February 17, 2007
Wedding Information
Need more clarification or other specific details?
Please call or e-mail either Jan or Chuck.
Visiting South Florida? Useful Information Here
WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT TO WEAR
Ahh, February. One of Miami's most pleasant months, our second driest, with an average temperature range of 63–73 degrees. Accordingly, to take full advantage of the likely climate, we've planned an outdoor wedding, in the Friendship Garden.
So, what to wear? Think "Dressy Tropical." Envision siesta. Or salsa. Or both.
Jan's dress? it's sassy and muy colorful. The Bridal Secrecy Act forbids me from saying much more, but I can safely add that the guayabera I'll wear (examples below) complements it well.
(Pssst—don't tell Jan—
you want a peek at the
dress?
OK—click here.)
If you're still not at all sure what's appropriate, just wear anything nice—but guys, feel free to leave the coat at home. And wear a tie only if you need to drape it over your eyes to block our lovely high-beam sunlight. Socks optional. Ladies, throw on something pleasantly vivacious. You may want to bring a wrap or some other cover, because it could be breezy, and we could have a cool snap (maybe 60ish).
And, oh, yeah, bring sunscreen. 45 SPF or better.
REGISTRY? GIFTS?
Thank you, but no.
Really, truly, no. Please. Jan and I agree completely on this; we courteously but earnestly request no physical gifts. Honestly, your joining us is plenty gift enough. Gracias.
If you just won't feel right about that, Jan made the perfect suggestion:
it would delight us if you'd make a tax-deductible donation in our
honor to either of our nonprofit agencies:
• Fellowship
House (for Jan)
• Peace
Education Foundation (for Chuck).
And if after that you still simply MUST buy some material object—well, you can never go wrong with chocolate. Antioxidants, protective factors comparable to red wine, all that stuff. Dark chocolate for Jan; milk chocolate for Chuck. (Yeah, yeah, I know that only the darker stuff really offers any prospect of health benefits. Big freakin' deal.)
DRIVING TO THE WEDDING
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation (click for link)
7701 SW 76 Avenue
Miami, Florida
These maps will open in a new window
or tab:
1. Simplified
map (major routes; helpful as a complement to detailed maps)
2. Area
map for getting to UU
3. Detail
map for getting to UU
If we find road construction or other changes that may significantly affect driving time, we'll post updates. Please check here a few days before the event.
It can help to know that most of
Miami-Dade County is laid out in a tidy, consistent grid
pattern (though municipalities will vary). Generally:
• major avenues run north-south,
10 per mile (17th, 27th, 37th, etc.)
• major streets run east-west,
16 per mile (in the SW: 8th, 24th, 40th, 56th, 72nd, 88th, etc.)
1. From Miami International Airport area hotels, NORTH of the
airport:
Road maps or AAA can't tell you that given traffic around the airport
and along LeJeune Rd, plus road construction going into Coral Gables,
it's probably easier and faster—even
if slightly longer—to
take NW 36 Street west to the
Palmetto Expressway (SR 826). After
NW 36 Street's intersection with NW 72 Street, get over to the right
lanes. Note that one exit lane for the Palmetto accesses both north and south;
make sure that you go under the
Palmetto to loop back for
southbound.
About 4.5 miles down, as you approach
the Palmetto's exits for Bird Road (SW 40 Street) to the right, and
the Don Shula Expressway (SR 874) to the left, follow the
middle signs for 826
South—Kendall.
After the Shula/874 exit, the second next exit
is Sunset Drive (SW 72 Street). Exit there and turn left (east) at the signal.
As you go under the Palmetto, get over to the far right lane, because you'll
take the very first right, SW
75 Avenue. (We'll
try to put out plastic signs, "Jan & Chuck," in the median or roadside,
but they may get removed.) From this turn it's about .4 mile to the building.
SW 75 Avenue curves right, then back to the left, becoming SW 76 Avenue. The
building sits to the east on the corner of SW 78 Street.
2. From Miami International Airport area hotels, SOUTH of the
airport:
Ask your hotel staff for the
simplest route to the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826). In
most cases that
means taking the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) west. As you pass the NW
72 St exit, get over to the left lanes to exit for SR
826 South. The sign may also say Coral Way.
As you approach
the Palmetto's exits for Bird Road (SW 40 Street) to the right, and
the Don Shula Expressway (SR 874) to the left, follow the
middle signs for 826 South—Kendall.
After the Shula/874 exit, the second next exit
is Sunset Drive (SW 72 Street). Exit there and turn left (east) at the signal.
As you go under the Palmetto, get over to the far right lane, because you'll
take the very first right, SW 75 Avenue. (We'll try to put out
plastic signs, "Jan & Chuck," in the median or roadside, but they
may get removed.) From this turn it's about .4 mile to the building. SW 75 Avenue
curves right, then back to the left, becoming SW 76 Avenue. The building sits
to the east on the corner of SW 78 Street.
Alternate from Homewood Suites
on Blue Lagoon Drive: go left (south) on Red Road (NW 57 Av).
AHA—now, just from looking
at the map, you may think you should just drive about five miles down
to Sunset Drive, and turn right. You would be wrong.
DANGER—WILL—ROB-IN-SON!
DANGER—WILL—ROB-IN-SON!
What AAA and online map services don't know
to tell you: keep away from South Miami and U.S. 1 traffic today. With local
events, it may qualify as one of Dante's nine levels of hell. A fairly deep level.
Easily avoided: turn right (west) on Miller
Drive (SW 56 Street). Go 1.5 miles to SW 72 Avenue. Turn left (south). One mile
down, turn right (west) on Sunset Drive (SW 72 Street).
Look for the huge signs above Sunset for access to SR 826 South and
North; maybe 150 feet before you
reach them you'll turn left (south) on SW 75 Avenue.
(We'll try to put out plastic
signs, "Jan & Chuck," in the median or roadside, but they
may get removed.) From this turn it's about .4 mile to the UU building.
SW 75 Avenue curves right, then back to the left, becoming SW 76 Avenue.
The UU building sits to the east on the corner of SW 78 Street.
3. If you come north on the Turnpike from the Keys or SW
Miami-Dade:
After you pass the exit for Colonial Dr (SW 152 St), watch
in the left lanes to exit via the Don Shula Expressway (SR 874).
The Shula offers no access to the Palmetto, so after the toll station,
exit right (east) on Kendall Drive (SW 88 Street).
Go
two miles east to the traffic signal at SW 77 Avenue. Follow signs directing
you to the Palmetto (SR 826) northbound for
the Airport. East of that traffic signal you'll see the Ramada Limited
on your right. Passing it, you turn right
and immediately fork
left
for the Palmetto.
One mile up, you'll take the exit for Sunset Drive. Turn right. Take the
very first right on SW 75 Avenue. (We'll
try to put out plastic signs, "Jan & Chuck," in the median
or roadside, but they may get removed.) From this turn it's about .4 mile
to the building. SW 75 Avenue curves right, then back to the left, becoming
SW 76 Avenue. The building sits to the east on the corner of SW 78 Street.
4. From the north or south via the Palmetto
Expressway (SR 826):
From the north, watch carefully to follow signs for Kendall as
you approach the exits for Bird Road (SW 40 St) and the Don Shula
Expressway (SR 874).
From either direction, exit eastbound
on Sunset Drive (SW 72 Street). East of the Palmetto you'll take the
very first right, SW
75 Avenue. (We'll try
to put out plastic signs, "Jan & Chuck," in the median
or roadside, but they may get removed.) From this turn
it's about .4 mile to the building. SW 75 Avenue curves right, then
back to the left, becoming SW 76 Avenue. The building sits to the east
on the corner of SW 78 Street.
5. From South Miami, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach,
and other points via I-95 and/or US 1 (South
Dixie Highway):
I-95 becomes U.S. 1 (South Dixie Highway). Take it to Sunset
Drive (SW 72 Street), turning right (west). Shortly
after intersecting SW 72 Avenue, watch
for the huge signs above Sunset indicating access to SR 826 South
and North; maybe 150 feet before you reach them you'll
turn left (south) on SW 75 Avenue. (We'll try to put out plastic
signs, "Jan & Chuck," in the median or roadside, but they
may get removed.) From this turn it's about .4 mile
to the UU building. SW 75 Avenue curves right, then back to the left,
becoming SW 76 Avenue. The UU building sits to the east on the corner
of SW 78 Street.
6. From Broward County:
It depends on your starting point. Generally, for west
Broward, find
your best access to the Palmetto (SR 826) west/south. Then refer to #4 above.
For east Broward (e.g.,
Hollywood), take I-95 south to the
(SFX: minor chord) Golden Glades Interchange (JPG below).
This monument to traffic confusion, evidently designed by traffic engineers
working in a less than fully sober condition, does bring its own perils.
Once you're through it, though, the Palmetto traffic should prove much
simpler and less stressful than the rest of I-95, which will carry
traffic today for the International Boat Show and Coconut Grove's Arts
Festival.
Coming south on I-95, exit for
the westbound
Palmetto Expressway (SR 826). But don't expect a
simple extended right turn. Ahh, no, that would be too easy. Instead,
you'll complete a 450-degree whirly-twirly loop (as measured from
due-south to due-west).
Once you reach
the westbound Palmetto/826, refer to #4 above.
WEDDING GENERAL INFORMATION
Wedding party and family: we'll shoot standard photos at 1:15 p.m. (formerly 1:30) in the Friendship Garden, on the east edge of the UU campus.
The ceremony begins at 2:00 p.m.
The Friendship Garden is as small as it is lovely. We'll just barely get everyone in, using nonpartisan rows. Other than saving seats at the very front for our mothers, and a few more forward rows for the rest of both families, it's first come, first seated.
Several little private asides may sneak into the ceremony, some by design, some maybe on the spur of the moment. Please don't worry if anything strikes you as glib or just plain odd; it probably has a very specific meaning to us. If we do bring Tito and Rover into the ceremony, expect barking.
The reception features a mostly Latin spread. Mmmm, ¡que sabroso! Wear shoes suitable for dancing, or just get barefooted, because Daniel Best ("D Best") will have lots and lots of music.
After we leave (probably 5:30ish), you go have fun on South Beach, Calle Ocho, Coconut Grove, wherever (bring extortionary cash reserves for parking). We'll hide away at an undisclosed location (per the Newlyweds Witness Protection Program). The next morning we're off to someplace even more tropical—maybe Bermuda, or Costa Rica, or Guantánamo Bay, something like that.
