{"id":6532,"date":"2012-07-28T06:50:44","date_gmt":"2012-07-28T10:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=6532"},"modified":"2012-07-28T08:41:13","modified_gmt":"2012-07-28T12:41:13","slug":"an-art-deco-tour-with-christine-michaels-of-riverfront-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/an-art-deco-tour-with-christine-michaels-of-riverfront-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"An Art Deco Tour With Christine Michaels of Riverfront Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Christine feeding two of her Riverfront cats – Leroy and Lion King<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

For many of you that know me, you know that Christine Michaels of Riverfront Cats<\/a>, Miami, is a dear friend of mine. She is known in the cat blogosphere for being the caretaker of her twenty or so outdoor community cats in the Riverfront area as well as being the original source that exposed the inhumane trapping of the outdoor cats on the Loews Universal Resort properties in Orlando that spearheaded a nationwide movement to save them.<\/p>\n

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The Carlyle was one of the locations where the movie The Birdcage was filmed.<\/p><\/div>\n

What you might not know, is that Christine is also a well versed individual on the history of Miami Beach, in particular, the Art Deco area of\u00a0Ocean Drive which is known for such classic favorites as the Miami Vice television series and the acclaimed movie, the Birdcage with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. Christine has taken her trademarked dedication and passion she shares with her outdoor cats to her love of the history of the vibrant city she calls home and has created\u00a0a boutique business called\u00a0 \u201cArt Deco Tours by Christine & Company<\/a>\u201d where she treats tour goers by appointment to an informed and entertaining stroll through this engaging\u00a0stretch of Miami Beach.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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While the cats could be up to heavens knows what when we leave the house, this is what I imagine (hope) they are doing...<\/p><\/div>\n

Rated the number one Miami Beach tour by Trip Advisor,\u00a0we decided to take advantage of her expertise and take the tour while the \u201ckids\u201d were visiting last week . It was a win-win for everyone \u2013 the cats got a mini break from all the upheaval in the household, we got a hands on tour of this amazing and beautiful city, and I got to introduce my family to someone who is very important in my life and my crusade to help educate the public about the plight of outdoor cats.<\/p>\n

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Here we are with a penthouse view atop the Carlyle overlooking Miami Beach. You will notice Christine being ever the professional, teaching us about the history of the city.<\/p><\/div>\n

No surprise, Christine and her contagiously upbeat personality keeps you engaged from start to finish as she walks you through the area and discusses everything from the architecture, the influence of the fashion industry, how the Miami Vice television series introduced the concept of pastel painted buildings, and even the role of the mafia as she describes each classic building you pass, such as the Versace mansion, The Carlyle Hotel, and The Cardozo which is owned by singer, Gloria Estefan. We were even treated to a private\u00a0birds-eye view atop\u00a0The Carlyle\u00a0\u00a0and the city scape was amazing, despite the scorching heat. July is definitely not season in Miami \u2013 even though we took a late day tour, the temperature was brutal and we were grateful to see a sign beckoning us\u00a0from The Tides hotel inviting us in for a very refreshing mojito special.<\/p>\n

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The moment you walk into The Tides your breath is taken away - the interior design is spectacular and wonderfully unique.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This decadent bar is part of The Tides - we enjoyed our refreshing mojitos as we stepped back in time. Looking forward to the deco theme, I veered away from my typical leopard garb and wore a sundress in a wash of sherbet colors that was complimented by a stylish straw hat!<\/p><\/div>\n

The great thing about these interactive types of tours is that even though you are learning, you are doing it in an informal and enjoyable format.\u00a0 The only thing we did not see, quite surprising, was a single cat lurking about. Naturally, Christine and I did our share of \u201ccat talk\u201d and I had to remind myself to reel it in a bit, as not all of the family is equally enthralled with our feline escapades as\u00a0we are. \u00a0Christine and I mention her outdoor cats by name as if everyone knows who Romeo is, or Cosette, or Leroy, or Lion King\u2026.<\/p>\n

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This quaint and picturesque area of Miami Beach is tucked away on a charming side street and legend has it Capone ran his gambling syndicate from the 2nd floor of a small hotel here that was also used in filming the movie "The Specialist" starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone.<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite the lack of cats, all in all we had a great time – if any of you plan on taking a trip to South Florida anytime soon, please be sure to look Christine up!!<\/p>\n

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