Although Naples has been a primary vacation destination for our family the last few decades, and has recently become our winter home, I consider myself a Floridian as I was born and raised in Florida for a decade, and have been vacationing at the beach my entire life. After moving to St. Louis from Jacksonville, our family would pack up our car each summer, my brothers and I arranged in the back seat of our Subaru, and drive to Florida for a 2 week vacation on the beach. That beach house holds some of my most favorite and special memories growing up.

Also, my brothers and my dad built a cabin (literally they built it themselves) on a lake near Ocala, Florida. An incredible undertaking resulting in many, many more memories including the rope swing, the floating dock, family Pictionary games, alligator hunting, water skiing, and soaking up the sun with our cousins.

All this to say, although my parents have told me about traveling to Miami with them as a toddler, I have no recollection, and have always wanted to visit. When we heard about the Van Gogh Immersive Experience in Miami, this mother/daughter birthday trip was born.

The trip would begin with one night in Naples, followed by a two hour drive to Miami for one night, then Palm Beach for a night before returning to Naples. We chose a super special hotel in Miami, The Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club thanks to goop.com, which we reference to assist with travel plans every now and then. We would not partake in the nightlife of Miami, or venture out much, we just wanted to relax at the property and go to the Van Gogh Experience, and then head to Palm Beach. So, this could not have been a more luxurious stay and we thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated every single amenity.

This hallway to the pool and beach was a favorite space. The hotel was never crowded, which was especially nice for taking photos.

There are mirrored tables along the hallway ~ perfect for showing off the reflection of the ceiling.

The dining room was incredible!

More pics of the lobby…

Our room was small but like heaven. I never remember to take photos of the room before we come in with all our belongings, but this time, I did manage to get a couple photos before our luggage arrived to the room.

This shot was taken while still in bed in the morning. There is a switch by the bed that opens the drapes. I just loved that ceiling!

Miami is like New York in that there are high rises and buildings all around. Our views varied. We had a tiny “beach view” but mostly city. . .

The bathroom was amazing. Around the corner to the left was a huge walk in shower of huge white marble slabs.

The food was outstanding. Our first lunch was at the pool and this was our view.

For dinner we sat on the patio overlooking the pool and the beach beyond.

I don’t typically share meal photos, but I think this was a top ten dinner, and I’m going to indulge this time. I had the Housemate Ravioli Special with Mozzarella, Basil and Fresh Tomato Sauce. Hillary had Tonnarelli Carbonara with Guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and Black Pepper. We had never heard of this shape pasta!

The most impressive was the Pistachio Gelato!