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TRAVEL: Miami & Romantic Winter Vacations

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Because love is always in season, it’s a great time to take a trip and start or rekindle a romance. All kinds of couples are heading to Miami, exchanging -10 degree weather for 80 degree+ temps. Share a balmy climate with someone you love, warm your bodies and your hearts with a romantic winter vacation.

Published

7 years ago

February 24, 2019

Oakland Post

By NNPA Travel Writer/Photojournalist Dwight Brown

Because love is always in season, it’s a great time to take a trip and start or rekindle a romance. All kinds of couples are heading to Miami, exchanging -10 degree weather for 80 degree+ temps. Share a balmy climate with someone you love, warm your bodies and your hearts with a romantic winter vacation.

Romantic Sights and Things to Do

Experience a touch of Italy at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

VIzcaya Museum & Gardens

From 1910 to 1922 James Deering, VP International Harvester, built a winter home in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, modeling it after a classic Italian country villa. Set on the waterfront of Biscayne Bay, the large Main House with 24 decorated rooms was originally set on 180 acres. Deering and his winter guests, like Lillian Gish and President Warren Harding, stayed at Vizcaya every November to April.

An exquisitely sculpted barge sits in the back to break the waves. The scenic water views have the magical romance of Venice, the amazing gardens are reminiscent of the Tuileries and the name Vizcaya is Spanish. Collectively, Deering brought a touch of Europe to Miami and left his vision behind for visitors to enjoy at their leisure with audio guides or on guided tours.

Take a cruise from Deering Estate and fall in love again.

Deering Estate

The champagne and prosecco flow on the boat rides that launch from the Deering Estate, former home of Charles Deering (James’ brother) in the town of Palmetto Bay in Miami Dade County. Boats depart from the 450-acre estate with its museum and nature preserve. The vessels head by uninhabited keys populated by mangrove trees pelicans, gulls and ducks a place to perch. Passengers float past downtown Miami, Key Biscayne and South Beach.

The cruise heads to what remains of Stiltsville, a group of wood stilt houses one mile south of Cape Florida. The homes sit in the shallow waters of Safety Valve, a coral reef that at low tide is just one to three feet deep. History has it that “Crawfish” Eddie Walker built the first shack on stilts in 1933, to avoid the confines of prohibition and throw boozy parties. One of the last remaining homes, a pink and yellow one, was a set for the film Bad Boys II.

Learn how to play doubles on the friendly tennis courts at the Miami Beach Tennis Academy.

Northshore Miami Beach Tennis Academy

In mid Miami Beach, the crowds of tourists are thin, it’s more like a real neighborhood and folks like to gather at the Northshore Park on 72^nd Street. If you book time with the tennis pro Julio Avila, he’ll teach you how to play doubles on one of the 10 clay courts or two hard courts. Doubles, which requires negotiating, anticipation and working together, can strengthen your relationship with your better half and it’s a game people play well into their 80s. Julio and his fellow pro Alina will coach you at a tennis park that is frequented by Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova. Bring a racquet or borrow one and you can learn or fine-tune a sport that you can play anywhere in the world.

Gaze into your lover’s eyes across a table.

Brush shoulders with the in-crowd at the swanky Swan/Bar Bevy Restaurant.

Swan Bar Bevy Pavlova

Restaurateur David Grutman (LIV at the Fontainebleau, STORY, Kimodo) has partnered with music icon Pharrell and Chef Jean Imbert to open the trendiest restaurant in the Design District, the chicest neighborhood in Miami. Surrounded by Tom Ford, Givenchy and Burberry stores, the two-story restaurant, with the upstairs cocktail lounge Bar Bevy, attracts gastronomes and wheeler-dealers who network at lunch and play at night.

Dine outdoors in a courtyard among foliage and sunshine. Or, eat inside where pastel colors and handsome furniture set a swank tone. Make sure your menu choices include: Hamachi Tartare or Little Gem Salad (with pear slices) appetizers; Branzino or the delectable Spaghetti with Osetra Caviar for a main course. End it with the Pavlova dessert– looks like a macaroon Faberge egg.

Dine in elegance—pre-theater—at BRAVA by Brad Kilgore.

BRAVA by Brad Kilgore. N’duja & Potato Ravioli

If you’re headed to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts to see an opera, dance performance or traveling shows like The Lion King, Jazz Roots starring Sergio Mendes, Flamenco Festival Miami or Miami City Ballet’s classic “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” prep yourself for a wonderful evening by dining at the lush BRAVA by Brad Killgore Restaurant. The stately ambiance of the center permeates the upscale eatery and its innovative cuisine.

Nibble on the BRAVA Brioche (rosemary parmesan crust and umami butter), before an appetizer of Roasted Bone Marrow or the very delicate N’duja & Potato Ravioli. Dinner will be well remembered if you order the Crab Arrabbiato (jumbo lump crab cake) or the succulent Bone-In Veal Chop. Before running off to the theater, feast on the Black Forest dessert, which looks like an oblong cubed chocolate bar with caramelized chocolate, cherry gelée, pistachio genoise and basil. Gorgeously crafted.

Dig into Brazilian cuisine at Boteco Copacabana on lively Española Way.

Boteco Copacabana Rasen Beer, codfish and chicken croquets

South Beach’s Española way is a short four block pedestrian mall, populated by outdoor cafes and looks like it belongs in Europe. Tourists parade up and down the cobblestone street providing high-caliber people watching. Among the Italian, Mexican and Cuban places to sit, gaze and dine, is the friendly Brazilian restaurant Boteco Copacabana. You will be greeted at the door, ushered to an outdoor seat and have your choice from the finest array of Brazilian beers. Cerpa is the gold standard, a very light ale bordering on the taste of ginger ale. If it isn’t available, go for the equally smooth Rasen. Sip on your beer and start with either the codfish or chicken croquets. So you don’t have to choose between meat and fish, order the Mar e Terra (Surf and Turf) entrée with perfectly seasoned and grilled sirloin, lobster tail, shrimp, salmon, beef ribs and chorizo. Then nurse an espresso, hold hands and watch the parade of people go by. FYI, Saturday nights at 8:30pm Boteco hosts mini-carnivals called “Samba Saturday.”

Nothing does it like a romantic spa treatment

The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami’s spa lets you languish in luxury.

The RItz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami Spa

Walking through the halls of The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami on the way to its spa, reminds you why the Ritz hotels are such a mainstay in the luxury accommodations market. Stately walls, impeccable interior design, attentive service, flattering lighting and you haven’t even made it to the front door of the spa. As soon as you do walk in, you’re shrouded in a calming serenity.

Get in the mood for love by trying the Honey Dream treatment (80 min $260). It touches the entire body, providing deep relaxation with rhythmic massage techniques using honey-based products that leave a sweet smell. Balance your body’s vital energy and boosts your immune system with a full body massage using a beeswax thermal pad, an organic honey masque treatment and tea served with local honey. Classy and sweet.

Get pampered at the Newport Beachside Hotel’s spa.

Newport Beachside Hotel Spa

Head up past North Miami to the neighboring town of Sunny Isles and the tourist crowds disappear. Here at the Newport Beachside Hotel, a place South American tourists love, the Aveda Seven Seas Spa & Salon is wiping out stress one treatment (or package) at a time.

Lovers are particularly attracted to the Restorative Package ($205) which includes: Elemental Nature massage (50 mins —pick your favorite aroma, add in acupressure and reflexology); Elemental Nature Facial (50 mins – customized based on your skin); manicure (45 mins); and pedicure (one hour). Request the manicurist Miriam for your mani-pedi; she has the golden touch and works well with women and calms skittish men. On your way out, dine at Kitchen 305, where the freshest fried whole red snapper in Miami is on the menu and the key lime pie is excellent.

Welcoming places to stay that have love in the house.

The intimate and black-owned Copper Door B&B welcomes everyone.

Copper Door B&B

Back in the ‘40s and ‘50s when black musicians performed at nightclubs in Miami Beach, but couldn’t stay there, they’d head over to the welcoming neighborhood of Overtown, in Downtown Miami. They’d hang their hats and trumpets at the Demetree Hotel, on NW 4^th Avenue and 5^th street. The lodging house was closed and abandoned for years until a very entrepreneurial couple—Jamila Ross and Akino West—renovated it and turned it into the prestigious Copper Door Bed and Breakfast. Twenty-two rooms and three suites in this ultra-friendly B&B attract guests from around the world.

Copper Door B&B Eggs Benedict

White walls exhibit paintings, like those by the famed Purvis Young of Overtown. Ross is quick to suggest places to eat and visit in the surrounding neighborhoods: Little Havana (Ball and Chain for Cuban food and live music; Azucar for ice cream); Casablanca Seafood restaurant for river views and fresh fish; and The Wharf, an outdoor venue noted for food trucks. Warning: Don’t miss the breakfast at The Copper Door. Akino was a chef at Noma in Copenhagen—he can throw down some very tasty morning concoctions: His eggs benedict and red velvet waffles made with beets and a side of beef sausage may easily be the best food you’ll eat in Miami.

The National Hotel Miami Beach will sing you to sleep.

The National Hotel

It’s not easy distinguishing yourself from the myriad of hotels that dot the shores of South Beach. But the National Hotel has done just that. It’s the perfect hybrid between a luxury and a boutique hotel. The fancy appointments, impeccable interiors and impressive exteriors go hand-in-hand with their amicable vibe, which makes a stay here perfect for lovers. Bed down in any of the 116 renovated city and direct ocean view guestrooms in the Historic Tower (dates back to 1939), or rest in any of the 36 luxurious cabanas and suites (originally built in the 1960s) for a Zen-like feeling.

Their infinity-edge pool, lined by cabanas that double as massage huts, is the longest in Miami Beach and is steps from the shoreline. For a completely private, moonlit evening, dine poolside in one of their three exclusive cabanas. The upgraded poolside dinner comes with a decorated cabana, candles, and a private guitarist who will serenade you throughout dinner. It’s comforting and cool to return to the hotel at night and find a crooner at the piano bar in the lobby singing love songs. He takes requests. Great time to sit back, nurse a Courvoisier and hold hands.

Cuddle up in an apartment at the reasonably priced and friendly Waterside Hotel Suites.

Waterside Hotel Suites

The neat thing about the hip Waterside Hotel is that it has two separate locations in Miami Beach’s North Beach. The one on Harding Avenue at 73^rd St. features vibrant colors with groovy ‘60s flair and rooms at great prices (as low as $59). The one at Harding Avenue and 67^th St. offers spacious apartment-suites (as low as $67) and a parking lot across the street.

If you like to jump in your rented car and explore Miami, this place makes that easy. Gray floors, flamingo wallpaper accent walls, expansive balconies and a small pool give the Waterside a contemporary look. It’s just a minute walk from the beach and the suites come with kitchenettes and have microwaves, mini-fridges, mini-stoves and washer/dryer combos. All the guests say hello—it’s that kind of hotel.

While Valentine’s Day is still on your mind and the polar vortex is producing subzero weather, find a way to feel some warm love in the air. Head to Miami for a romantic winter vacation

Visit travel writer Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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COMMENTARY: Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 3, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military. But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS!

The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that white male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified. Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while white excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it

Wade Henderson
Strategic Advisor
Civil and Human Rights
wade@wadejhenderson.com

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New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial

By Emilie St. John (Contributor) Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction. Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District […]
The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

By Emilie St. John
(Contributor)

Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction.

Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District Judge John Roach Jr. from overseeing the appeals process.

Two hearings have been scheduled on the motion for Aug. 9 and 10 in the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, according to Fox4 News.

On July 14, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle of the 226th District Court was assigned to preside over the defense’s motion to recuse Collin County Judge John Roach. The assignment took effect immediately and authorized Harle to handle all matters related to the recusal request, the filing read.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office continues to defend its handling of the case by issuing a statement to NBC 5 DFW.

“The defendant’s new lawyers have filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings. The entire prosecution team and I conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel. We look forward to addressing these claims thoroughly in a Court of law in the coming weeks. The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.”

Anthony’s new legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights, and criminal defense attorneys, was retained following Anthony’s conviction.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the team said in a statement.

“We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” the release reads.

Anthony was charged with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, April 2, 2025. Anthony has long maintained it was an act of self-defense.

The attorneys are representing Anthony pro bono. The nearly 200-page notice of appeal seeks a new trial because his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated.

“The cumulative and practical effect of these provisions was to exclude members of the public from proceedings at every stage,” the filing reads.

The filing also focused on an alleged “handshake deal” that kept Anthony from taking the stand in his defense.

The defense filing said the agreement was that the jury would not hear that Metcalf and his twin brother had been accused of racism and bullying in the past. In exchange, they also would not see Anthony’s cellphone records or his school disciplinary record, according to court documents reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony’s former defense attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense relied heavily on that deal. The team chose not to ask certain questions of witnesses or call on a separate expert witness based on that agreement. It also abandoned plans to introduce testimony and evidence about the allegations against Metcalf and his brother.

Appellate attorney Russell Wilson is now handling post-trial proceedings and Anthony’s appeal. He recently sat down for an interview, stating, “The court committed multiple errors during the June murder trial, preventing him from receiving a fair trial.”

“You know, we file motions that we expect to prevail on, but we understand that there’s two sides to every story. And at the end of the day, it’ll be a judge that has to make these decisions, but we feel confident in the positions that we’re taking,” Wilson said during an interview with WFAA. “There were substantial issues that we thought a reviewing court needed to look at. We thought these were constitutional irregularities, and we could have them addressed now. And so, we put them into a motion for a new trial.”

Bree West, a former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, found it startling that so little time was given to Anthony’s team for such a serious “life or death” situation.

“I do think that it’s really challenging that potentially a court decided that you have 10 minutes to make that level of decision when it has the potential of being life-altering,” said West during an interview with Fox 4 News.

Judge Harle is no stranger to high-profile cases, having presided over the prosecution of a police officer charged in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Anthony was convicted on June 9 of the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump!

WESTSIDE GAZETTE — The author criticizes Donald Trump’s rhetoric, noting his use of terms like “Dumbocrats” and “Communist” to describe Democrats and democracy. The column asserts that Trump’s current strategy involves creating doubt about midterm elections due to a lack of Republican agenda.
The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

Frankly Speaking

Wow! Wow! Wow! The swamp drainers have truly stepped down to new levels of stupidity. You remember Weapons of Mass Destruction? We now have Weapons of Mass Distraction. Trump has introduced Dumbocrats and Communists into the conversation about Democrats and Democracy.

Trump lies so much, and his current strategy is to set up doubt about midterm elections because he and Republicans have no agenda!

He has no “Trump “ card, but Iran has a strait! He called it a skirmish; it’s now a War. He said five days; now it’s five months. He said few casualties; now it’s 18 deaths. He knew nothing about Project 2025 but hired its architects! Trump lies about the lies and often forgets these little inventions called cameras and phones

We see and hear and then see and hear the inconsistencies.

I didn’t like 45 and dislike 47 even more!

The post LSMFT! Lord Save Me From Trump! appeared first on The Westside Gazette.

Based on reporting by Westside Gazette.

The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.