Duration: 6 days (more like 4 because we landed late at night and left early in the morning) Group: Two adults, two adolescents (under 21) Four years ago, I stayed in the Club Med in Sandpiper Beach (around Fort Lauderdale) in Florida, United States of America, and I hated everything about it. Staying on the beach and doing nothing for a couple days drives me crazy. It makes me feel unproductive and like I’m wasting time. I would much rather be exploring the culture and the history of the place I’m visiting than lounging on the beach. Looking back on it, it was probably the “resort” format that I hated, and not Florida itself yet I carried this resentment towards Florida as a whole. When my family and I settled for Miami to visit during the March Break, I was mildly excited. We usually never travel during March for schedule reasons and I was desperate to go away, yet I was reminded of Sandpiper Beach and my disappointment. However, I decided to hit Miami with an open mind and it was worth it. Miami was the penultimate city on the American East Coast that I wanted to visit before I die (next is Washington D.C). Its history from being a Spanish settlement to being a colony of France, Britain and Spain, to hosting mass migration from Cuba and Haiti, was fascinating to explore. The city’s architecture of skyscrapers, Spanish villas and Art Deco shops shows the diversity of Miami, honouring the past yet looking at the future. It really is a melting pot of history, leisure and tourist attractions. Sorry to everyone whom I denigrated Florida because I was wrong. Miami will see me again. I am in no way an expert of Miami, as I said it was my first time being in the city. This itinerary just explains what I did or thought to be essential for a 4-day visit, but I probably missed some very important things. Always consult local websites when planning a trip to find the best gems for you and your group. N.B.: All pictures featured were taken by CB. Thank you. Day 1: Beach day “Wait, didn’t you just say you hated laying on the beach and doing nothing?” Yes, I did, but that was four years ago. I decided to try it out just for one day again to see if my tastes had changed, and they did! It was tolerable! I won’t lie by 3-4pm I was getting tired of looking at the ocean, but it had also been a while since I last saw the Atlantic, and even longer since I swam in it. Our hotel, Grand Beach Hotel, had direct access to Miami Beach, and it was perfect. The beach was clean and full of seashells. The waves were strong and shattered against the sand in the iconic sound. Obviously, the ocean might not be the best place to bring young children since the stream is very strong. We brunched at our hotel’s restaurant, Chez Gaston, which was overpriced. However, one must try all the fruits in Miami. The travel time from farm to table is much shorter than in Montreal, therefore, they taste fresher and sweeter. We had dinner at Sardinia Enoteca Ristaurante on a friend’s recommendation and it was the best food of the trip. The mozzarella bar tasting platter with all 100% homemade mozzarella was exceptional. Everything from the pasta to the pizza was made from scratch and it tasted like Italy (at least what I imagine it to taste like). Day 2: Outer boroughsWe started the day visiting the Villa Vizcaya, John Deering’s winter residence, built in 1912. The house’s architecture is inspired by the Italian Renaissance of the XVIth century. The Villa itself is gorgeous, but the true magic lies in its gardens. We saw at least two quinceañera and one wedding photoshoots in them. It is the best place to see Florida’s lusciousness. Palm trees and mangroves were dancing side-to-side with colourful orchids. It’s kind of like a mini-Versailles. For lunch, we headed to Little Havana at the famous Versailles, the most famous Cuban restaurant in the world! It felt like being thrown back in communist Cuba with all the waiters dressed in 50s-style outfits and serving classics like the Cuban sandwich with sweet ham and Swiss cheese. You can truly feel the pulse of the Cuban community in Versailles. I wish I had explored more of Calle Ocho and Little Havana (the Bay of Pigs War Museum sounds particularly interesting), but alas, there was not enough time. Day 3: Arts and Science*Pictured is art by Andrea Bowers, Penetrable BBL Blue 2/8 by Jesús Rafael Solo, and For Those in Peril on the Sea by Hew Locke The day started with breakfast at the hotel Edition. Many of the best places to eat in Miami Beach are in hotels. Since there is so much competition for hotels on the island, owners have to differentiate themselves notably with the best food. I promise they don’t taste like hotel restaurants. Then, half of the group decided to stay at the beach while the others (including me) headed downtown Miami to explore the famous Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The PAMM is now one of my favourite contemporary art museums. Not only does it have a beautiful sculpture garden overlooking the bay, but it also has a great collection and expositions. I particularly appreciated Within Genres which observed the five different genres of Western paintings (still life, landscapes, scenes of everyday life, portraiture and history painting) and how they can be reinterpreted with a modern approach. A C I D G E S T by Haroon Mizra, For Those in Peril on the Sea by Hew Locke and The Words of Others: Léon Ferrari and Rhetoric in Times of War were also standouts. We crossed the Museum Park to enter the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (FS). The FS is a little bit of everything. It has a planetarium, an aquarium, an exposition on the human brain and a few birds and snakes. The planetarium is like the one in Montreal with the dome ceiling that projects shows like Dynamic Earth (narrated by Liam Neeson!) Usually, I am not a fan of aquariums because I hate seeing fishes and animals being trapped in a small space with nowhere to go, but the FS only has small animals and fishes that don’t need that much space. The aquariums are huge and not overcrowded, and represent the ecosystems of Florida’s coastline. Coming back on Miami Beach for dinner, we went to Cecconi’s which has a gorgeous little terrace and fed me the best baked gnocchi. Day 4: Shopping and thunderstormWhen one goes to the United States, one has to shop at all the stores not available in Montreal. The dollar is not in Canada’s favour now, but you can’t skip past the opportunity! Lincoln Road Mall is an outside mall designed by Morris Lapidus (architect of the Fontainebleau and the Eden roc hotels) in the MiMo style (Miami Modernist architecture) so it is both architecturally interesting and a nice shopping spots with American classics like Macy’s and fancier spots like Ladurée macaroons.
We had lunch at Dirt Restaurant near the mall which was the quintessential hipster spot with poke and salad bolls, green juices and funky flavoured water. Then it started pouring rain which ruined our afternoon. I would have loved to visit Wynwood District and see all the graffiti and art galleries, but alas weather was against us! Hopefully next time I land at MIA I will be able to complete my Miami checklist. I would love to come back once I am old enough to experience the traditional Cuban bars and salsa dance classes. Miami has a lot to offer, and I can’t wait to come back!
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