted
"Dude, we'll be here for like 2 ½ months! We have plenty of time to sight-see and check out local hotspots." Chance stated with a chuckle
"I want to go back to that place we were at last night." Adam stated, "Tonight, I mean."
"I second that!" Tim was quick to add
"We can do that tonight. I loved that place." Luke stated with a smile, "So about today?"
"Well this is Miami. They have a heck of a history. I'd love to check it out." Rob stated
"How about this. Rob and I will go check out the city's history. Austin and anyone else who wants to go to the beach can go. Tim and Adam can stay here and lounge in the pool. Sound like a plan?" Luke said
"Well, I guess we can go to the beach." Adam stated, "It's been a really long time since I've been."
"I'll be going out in the city. Y'all have fun!" Rob stated
"Why don't we all meet back up here at about 6pm. Get cleaned up and then head to the bar. They do serve food so we can grab dinner while we're there." Luke stated
"Sounds like a plan, boss man!" Chance rhymed making the entire group laugh
The two happy couples got ready to head to the beach while Luke and Rob sat on the couch looking for good places to check out. They found one that seemed kind of neat. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum which was created in the 1950's by the Miami Railroad Historical Society. It houses 30 historic locomotives in pristine condition. Famous carriages include the one that once carried Roosevelt, Truman and Reagan. Also at the museum is an impressive and detailed model railway that is worth admiring. There are also some wooden toy train sets for children who will inevitably be inspired to play with trains after looking around the museum.
Rob thought that was neat and wanted to go. Luke smiled and said they could check out everything in the course of their stay in Miami. The Vizcaya Museum & Gardens was another spot Rob wanted to visit. Luke wasn't sure they'd be able to get much more sight-seeing in that day but said they'd try for a third spot as well.
"Hey! Listen to this: 'Located in North Miami Beach, The Ancient Spanish Monastery has existed, in one form or another, since the 12th century. Originally constructed in Segovia, Spain, it was purchased in the early 20th century by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and transported in pieces to the United States. In the 1950s, it was reassembled on its current location, and has welcomed visitors (and hosted special events, including copious weddings and film shoots) ever since.'
Sound like something you'd be interested in checking out?" Luke asked
"It does! Think we can hit all three today before we need to come back?" Rob asked
"We can try. Like it was said, we'll be here to 2 ½ months. We've got time to check everything out before we gotta hit the studio again." Luke chuckled
The two couples had changed into their swim trunks and t-shirts and had finished packing a day bag. Tim playfully smacked Adam's butt making the blond giggle. Chance said they were taking the SUV. Luke had rented a black GMC Acadia (which was able to hold six passengers and had tinted windows for privacy) and a black Lexus ES (also with tinted windows for privacy). It was good to have contacts in all sorts of places because Luke had gotten quite the deal on his rental vehicles! He and Rob didn't need the bigger vehicle, anyways.
"Wow, Aunt Grace! This place was neat." Ama stated as they were leaving
"Let's go check out the Coral Castle. I think you'll love it." Grace stated as they climbed into her car
Coral Castle is the work of eccentric Latvian American artist Edward Leedskalninand is made from 1100 tons of coral rock. The building was built by Edward alone and is both an impressive feat and a stunning work of art. Hearing this made Ama really excited to see it! She wanted to document her time in Miami since she didn't quite know when she'd get to come back. She usually stayed on campus during breaks, except a few days for Thanksgiving and Christmas respectively, because of feeling like a black sheep in the family.
Features of the Coral Castle Museum, according to Grace, include a 9-ton gate that moves with just a touch of the finger, a Polaris telescope and functioning rocking chairs all which were made entirely of stone. Hearing this made Amarelle even more excited to see this place! They were talking about different places and where Ama might want to visit while she was here. Grace pulled into a parking spot and shut the car off. Ama climbed out and got her phone ready to take some photos.
Grace chuckled at her niece. A sadness hit her as well. How badly did her sister treat this poor girl? Did they ever take her on vacations like they went on with the other kids? Or did Ama voluntarily stay on campus because she didn't feel welcomed with her own family? Ama was too busy looking at things and taking photos to notice her aunt's suddenly sour mood. When Ama asked her Aunt to come over and take a selfie with her, Grace let her thoughts go and put on a smile.
"This place is amazing! How did this guy build it?" Amarelle questioned her aunt
"No one really knows. Rumor was that he did it at night because no one ever saw him." Grace answered with a soft chuckle, "It's a local mystery!"
"This is pretty badass." Ama stated making Grace laugh
"Yes it is, young one." Grace retorted, "Are you getting hungry yet? It's about lunch time."
"Food would be good." Amarelle stated
They walked out to the car, so they could go find somewhere to stop for lunch. She was sure Amarelle had never had any authentic Cuban food, so she thought heading to Little Havana might be interesting. She took her niece to "La Carreta" which was a local chain known for Cuban classics like ropa vieja & picadillo served in a hacienda-style setting. They were seated quickly, which Grace was thankful for considering it was lunchtime, and didn't notice the man Zane had introduced her to last night also there.
Tim and Chance were busy building a sandcastle while Austin and Adam just laying on their beach towels after been swimming in the ocean and talking quietly. So far, they hadn't been recognized. This little summer vacation was turning out to be pretty good. Adam was watching his boyfriend as Tim was intently working on a tower for their sandcastle. Tim bit his lip when he was really, really focused on something and it was a trait Adam found adorable.