My fiancee and I headed towards the warmth after Thanksgiving. It was hard to beat the $180 nonstop flight on American Airlines from Baltimore to Miami. What we later learned is that the flights may be cheap but South Beach is $$$. If we were to do it again we wouldn't go to as many of the touristy hotspots like eating on Ocean Drive but, come on, you have to do that the first time you are in South Beach. It's what it's known for with the art deco buildings, beautiful people and luxury cars. Spanish is almost the native language in Miami but I was surprised to hear many people speaking Italian, French, and Russian. Miami is still a strong draw for people coming to the US and remains to be a melting pot of cultures. Lincoln Road is an area that I'd recommend if you still want that outdoor shopping and dining experience for less money because you'll be avoiding the beach surcharges that you'll find on Ocean Drive.
Our hotel, Villa Italia hotel, was a boutique 12 room hotel that was two blocks from the ocean and 4 blocks from the southern most point of Miami Beach. There is no need to rent a car because there are more restaurants, galleries, and stores than you could ever visit on a short trip. Also parking and traffic will cost you. Our hotel had great customer service, big rooms, free breakfast as well as free towels, umbrellas, and chairs for the beach. Although it was in the high 70s, the wind was gusty our whole trip so we didn't last long on the beach aside from going for walks. Not that I'm complaining because it was still beautiful and the beaches were not very crowded. Since we weren't going to get as much beach time as we originally planned we decided to go on some side trips to the Everglades and to downtown Miami. I'm really glad we saw more than just South Beach because it's really a great area of Florida.
The Everglades is a must. We didn't want to rent a car for just one day so we decided to book a 4 hour tour with Half Price Tours. This is the company that our hotel recommended because they picked us up right at the hotel but honestly any company is fine because they all go to the same areas. We took a 45 minute bus ride from South Beach to the Everglades State Park. The park spans 1.5 million acres and is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and certainly the most in the United States. You can feel the presence of the Miccosukee Indians with their casino (on the edge of the park) and police cars. Once in the park we went on a riverboat ride (the best part of the tour) and saw some wildlife (i.e. gators, birds, and turtles). We also held Larry the baby alligator for a photo.
Our hotel, Villa Italia hotel, was a boutique 12 room hotel that was two blocks from the ocean and 4 blocks from the southern most point of Miami Beach. There is no need to rent a car because there are more restaurants, galleries, and stores than you could ever visit on a short trip. Also parking and traffic will cost you. Our hotel had great customer service, big rooms, free breakfast as well as free towels, umbrellas, and chairs for the beach. Although it was in the high 70s, the wind was gusty our whole trip so we didn't last long on the beach aside from going for walks. Not that I'm complaining because it was still beautiful and the beaches were not very crowded. Since we weren't going to get as much beach time as we originally planned we decided to go on some side trips to the Everglades and to downtown Miami. I'm really glad we saw more than just South Beach because it's really a great area of Florida.
The Everglades is a must. We didn't want to rent a car for just one day so we decided to book a 4 hour tour with Half Price Tours. This is the company that our hotel recommended because they picked us up right at the hotel but honestly any company is fine because they all go to the same areas. We took a 45 minute bus ride from South Beach to the Everglades State Park. The park spans 1.5 million acres and is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and certainly the most in the United States. You can feel the presence of the Miccosukee Indians with their casino (on the edge of the park) and police cars. Once in the park we went on a riverboat ride (the best part of the tour) and saw some wildlife (i.e. gators, birds, and turtles). We also held Larry the baby alligator for a photo.
Downtown Miami is coming into its own. You could feel that it will be a very cool city in 5 years but at the moment everything is under construction. We took the 103c bus for $2.25 if you are wondering. That dropped us off at Biscayne Park which has outdoor shopping right on the water. From there we walked to the Metromover which is really cool. It's a FREE metro car system that goes in 3 loops around downtown. You'll get the best views this way and you can hop on and off as much as you like.
All in all we had a great time. We ate well..went out for a night on the town and had a fun night at Mango's Tropical Cafe watching the scantily clothed dancers (as well as doing some salsa dancing ourselves)...saw some gators...hit up the beach and did some shopping. Not bad at all...
All in all we had a great time. We ate well..went out for a night on the town and had a fun night at Mango's Tropical Cafe watching the scantily clothed dancers (as well as doing some salsa dancing ourselves)...saw some gators...hit up the beach and did some shopping. Not bad at all...
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