I arrived on the grounds of the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds tired but elated. Many people don’t realize it’s 700 miles from the west end of the panhandle to Miami. With sun-seekers and snowbirds Florida’s population has exploded resulting in more congestion. That’s why Florida has over 750 miles of tollroads, the most of any state.

When you visit South Texas you eat Mexican tacos. When you visit South Florida, you eat Cuban cuisine. My first stop was Luis Galindo’s for some delicious Sopa de Pollo.

Then I drove back towards the Fairgrounds and parked next door near the Florida International University Football Stadium, which is not only the home of the Division I Panthers, but also hosts the Miami FC soccer team of the USL.

My visit to the FIU was eye-opening and intriguing. There was so much diversity in the student body, making it a truly International campus. Walking around the spread-out campus and seeing students studying or participating in extra-curricular events brought back endearing memories from Gainesville – it definitely made me feel young again.

I was also delighted to find the student cafeteria called the 8th Street Campus Kitchen. For under $9 I could order from an assortment of different cuisines including Mongolian BBQ and I could eat as much as I wanted

I don’t remember seeing anything like this when I went to University of Florida. The price was cheaper than most single item meals on campus and there was so many choices, all extremely healthy and tasty.

My final discovery came as a surprise. A Chili’s located within in the Student Center with a full bar that serves alcoholic beverages including draft beer.

Again I don’t remember seeing anything like this at UF or GWU or on any campus I visited for that matter. FIU in Miami is pretty laid back, that’s for sure. The campus is located only a dozen miles from downtown. So off to Superbowl LIVE I went