Living large on Lincoln Road. . .

We did Halloween on Lincoln Road again this year. It's a definite experience, but I think we'll take a pass in 2011. It used to be a real hoot to sit "ringside" at a restaurant table and watch the passing parade stroll by. No one does Halloween like Miami Beach's gay community, and that includes their dogs of every size, shape and breed, dressed to the nines.

Daughter Andrea was in town for a family bar mitzvah and joined us for the Sunday nite ritual. I think she's been living in North Carolina too long, because she looked slightly dazed by the crowds that were so dense it bordered on mass chaos.

Still,everyone was having a ball, from infants in their mother's arms to a great dane dressed as a ballerina. This year there were lots of Chilean miners, whole bands of terrorists sporting plastic machine guns, lots of nudity and every conceivable costume. But the real stars of the evening are always the drag queens
in their incredible outfits. (See photos! That's Benard & Andrea, watching with awe, at our "ringside" table. The "feathered goddess" was at least 6'5" in her platforms.)

We weren't in costume at our table, although our friend Doree was sporting a pair of furry ears that added a certain cache to her outfit. I,on the other hand, came equipped with my elegant silver "star" wand, trailing multi-strands of silver tinsel, that was awarded to me as "queen" of last year's big birthday party. I just couldn't throw it away and sure enough it was a winner on Halloween nite as I graciously waved it at the costumed passerbys, tapping those on the head that I felt were worthy of my royal attention. You had to be there to truly appreciate.

We actually don't get over to Miami Beach very often these days, even though it's less than a half hour drive from our home in Coconut Grove. In truth, while people come from all over the world to experience South Beach, we've grown blase about its charms and tend to avoid its crowds. So it's fun every once in a while to do the scene and remind outselves that we live in a truly remarkable place. True, English is spoken less and less, and sometimes you're not sure if you are still in the U.S., especially when the cashier in Publix gives you your total in Spanish and looks annoyed when you ask her to translate,but for sheer interest, color and excitement, it can't be beat.
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