Welcome to Miami! (¡Bienvenido a Miami!)

Earlier this year, I escaped the chill of winter in New York for a few days in the sun and sand.  After a few days in sleepy Sanibel, I hit up Miami - south Florida's home of Latin culture, nightlife, food, and fun.  Miami's an easy city to navigate by car.  A grid with long boulevards and several thoroughfares makes getting around pretty quick and painless, especially late at night.  Although we didn't venture into the "Downtown" business district, our trek through Hialeah to North Beach and South Beach wasn't bad at all.  

The unfortunately-named but very nice Daddy-O Hotel was my home for the duration of our stay.  Recently renovated and redesigned, the hotel offers cheap parking ($8-$12/night), a cocktail hour, and extremely nice rooms and facilities at a reasonable rate.  Check online for special booking options.  It's worth the stay and is less than a 10-minute walk from North Beach.

Like most major cities, Miami has food available anywhere and everywhere.  I tried to keep it cheap and did pretty well, eating good food from various cuisines (Thai, Cuban, Japanese Italian) at reasonable prices.  The area around our hotel had lots of offer.  

Although I'm sure Miami offers some tourist-y things to do, I went to Miami for the same reason everyone else does:  the beach!  Lined with hotels, resorts, and condos, the entire eastern side of the city is white sand and surf, and it's beautiful.  Go in the day, for sure - catch some rays, read and swim - but also go at night.  

One of the highlights of the trip was a walk along the beach on a slightly rainy night, as the tide was coming in.  And generally speaking, the beaches get pretty quiet after dark.  So, if you're looking for a little seclusion and a uniquely beautiful experience, go to the beach after dark.  It's worth getting out for!

For nightlife, check out one of the multiple strips around South Beach.  My favorites were the Lincoln Road Mall, a multi-block outdoor mall rife with fantastic restaurants, shops, clubs, and basically anything else you might hope to find.  Likewise, you'll find anything you want along Washington Ave., one of the major thoroughfares of South Beach.  

Miami is chill, fun, and fresh - and has something to offer anyone and everyone.  Whether you want to shop and eat or lay in the sand, this is the place to do it.  

Enjoy, kids!  Until next time....watch out for seagulls!

All photos Copyright © 2013, The EverywhereMan.