I Drove From Naples To See A Miami Heat Game – And It Was Amazing

I've lived in Southwest Florida over 20 years, and until last weekend, have never been to a Miami Heat game. Actually, I've never been to any NBA game. There's some things I did right, and some things I did wrong - I'll go over that so if you go, your trip will be even better. I'm not talking about stats and team records, because I really don't know much about basketball, but fortunately I went with someone who knows much less.

The weather last weekend was horrible. Tampa seems to have gotten the worst of it, but it was no picnic in Miami, either. I expected the drive from Naples (Estero, actually) to be bad, but it didn't rain on Alligator Alley the whole way. I got lucky, until we got to Miami. This is what it looked like on South Beach Saturday afternoon.

It's early in the season, and I think the rain may have kept people at home. First word of advice. Get a hotel, and take an Uber to the arena. If you don't want to spend the night in Miami, park somewhere else, and Uber to the arena. Traffic down there is an absolute mess, I couldn't imagine having to battle that traffic while not knowing where I was going. Miami drivers are not very patient. From South Beach it's $17 plus tip. Well worth it.

The game was an absolute nail-biter. The Heat took an early 12 point lead, but the Bulls kept coming back and the game ended up quite close. A lot of action on the court, and some amazing shots. Fun to watch. Back to the point I made earlier about going to the game with someone who knows much less about basketball than I do. Sheila asked why one of the Heat players wore bright shoes while the other guys didn't. I told her that was Jimmy Butler, he gets to wear those shoes because he's the best player on the team. Am I wrong?

It went down to the final second, with the Heat winning 118-116 at the buzzer with a shot made by - you guessed it. Jimmy Butler. Actually, he finished the game with a team high 28 points, so maybe he should break out those neon shoes more often. The crowd went absolutely bonkers when her made that shot at the end.

Getting an Uber after the game was easy and the ride back to the hotel was smooth. Only advice I have here is to wear sneakers. I was wearing dress shoes and all the stairs and walking at the arena would have been easier in a pair of New Balance.

So if you ever thought about driving from Southwest Florida to go see a Miami Heat game - do it. It was a fun adventure and well worth the trip. I guess the bonus was that it was also a really good game. Last piece of advice. Do NOT stop for gas at the Miccosukee Service Plaza. They charge waaaay more for gas then places around here. At $4.86 a gallon, I got 2 gallons. Enough to get home.

If you plan on doing any traveling over the holidays, here are 8 pet-friendly hotel chains so your four-legged friends can join you.

When I travel, I love being able to bring my dog Rocket with me. He's not a big fan of air travel, so I tend to bring him the most on road trips, but not all hotels are pet-friendly. I remember when I moved down to Fort Myers from Chicago, I didn't have my stopover planned. That night, I remember being exhausted and driving to 4 different hotels looking for a place for us to crash for the night. Our pets are our babies and being able to bring them with and include them in our plans. Whether you're traveling within the state of Florida, or elsewhere, you don't need the stress of worrying where to stay.

Depending on where you're traveling, finding a place for Fido may be easier than others. For instance, in the Midwest, Nebraska and Kansas are on top when it comes to pet-friendly accommodations. According to momswhosave.com, in the U.S. overall, 41% of hotels are pet-friendly, but compared to other countries, we don't even make the top 25. High-end hotels do seem to be more welcoming with 67% of five-star hotels welcoming our furry family members.

So how do you find pet-friendly hotels? I'm constantly looking and not all brands make it obvious. I prefer to book directly with the hotel rather than using a third party booking site. BUT, sites like Expedia make searching easy. I've made it even easier though and put together a list of 8 pet-friendly hotel chains.

There are over 3500 brands under Choice Hotels including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion and more. All of these hotels are pet-friendly.

Every Motel 6 hotels welcome pets. In fact, if you're an AKC member, you'll even receive a discount.

Not all Best Western hotels are pet-friendly but over 1600 of them are. And not only do they accept dogs, but also cats, birds and other small animals.

There's over 1500 pet-friendly Marriott locations in the U.S. with brands like the Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Delta Hotels, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites and more. There may be fees and restrictions on breed and weight, so make sure to check on that in advance.

Four Seasons is very accommodating to pets. So much so, that some of their properties offer grooming and walking services and even have a special doggie menu.

Kimpton hotels are very welcoming to pets. Not only do they let pets stay, but they also have lots of fun stuff for our furry friends like comfy pet-beds, pet food, water bowls, and more. Some locations even have a Director of Pet Relations-- fancy!

From coast to coast, there are 165 dog-friendly Westin properties. Weight restrictions and nightly fees may vary. But hotel guests will get, upon check-in, a doggy welcome kit with food and water bowls, an in-room sign, and a comfy dog bed. 

Many of Peninsula's properties allow dogs, but most do have a maximum of 2 pets. Some hotels will also provide food and water bowls and a dog bed.