Let me start off by saying that I love Miami. I love its life, its vibrancy, the electric feel that the city emanates.. I think of hot summer days, luxury cars, and people dressed to the (sexiest) nines. I enjoy the blend of cultures, the retro architecture of South Beach, and roasting on a beach in the hot Miami sun. It’s one of those cities where you can experience most all of it in a weekend, but somehow you just want to stay longer.
Once again, this blog is a bit of a combination blog. I visited recently, and once for my 30th birthday (September 2019). I never got around to writing that blog, as I sometimes do.. And now, I feel I’m in a much better place to share better experiences than before.
I met David when I went to Oregon for work. We both have a passion for traveling. It’s very rare that I find a good, handsome, Italian man who wants to explore some of this beautiful world with me, so I consider myself very lucky to share this trip with him. It is a fun and different experience for me to see the world with someone special by my side (as you can tell by the number of “solo” trip blogs I have on here- way too many haha). Both David and I had been to Miami before, but we were in the mood to go somewhere warm. It worked with our work schedules, and neither of us had been to Key West, which we both wanted to explore (see part 2).
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Albion- Miami Beach
Located in South Beach, only a 5 minute walk from the beach, I found this location to be ideal. The lobby was artistically designed, the hotel room was comfortable, and it had a seemingly nice pool, though we never had time to use it. Parking was either across the road for about $45/ night, or in a parking garage about a ten minute walk for $20 max/ day. We opted for the garage, and I found I liked the walk through town. The only issue I encountered was when they canceled my reservation (literally while I was on my flight, for no reason), saying they couldn’t reach me by phone to confirm my reservation. Thankfully though, the receptionist still fixed us up with a room. If it had been completely booked up this would have been a major issue, as many of the hotels in the same area were already booked for the weekend.
THINGS TO DO
Hit up South Beach
There are 36 unique, colorful lifeguard stands that go up the beach from South Pointe Park to 87th street. After Hurricane Andrew, Architect William Lane came up with the idea of the fun lifeguard towers, which are icons of the city today. The art-deco, tropical designed towers demonstrate the essence of Miami, and are the perfect backdrop to a quintessential Miami Instagram pic.
Bring your beach towel, and boom box (but leave the booze at home- not allowed on the beach), and enjoy the beautiful waters of Miami Beach. We only got about an hour here Sunday before we had to leave, but it was both calming and beautiful.
See the buildings of the Miami Art Deco District
Forever a sucker for old buildings and architecture, I sometimes wonder if I should’ve just studied architecture instead of pharmacy. This historic district holds the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world. You could either look up some of the more popular buildings and visit, or just take a stroll through South Beach. They are hard to miss on just a casual stroll, since there are almost 1,000 historic buildings. The majority of them were built in the 30’s and 40’s, and are pretty remnants of that era.
Visit the Versace Mansion
Famous Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace, renovated a historic Spanish-style mansion on 1116 Ocean Avenue in South Beach in 1992. He bought the adjacent property and built a luxurious pool and garden area. Versace was murdered on the front steps in 1997 by Andrew Cunanan. Though his time in the mansion was cut short, his legacy still lives on. The gorgeously designed and decorated house is now a luxury boutique hotel and restaurant. A good way to see some of the mansion without actually staying is by reserving a table for lunch or dinner there. My only request for my 30th birthday was to go to Gianni’s Restaurant. Luckily, we got seated by the pool area, which is so incredibly beautiful. I will also never forget the ravioli. It is probably the best ravioli I’ve ever eaten. Don’t feel bad for bringing your camera. The table beside us had a huge tripod set up, and many people take advantage of photo ops the open areas of the mansion offer.
Experience Miami nightlife
Miami is all about having fun. When the nights are cooler, take an opportunity to get all dolled up and go dancing! I love the beach-side bars/clubs that dot Ocean Drive. Only went to a couple and didn’t get wild, but still had a nice time. I would recommend the Clevelander Hotel & Beach Bar. You can sip on some tropical drinks and dance the night away at the pool and patio area, or go up to the rooftop bar for a more chill, laid back vibe.
Go kayaking at Virginia Key
About 30 minutes away from Miami, Virginia Key is a great option for any outdoor enthusiast. You can rent kayaks or paddleboards and view nature up-close! The lagoon led out to a beautiful view of Miami. The clear water exposed tropical fish, and is supposed to be very good for viewing manatees (though we didn’t luck up, how cool is that?!?). We got a tandem kayak, and spent an hour or so in the lagoon. It was David’s first time ever kayaking, and it was a great first time out. After kayaking, we went to the beach in the park. It was pretty and had cute little tiki huts for picnicking.
Admire the artistry of Wynnwood & Wynnwood Walls
Wynnwood is a neighborhood in Miami, known for its impressive street art. Wynnwood Walls is an outdoor art museum that features some of these murals. The admission is $12 (no longer free to the public). It is fun to just walk around here and let your eyes be the judge of some of these masterpieces. Another fun place to go here is The Wynnwood Marketplace. Inside, you can find different food vendors, bars, and an artificial lawn area with music and games. It’s a nice place to just have a drink and chill.
Experience a little bit of Cuba
Another neighborhood to visit while in Miami is Little Cuba. Visit Domino Park and watch the OGs play dominos, or grab a bite of authentic Cuban food at Versailles. The Cuban sandwich is not to be missed here! I also really enjoyed the sweet fried plantains, mariquitas (green plantain chips with salsa), and the ham and cheese and chicken croquettes. David seemed to enjoy the “el criollo”, a sampler featuring rice, beans, shredded beef, pork, plantains, a tamale, and a croquette.
OUR EATS
I appreciate a man who takes charge and makes the dinner reservations. I’m thankful we are both foodies, and find food an important part of experiencing a destination to its fullest. On top of the restaurants previously mentioned (Gianni’s Restaurant & Versailles), we found some other nice dining options.
Our first night in Miami, we decided to go to STK. You’ll never guess what they are known for.. Yep. Steak. The steak was actually mediocre, but I will rave on my salmon forever. I ordered the maple rubbed salmon with broccolini and olive dressing. I’m so thankful I added the truffle butter on top. It made it over-the-top delicious. We also found the brussels sprouts, Caesar salad, and oysters to be yummy. We both love oysters and had to order half from the East coast, and half from the West coast, in tribute to where each of us are from. I really liked the atmosphere here. It is dark, and sexy, yet classy.
David and I also both really like sushi. NaiYaRa offers both Thai and sushi, so we split the Ackerman roll, Miami Heat roll, chicken pad thai, and spring rolls. It was another nice dinner that was delicious. (He really is great at finding good restaurants!)
On our way to kayaking, we picked up some sandwiches from La Sandwicherie. It seemed to be a very happening little outside grab-n-go restaurant. They had a wide variety of sandwiches and smoothies, and was a good place for a quick lunch!
Like I said previously, I feel like I can always spend more time in Miami. I consider it one of my favorite beach cities. It is a city that screams “FUN!”, so make sure you’re ready for a great time (and hopefully have great company like I did this time around)!
bedtravels 