AQUA PINECREST
LIFE AND LAW
Vanessa Vasquez de Lara
CHASING A DREAM
As Miss Pinecrest USA
ART EVOLUTION
Michelle Drummond
Create Where
Finding a work-life balance is tough, but attorney Vanessa Vasquez de Lara finds a way to juggle life and law without breaking a sweat.
Moment: Miss Pinecrest USA 2025 Keila Lorena Perez is chasing her dream on stage this year at her pageant debut.
Timeless Elegance, Effortless Living
Designed by the renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects, The St. Regis Residences, Miami is redefining waterfront living in South Brickell. With construction underway, this extraordinary vision is becoming reality. Expansive bayfront views, a private marina, and the culinary artistry of MICHELIN-starred Chef Fabio Trabocchi set the stage for an unparalleled lifestyle. Legendary St. Regis service ensures seamless living, with personalized concierge offerings and bespoke in-residence services. Here, timeless elegance and modern indulgence come together in a truly unmatched experience.
YMAGIC IN MAY
YOU WOULD THINK it’s summer with how the heat, humidity and general excitement have increased over the last month! It is time to get excited because the days are much longer now; there’s more motivation to be active at night, more time to stay out at the beach and more opportunities to connect with people you normally wouldn’t see after 7 p.m. on a weekday.
I have met some extraordinary people this past month, and I’m grateful to introduce them to you. Two successful women from the Dominican Republic, now practically Miami natives, are the stars of our pages for May. No matter what kind of neighborhood you come from, down here, you’ll find people from the islands (like my home island of Jamaica) or from across the world. Or, you might run into a bunch of people from New York trying to escape the cold.
Either way, you’d be lucky to make friends with Vanessa Vasquez de Lara or Keila Lorena Perez. The former is our cover star: a mom of two and a successful lawyer and firm owner. The latter is a talented model and actress turned beauty queen. When you read more, you’ll see
that they both dreamt big and stuck to their intuition to achieve success and doing the expected is not in their rule book.
Since we’re celebrating mothers like them, we’re also celebrating children and the responsibility we all have in caring for them. Suzan McDowell returns with Aqua Soul, getting into the issues that matter to our community. This month’s edition will hopefully give you some hope that there are organizations out there dedicated to challenging the status quo in children’s education.
May features even more compelling stories in our Curious Minds and Wanderlust departments. Watch an artist mimic the movement of water using only fibers and learn how they create one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Or, hop on a train and see America through a lens you’ve never looked through before. As you travel through the amazing views, I hope we’ve piqued your curiosity about the world around you and the people inside it.
Morgan C. Mullings Editor
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Creative Director
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Editor Morgan C. Mullings
Columnists
Gerry Barker
Uma A. Peña-Cabrera
Rochelle B. Weinstein Suzan McDowell
Photographers
Carlos F. Mendez
Casimir Veillard
aquasouthflorida.com
WAINSCOT MEDIA
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Mark Dowden
VP, Group Publisher, Regional Thomas Flannery
VP, Content Strategy
Maria Regan
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AQUA Pinecrest magazine is published by Wainscot Media. Serving residents of Pinecrest and surrounding areas of South Florida, the magazine is distributed monthly via U.S. mail. Articles and advertisements contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. Copyright 2025 by Wainscot Media LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent.
PHOTOGRAPH BY YVETTE MULLINGS
GERRY BARKER
Gerry’s two passions are writing and travel. Atlantaborn and Texas-raised, he left an award-winning media career to see the world. Today, he maintains a website, North Palm Beach Life, and works as a freelance travel writer. Follow his adventures every month in Wanderlust.
SUZAN MCDOWELL
Suzan’s marketing agency, Circle of One Marketing, which she founded 23 years ago, has grown itself into a formidable and influential brand in South Florida. The agency’s work is mainly done in the multicultural space for a variety of clients and industries.
UMA A. PEÑA-CABRERA
CASIMIR VEILLARD
Raised in New Jersey by Dominican parents, Uma got her start after graduating as a first-generation student in Sri Lanka volunteering in the mental health sector. In 2022, Uma moved to Miami to pursue her second degree in fashion design. She transitioned into fashion writing, contributing to Fashion Talk and Istituto Marangoni Miami. As a contributor, Uma intends to highlight local artists in the community achieving extraordinary things. When she’s not writing, Uma loves to design clothing, upcycling garments and advocating for sustainability. Follow her on Instagram @curatedbythelab.
ROCHELLE B. WEINSTEIN
Rochelle is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of seven novels. When not writing, she is sharing book recommendations on the online literary magazine Women Writers, Women’s Books; teaching workshops at Nova Southeastern University; hiking; reading; and finding the world’s best nachos. Her eighth novel, We Are Made of Stars, released in February of 2025.
Casimir Veillard is majoring in graphic design technology at MDC North Campus. He attended Institution Mixte Etoile Des Chiffres in Port-auPrince, Haiti, and served as a photographer for The Reporter His work has appeared in Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest and largest daily newspaper, and Ticket Magazine.
The Great Equalizer
The Lucy Project offers reading and writing support for neurodivergent students.
BY SUZAN MCDOWELL
I WAS SHOCKED when I read recently that a young woman who had graduated high school with honors, was suing the Connecticut school district because she couldn’t read or write. I had to do a double take. What?! She graduated from high school—with honors—but can’t read or write? Get out.
Turns out it’s true, and it’s not unusual. Reading is the great equalizer, and many students have guessed, finessed and charmed their way through school without ever learning to cognitively read and/or write. Today, teachers are competing with smartphones, social media and restrictions on what and how they teach.
Growing up in Jamaica, with its British education system and no-nonsense educators, skating by wasn’t even an option. My primary school principal ruled with a stiff and gleefully vicious cane, and it seemed like they all had eyes in the back of their heads— but that was a much different time. My love of reading, and my expansive vocabulary, was born at Mona Prep in Kingston.
SCIENCE OF READING
In the realm of my duties as a board member of The Lucy Project (TLP), a local nonprofit focusing on dyslexic and neurodivergent children, I had the amazing opportunity to sit in on a 90-minute class of kindergarteners learning to read based on the Science of Reading, a vast body of research from multiple disciplines that explains how the brain learns to read. It emphasizes evidencebased instruction, including phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. It all boils down to a method called “structured
learning,” which depends on a strict and predictable routine. We walked in and the kids barely reacted because they were so enrapt with their teacher, who had made structured learning fun and interesting with plenty of positive reinforcement. It was magical to watch!
The young teacher was sure, strong, confident, casual, patient, engaging, intuitive and kind—but most importantly, she was serious about the learning process of these young minds. Our littles, the future. She used props, encouragement, human
competitiveness, magic erasers, video and volunteers (all hands raised). Most impactful for me was the power motion they had for some words. In sounding it out, the kids acted out the letter. This is known as a multisensory cue. For instance, “‘B’ as in bat”, then they pretend they’re swinging a bat. Instantly, the word begins, and they all spell it in unison. Or “itching their nose” because it’s how they remember the sound of “I.”
These kids were engaged, enthusiastically learning the subtle differences in sounds of letters—like the
difference between the sound of the “‘A’ in apple,” which is totally different from the “‘A’ in apart.” Both words begin with “A,” but if words are taught just by letter, the nuance needed for comprehension and practice is lost. There are so many other simple tweaks in the method, but the result is peals of laughter from 30 busy but well-behaved six-year-olds, fascinated and happy to be in class, learning how to read and comprehend long past their normal attention spans.
EXTENSIVE SUPPORT
When Sandra Bermudez, founder of The Lucy Project, discovered her daughter Lucy struggled to read, she witnessed her frustration, self-doubt and tears. She fell behind while some classmates moved forward. She couldn’t understand concepts that were easy for others to comprehend and expressed complex ideas but couldn’t put them on paper. Sandra thought she had failed her child. Like many parents, she was told to surround Lucy with books. But reading isn’t absorbed—it’s taught. Without the Science of Reading, Lucy—like so many others—would
have been left behind. With structured literacy instruction, Lucy became a confident reader and the muse for a movement to address neurodivergence in Miami Dade County—proof that the right approach changes lives. By the way, neurodivergent
Lucy wants to attend medical school one day, with lots and lots of reading.
Still, unearthing all of this is a rich woman’s game. The cost to get your child professionally psychologically evaluated could be $3,000 to $5,000. Private schools with smaller classes and closer instruction can run $40,000 a year. Private tutoring can easily cost $100,000 a year.
Privileged or not. Black or white. Republican or Democrat. From Pinecrest to Little Havana to Miami Gardens, one out of five children is neurodivergent.
I am proud to serve on the board of The Lucy Project and help make sure that each of those children can get the special treatment they deserve. Sandra founded the organization on that premise; there are multitudes of parents out there who just want to help their kids and need extra support, whether it’s with dyslexia or any other struggle that inhibits reading education.
The Lucy Project is currently accepting readers for a new program in South West Dade, “Readers On A Road to Success (R.O.A.R.S),” to help struggling readers build essential skills. The summer program will be available in Kendall, West Flagler and Florida City. Learn more at lucyproject.org.
Attorney Vanessa Vasquez de Lara structured her thriving firm to give her team the power to balance life and law.
Balancing ACT V
BY MORGAN C. MULLINGS
VANESSA VASQUEZ DE LARA’S children had a completely different life than she did as a child. “When we lived in the Dominican Republic, I would say that we were pretty solid middle class. But then when we moved to the U.S., my parents kind of lost their footing while we adjusted to being immigrants. It definitely wasn’t the type of lifestyle that my kids have now,” de Lara tells AQUA Pinecrest.
A child of the 80s and 90s, the freedom she had then was “unfathomable” as a parent now. She was a “free range” kid with a lot of responsibility to take care of herself. “I was one of those children, but I was not one of those parents,” she says. It’s what allowed her to fly the way that she has—“fly” meaning she was set on becoming a pilot, not a lawyer, from a young age. In ninth grade, she started an aviation program and continued for four years. Later, she deviated to her second career choice and graduated from the
University of Miami School of Law. Now, 21 years later, she’s still dedicated to it as founder, owner and attorney at Vasquez de Lara Law Group.
In some ways, she grew up to be different than most children. De Lara started sixth grade at 10 years old, finished her bachelor’s early through AP, and graduated college at just 20 years old. She flew threw her law degree in just two and half years, graduating at 23 years old. Eventually, she was used to doing things her own way.
THE BALANCING ACT
De Lara said she would never start her own firm. She worked at a few small firms and watched other lawyers live a chaotic and stressful life that did not call to her. “I joined a family and real estate law firm and was there for four years. While I was there, I had my first son in 2006. I kind of went back to work a little bit faster than I wanted
to…after about six weeks,” she recalls.
De Lara and her husband Julian had their second son Joshua in 2008. “Just before my due date, I had told my boss, I’m not going to come back. I want to stay home with the kids a little bit. So I gave my notice.” This would later influence how she set up Vasquez de Lara Law Group.
Though she planned to take a small leave, that turned into six months, and then, a few years. “And in the middle of
that, funny twist, I bought a store. A scrapbooking store.”
The lawyer started a scrapbooking outpost by The Falls, a successful venture for her and her close friends in the early 2000s when scrapbooking was extremely popular. In a world without Instagram posts, they provided supplies and hosted parties, and de Lara got to turn her love for her hobby into a thriving business.
She also got to enjoy her family even
Julian Vasquez, Vanessa’s husband, is also the chief operating officer of Vasquez de Lara Law Group.
more after the business closed. Having a taste of running her own business, de Lara took a chance on herself. To ease her way back into law, she began slowly taking cases and rented out space suggested by a fellow lawyer. She still works in that space today. “When I had a job, I said, ‘I’m never going to open my own law firm. My boss looks like she’s going crazy,’” de Lara says.
At this point, the boys were still in elementary school, so de Lara didn’t want to rush into building a new law firm. She let her business gradually come to life, connecting with new clients in the morning through her network and picking the kids up from school in the afternoons. “I really wanted to be a present mom. I didn’t want to just get another job and not be able to be the one taking them to school in the morning.”
She would even volunteer for field trips. “I was really very blessed that I was able to very slowly grow the firm and keep that presence for my kids.”
As the boys grew, the business grew. They transitioned to middle school and high school, giving them a new level of independence, and even more room for the firm to grow.
LEGALLY MOM
Many stop being lawyers once they have kids, de Lara knows this all too well. It’s a sometimes necessary choice as both roles can be so demanding—particularly for women. Childcare in the workplace is extremely hard to find, and the field of law isn’t exactly known for providing a budding personal life. Work life balance is important but often depends on what your employer will allow; the amount of maternal or family leave can change, and each boss has their own responses to sudden emergencies, car line pickup and kids’ soccer games.
Once the firm was large enough, de Lara’s way of thinking naturally influenced the way she structured her business. “I tried to build a law firm that I wish would have existed when I was an associate. It’s not super compatible with raising kids, and so I’ve tried to create something different for my associates,” she says.
When divorce and family clients reach out to her, they find that most of the staff are women. This kind of representation becomes its own recruiting because it’s so unheard of in the field. The numbers help, too: Vasquez de Lara has grown so much that in 2024, they grossed $3.7 million.
Possibly the biggest impact she’s made is the daycare she started at the office. “I think I might be one of the
first that has created it where I’m not necessarily getting a benefit out of it. My kids were already teenagers in high school when we started the program,” she says. Childcare is becoming more and more expensive, so the in-house nursery and nanny are paid for partially by the firm. There are several kids in the office right now, and one mom was able to come in while she was still nursing. Those employees also have access to 12 weeks of parental leave. “We pay three weeks for every year of service, so after four years, your maternity leave is fully covered,” and this goes for mothers and fathers. The work itself must have boundaries, de Lara says. Many lawyers advertise that you can call them any time of day or night, but de Lara says the opposite to show she values her associates.
“My associates are not allowed to give out their cell phones [numbers] to clients. I don’t want clients contacting them at night. I don’t want clients contacting them during the weekends.”
As for her work-life balance now, her sons Gabriel and Joshua are in high school and college. They have a new level of independence to adjust to, and with de Lara and her husband on the way to becoming empty nesters, there isn’t as much to juggle. “It takes a lot of intentionality. You have to create your own limits.”
Get a copy of Vanessa Vasquez de Lara’s book: The Florida Man’s Guide to Getting Divorced: Things Dads Don’t Know About Divorce in Florida (But Should) on Amazon, and locally, Books & Books.
Her Moment: MISS PINECREST USA 2025
BY MORGAN C. MULLINGS
KKEILA LORENA PEREZ is embarking on a new adventure. She’s never done a pageant before, but from May 23 to 25 she will compete in Miss Florida USA as Pinecrest’s delegate. Perez and her family settled in Miami when she was just 13 years old, hailing from Santo Domingo and eventually landing her in the village of Pinecrest as an adult. After five years of living here, Perez is excited to represent her family, friends and neighbors on the big stage in Orlando at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
This month, actress and model Keila Lorena Perez makes her pageant debut at Miss Florida USA.
Keila Lorena Perez is wearing a custom gown by designer Genavieve Paige Villar and earrings from Villar’s boutique Private Label Styles in Pinecrest.
A DREAM REALIZED
“This is my moment!” That’s what Perez said when she found out that the pageant organizers dashed away their age limit, giving women like her a chance to live a dream they once thought was over.
“It’s finally my time, because I’m 34. But I feel like I’m 25, honestly. I don’t want to limit myself because of my age,” she tells AQUA Pinecrest. “Regardless of my age, regardless of where I come from…nothing should be a factor that limits you if you want to do something and you work hard for it.”
Miss Florida USA is following in the footsteps of the Miss USA pageant, which removed its age limit in 2024. The 2024 competition was the first that saw contestants
over the age of 28. In 2023 they allowed mothers, divorcees and pregnant women to compete as well, acknowledging a new era of how we view womanhood. It has been an inspiration to those who watched these competitions for years but thought they’d never have their moment on stage. “Maybe they can see my story and understand that nothing is impossible in life,” Perez says.
Limits like these are no match for Perez’s determination. She attended Miami Dade College to get her associate degree in architecture, but didn’t want her love for that field to overshadow her other dreams. She chose a B.A. in communications at FIU to open up her career to entertainment opportunities.
“I grew up in a very traditional household. My parents were like, ‘You need to graduate from college, you need to have a real job,’ and then you do all of those things you want to do,” Perez explains. She was grateful to be raised that way, so that she could have a foundation for all she wanted to do; like strutting down runways, posing in fashion campaigns and filming commercials. She started her acting career “from scratch, literally.”
In addition to her college education, she took acting classes. “I love studying, I love evolving constantly.” She started as an extra and a stand-in, roles no one usually sees. Then, theater and short films came along, including the short film in the Dominican Republic, “A Veces Grito,” where she played Blanca Nieves. Shooting a film in her home country is a dream fulfilled. “None of this is easy, you can imagine being an actor is super hard. It’s super competitive.” Perez thought to herself, ‘Is this really what I want to do?’ “But then I go back to myself and listen to my heart, and I say, you know what? Yes, this is it. There’s nothing else that I want to do other than entertain.”
JOURNEY TO MISS FLORIDA USA
Before she can entertain on the main stage, the planning begins. Who provides the outfits, the hair and makeup, the funding and the coaching? That’s all up to the contestant. Perez may not have been prepared financially at first, but competitors will tell you that they spend countless hours gathering sponsors, hosting fundraising events and connecting with people who want to see them win. “I’m finding, little by little, different opportunities to continue this process of preparation,” she says.
In the meantime, Perez set up a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes of raising $3,000 to cover her expenses. “I know those are platforms that are good for more important things,” she acknowledges. However, modern ways of garnering support include crowdfunding. She is also pursuing traditional routes by partnering with local designers and suppliers, getting resources in exchange for the exposure the pageant provides. Perez hopes that her community will rally around her in her dream of representing Pinecrest. “I love Pinecrest. You feel at home wherever you go, and I feel like we’re a big family. I’d like to honor the area where I live and my neighbors.”
Perez will not let a good opportunity
in life pass her by. While she says her decision to apply to Miss Florida USA was spontaneous, jumping into things has worked well for her in the past.
“Even if things are not perfect right now, I’m just gonna do it. I’m gonna jump.” If she starts contemplating all the pros and cons and overthinking her dream, she says she will never do it. Stagnant thinking won’t get her the crown, and she knows that, but this is about much more than a crown. “It’s beyond that. For me, it’s an opportunity to reach a bigger stage. To reach more people,” Perez says. This is a level of exposure that turns you into more than a beauty queen—this stage showcases the well-rounded lives of women who have multiple talents, aspirations and achievements. Perez wants to challenge herself to reach heights she’s never climbed before and reach more people with her story.
“I feel like I haven’t even done half of what I want to do in this life, so this is part of my goal. This is more than a pageant for me,” Perez explains.
There is one person she wants to reach in particular, and that is little Keila.
“I hope she’s happy about the fact that I never gave up on my dream.” Perez says her inner child is “so alive,” and that she is intentional about keeping the younger version of herself present as part of this experience. “Everything that I do, it’s because I want to make that girl proud,” and the 80-year-old version of Keila, too. “I don’t want to reach that age and feel like I didn’t even try.”
That’s what she’ll be thinking about on stage, which can seem like a lot of pressure. The lights, the cameras, the judges and the statewide contestants can cause a lot of worry on this journey. Perez’s main worry: Being so worried that she doesn’t take in her Miss Florida experience. “My number one worry is me not enjoying it, going through this and thinking ‘wow, I didn’t enjoy the process.’”
When she makes it to competition day, the struggles of the journey will no longer be on her mind; only the fact that she made it.
To support Keila’s journey, follow her on Instagram @keilalorena_
THE EVOLUTION OF MICHELLE DRUMMOND
The Jamaican artist goes from childhood macrame to larger-than-life fiber art.
BY UMA A. PEÑA-CABRERA
THE DANCE BETWEEN ART and the artist’s evolution is a fine balancing act—something Michelle Drummond leans into. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Drummond was always drawn to art, but societal and cultural standards left no room for her artistic callings to flourish. At the age of 19, she moved from the island to pursue a degree in Mathematics at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. This change was phase one of her self-evolution. She adjusted to a new environment—the individualistic rat race of the states versus the communal relaxed pace of her home in Jamaica. Drummond earned a postgraduate degree in project management, and she went on to work in corporate settings. After checking off the right boxes by others’ standards, phase two of herself and artistic evolution commenced. Unhappy with
her career space, Drummond transitioned into having her own project management business to support small businesses. She was fueled by her desire to create real change on the ground floor and also wanted the flexibility to create art freely while gaining exposure within the fine arts community.
Even in motherhood, Drummond never stopped creating. She often made art pieces on a smaller scale as gifts for friends and loved ones. In 2018, Drummond and her son relocated to Florida so she could further pursue her passion and be closer to family. Within a month of her arrival, she debuted her work at the Social Code exhibition at Arts Warehouse, Delray Beach. As Drummond has leaned more into her passion, without fear, she embraces the changes around her and uses them as inspiration. Her left and right
brain working in tandem, she reached phase three: Drummond is immersed in the fine arts world as a textile sculptural artist. She was the first Black woman artist to be awarded the opportunity to have her work, Metamorphosis displayed in the West Palm Public Library. Drummond connects the dots of social and environmental issues with pieces like Foot in Door, Rain Showers and many others.
When did your relationship with art come to fruition?
I usually date it back to my time in college, but it really started when I was much younger in Jamaica. In high school, we had these art teachers that were basically artisans. It was never really defined as art; the classes were more of “arts & crafts,” but these teachers were skilled at what they were doing.
I remember a teacher of mine, she was from East India, and she taught us macrame. From there I picked up other “crafts”.
Do you have a practice that you follow to get you into the space of working in your art?
I actually just jump into it. Leaving my home, coming here, and just opening the door. Its white walls, brilliantly colored pieces hanging from the ceilings and freestanding. It transports me into a different dimension when I’m here. I’m at ease. Then I just start creating.
Other than the public commissioned work displayed in West Palm or with the Ten North Group; with those I really had to sit, sketch, map it out and connect with an engineering group because I used metal, stainless steel and all that good stuff. Everything else is really organic. Freehand, free thought process. I just create based on what manifests itself. From that, I translate to more of a tangible space to start creating. Something just comes to mind, and I have to get it out.
I don’t create based on what I think the public will like; I just create. Regardless of the public’s approval, they resonate with it. It’s just about being true to yourself and true to what you are doing. Just create.
Do you have a favorite piece?
I don’t think I love any equally, or a favorite piece. Every new piece is my favorite. It’s more about once I create it, it’s like, “Oh! Did I just create this?” Once I create, that is my favorite piece. The next piece is my favorite piece. I think that it’s more that I am creating with a sense of purpose. Maybe what I create will speak to someone else’s purpose. Creating with the intention in leaving things open to interpretation, open to whatever emotion it evokes in the other person.
Reminds me of the theory that art is not just within creation, it also becomes art in the exchange or sharing
Yes. When someone asks me about a piece, I am hesitant to talk to them about what inspired me to make the piece because I want them to have their own interpretation of the piece. When they tell me what they interpret, what emotions, how it impacts them, then I rely on what the piece means to me. That makes me very happy because that means I’ve met my goal in having my art impact you in a personal way.
What are you currently working on?
The Flow of Water is based on limitations and restrictions based on lack of access to safe water. Even if you have access to water, it’s not consumable. I am also working on another body of work, a series called Uncaged. I have a few pieces so far, but I am working on another piece within this body of work. This series is really a spin-off of The Flow of Water. What I’ve done is contacted about 15 to 20 individuals. Varied backgrounds, nationalities and ethnicities. I said to them, “What I’d like is for you to text me back, email me, whatever—the first thing that comes to mind when they see the word ‘uncaged.’” Based on their feedback, I am creating this body of work, this series. I have my own inspiration. But I am also reading everything that is being sent to me, and I am translating all of that into the series. I have about eight pieces so far, and there are three pieces within a larger sculpture. I don’t know where it will end up, or how many pieces will be in it. As I create, for example, I was driving the other day and another inspiration for a piece came to me, and I can’t wait to finish this body of work so
Drummond is known for her signature multidimensional fiber-based pieces that explore the motions and essence of water.
I can start the other. As I live and experience people something always comes to me. It’s a constant evolution.
The Flow of Water will be on view at the Ten North Group Gallery from March 13 through May 27, 2025. For more information, visit tennorthgroup.com.
ALL ABOARD: America on Amtrak
BY GERRY BARKER
THE FIRST TRIP WE EVER TOOK on Amtrak was in 1997. At the time, we never thought a lot about traveling by train, but Amtrak was running a special promotion: Unlimited travel between three U.S. zones for a set price. Why not?
It took quite a bit of planning, but in the end, we logged 8,500 miles in two weeks, going from Fort Worth, Texas, to Chicago, to Los Angeles, to Seattle, to Minneapolis and back to Texas. It exceeded our expectations. Since then, Amtrak has become a staple in our travel toolbox. While we haven’t covered all the 21,400 route miles in its system, we’ve traveled a good chunk of it. The scenery can be spectacular, as you go
places where even roads can’t take you. With 500 destinations in 46 states, there’s a lot of America to see.
Still, train travel isn’t for everyone. Generally, you can’t be in a hurry. The average speed on their long-distance routes is around 45 mph (although their Acela trains serving the Northeast corridor can go 150 mph). If you opt for sleeping accommodations, either a roomette or a bigger bedroom with its own shower and toilet, the trip can get very pricey.
However, first class passengers and those who are booked in a sleeper get an extra perk: access to the private Amtrak lounges in selected stations, including New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Relax in
comfort with free snacks and drinks while you wait for your train to be called. Business class will afford you more legroom and a wider seat, although coach seats are very roomy as well, offering plenty of space to stretch out, along with a fold-down table and outlets. Most trains include Wi-Fi, but service can be spotty.
For food, the Cafe Car offers sandwiches, burgers, chips, drinks (alcoholic and non) and other snacks and sundries. If the train has a dining car, you’ll get table service and a menu that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it’s very good. Be aware, depending on the size of your party, you may be dining with strangers. Over the years, we have met
Take a leisurely trip across the country with one of these seven train trips.
Opposite page: Moynihan Train Hall in New York with its dramatic skylights. This page, clockwise from top left: Union Station in Washington D.C.; Amtrak’s Observation Car offers great scenic views; Passengers can relax in the Metropolitan Lounge in New York; A roomette that converts into a sleeper.
everyone from ex-CIA agents to wardrobe supervisors on Broadway and have formed a number of friendships as a result.
Many of the more scenic routes feature glass-domed observation cars. It’s a real treat to sit back, relax with a drink and view the California coastline, or take in the streams and forests of the Rocky Mountains.
Amtrak also has an Auto Train that runs from near Orlando to Washington, D.C. You can transport cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles or jet skis if you are moving or want to plan a car/train vacation. Book priority vehicle offloading, and you can be one of those first 30 vehicles to be dropped.
One caveat: When it comes to train travel, expect the unexpected. More often than not, trains don’t run on schedule, and accidents, although infrequent, do happen. We once had to handle an unexpected sixhour delay, but if you can be patient, it won’t ruin your trip.
Ready to hear “all aboard?” Here are some of the most popular routes to consider:
THE COAST STARLIGHT
Connecting Los Angeles and Seattle via Sacramento and Portland, this is one of Amtrak’s crown jewels and our personal favorite. On the 35-hour, 1,377-mile journey that starts in Los Angeles, the trip skirts the California coastline along Highway 101 and ends up in the snowy Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. An added bonus is Union Station in Los Angeles, an art deco masterpiece.
THE CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR
This is Amtrak’s longest route, established in 1949. We boarded this train in Emeryville, near San Francisco, heading for Chicago, 2,438 miles away. Lasting almost 52 hours, you’ll have scenery overload as you journey through the Sierra Nevada, the Colorado River Valley and the Rocky Mountains. You’ll also get views of the Utah back country only available from the train. Major stops include Reno, Salt Lake City, Omaha and Denver. Keep your camera ready as you
reach altitudes as high as 9,200 feet above sea level.
THE EMPIRE BUILDER
Want to follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark? Amtrak’s Empire Builder connects Washington state with Chicago—2,200 miles in around 46 hours. Our starting point for this trip was Seattle, and the scenery through the Cascade Mountains and Glacier National Park is breathtaking. Your journey will take you through eight states: Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, with major stops that include Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Fargo.
THE SOUTHWEST CHIEF
Also known as the Southwest Limited, this trip can trace its roots back to the legendary Santa Fe Super Chief, famed for its allPullman sleeping cars and ferrying celebrities between Chicago and Los Angeles in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, the ride from
This page, left: The Silver Star arrives in West Palm Beach. Right: The California Zephyr prepares to leave Emeryville, California. Opposite page, top: Views of the California coastline from the Coast Starlight. Middle: Passengers play a game in a roomette. Bottom: Mountain scenery along the route of the California Zephyr.
Chi-Town to Los Angeles takes around 40 hours, covering 2,265 miles through eight states. You’ll see the scenery gradually change from Midwest plains to the red cliffs of Sedona and the Painted Desert as you pass through Kansas City, Topeka, Dodge City, Santa Fe, Flagstaff and Los Angeles. On our trip, we hopped off at Anaheim for a few days at Disneyland before continuing on.
THE SUNSET LIMITED
Amtrak’s southern-most route runs nearly 2,000 miles from New Orleans to Los Angeles. It can trace its history back to 1894, when it was operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad. With major city stops in Houston, San Antonio, El Paso and Tucson, it operates three times a week in each direction. This one is still on our bucket list.
THE SILVER STAR AND SILVER METEOR
These trains we know very well, as we have made the journey from Florida to New York many times. While the route starts in Miami, we join the train in West Palm Beach. It goes up the Eastern seaboard, through Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and on to New York, making major stops in Jacksonville, Savannah, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Newark. If all
goes as scheduled, we get to the Big Apple in around 24 hours.
THE FLORIDIAN
One of Amtrak’s newest offerings, this trip is a combination of the Capitol Limited (a great trip to take in the Fall, the foliage is amazing) and The Silver Star, connecting Miami and Chicago. Take note this route is only temporary while repair work is underway, and the Capitol Limited is shut down. Stops include Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C.
Fueled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it’s reported Amtrak wants to double its ridership to 66 million passengers by 2040, with plans to add new routes,
expand service and upgrade facilities and equipment. A great example is New York’s Moynihan Train Hall, which opened in 2021 across from Penn Station. The magnificent boarding concourse, under 92-foot-high skylights, features an array of premium retail shops and food venues, including one of our favorites, Magnolia Bakery, home of legendary cupcakes and banana pudding.
Amtrak’s goal is launching “a new era of rail travel.” As the nation’s highways become more congested, and air travel includes the prospect of long security lines and “air rage” incidents, riding the rails is a great option to consider—as long as you make time for it.
The Mother of All Reading Lists
This batch of novels has something for every type of mom, grandma and great-grandma.
BY ROCHELLE B. WEINSTEIN
IT’S THAT TIME of year again, when moms are gifted for their tireless efforts. But what do moms really want? A spa day? The trip to a tropical island? Someone else cleaning the dirty dishes? Moms want it all…the quiet, the peacefulness and to be transported from mommy chaos. The answer just might be in the pages of a good book.
FOR THE SUCCESSIONOBSESSED MOM
The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha Sakhlecha’s suspenseful drama promises to top your own family’s dysfunction. When the Agarwal family arrives on a remote Scottish island, the patriarch is set to announce his succession plan. But lifelong secrets and shocking twists, plus a storm brimming on the horizon, wreak havoc on this highstakes reunion. Greed has never been more compelling—or dangerous. A smart, twisty page-turner with characters you won’t soon forget.
FOR THE MOM WHO NEEDS A GETAWAY
The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan
If “1980s California, sundrenched beaches, infinite waves, and beautiful, beautiful freedom” doesn’t immediately hook you, diving deeper inside this thought-provoking novel will. The Merricks are an unconventional family— living out of an old food truck—immersed in the surf and sand. When a photograph of the super-private family goes viral, the ripples tear the siblings apart. Will the passage of time and their father’s death bring them back together? Redemptive and nostalgic, readers will wade through this moving story kissed by the warmth of a California sun.
FOR THE MAMA-DRAMA MOM
All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman
Here we meet the barely likable Florence, whose sole purpose in life is caring for her 10-year-old son, Dylan. But when Dylan’s nemesis, the bully Alfie Risby, goes missing, Florence must fight to exonerate her son. Determined, while despised by the other moms, Florence’s unwavering devotion for Dylan shines. An entertaining, witty romp through mommylandmines that will have you laughing and cringing all at the same time.
FOR THE PAPER PALACELOVING MOM
Broken Country by
Clare Leslie Hall
Shots are fired, the past meets the present and fated exlovers Gabriel and Beth come face-to-face. Escape to the English countryside in this stunning exploration of first love and grief. Clare Leslie Hall writes characters you can’t help but root for, thread through an immersive tale of powerful family bonds and a suspenseful mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. No surprise this is a Reese’s Book Club pick.
Special shout-out to Andrea Katz, founder of literary salon Great Thoughts, Great Readers for collaborating with me on this month’s column as I battled COVID. Find these fabulous reads and more at our local favorite Books & Books
Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of eight contemporary fiction novels, including her most recent, We Are Made of Stars A former entertainment industry executive, she splits her time between Miami and the mountains of North Carolina. When she’s not writing, she’s sharing book recommendations at literary salon Women Writers, Women’s Books, teaching workshops at Nova Southeastern University’s Alvin Sherman Library, hiking, reading and plotting out future stories.
How big is big?
The U.S. stock market is big. How big is it?
I’M OFTEN ASKED about the size of the U.S. economy and stock market in relation to the world economy. Let’s break this down.
The global economy is measured in gross domestic product, or GDP, and is approximately $105 trillion.
U.S. GDP comes in at approximately $29 trillion dollars.
So, the American economy is by far the largest in the world. You might have heard the saying that when the
U.S. sneezes, the world catches a cold. It’s because we are 1/4 of the world’s economy.
Now switching to our stock market.
Currently, the total value of stocks in America exceeds $60 trillion compared to U.S. GDP, which comes in at approximately $29 trillion.
That’s about twice the size of the U.S. economy. The ratio of the market capitalization to GDP has never been this high in American history.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
The three largest stocks in the world by capitalization, Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft, have a market cap of more than $10 trillion, which makes our three largest companies bigger than any stock market in the world outside of America. The U.S. represents over 60% of all investible stocks in the world.
I hope this gives perspective as to the size of the U.S. economy and U.S. stock market.
For any other questions about the market or economy, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Al Maulini, CFP®, CPM®, CEPA® Founder, Managing Director, PWMCG Senior Portfolio Strategist, RJFS
141 Miracle Mile Coral Gables, FL, 33134 305-548-2247
Any opinions are those of Al Maulini and not necessarily those of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., or Raymond James. Investing involves risk and investors may incur a profit or a loss. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.
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