As you may know, I went to Miami last month. What you may not know is that it was an impromptu trip and I was there for about 2 weeks. I also fell in love with travel life so there will be a lot more moving forward. This guide is of my favorite places to eat, things to do, and places to take pictures. And info on where I stayed and if I'd go back.
This was my 8th time in the Miami Area but my first time not college age. This time was a lot different, with no clubs and I didn't even get to layout on the beach. But I still had a lot of fun and got a great deal of sun. (My foundation definitely doesn't match anymore lol)
I flew in and out of Miami Intl Airport but there is also Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Intl Airport. Miami Beach is about 15 minutes from Miami Intl airport and Ft Lauderdale Airport is about 30 mins away.
The majority of my stay was in Coral Gables which is about 20-30 mins away from Miami Beach, depending on where you stay.
Restaurants
I ate a lot and I ate great food. The top 2 things I ate had to be the Squid Ink Pasta from Cafe Prima Pasta and the Grilled Cheese from the Mamey on 3rd Happy Hour (I wanted to literally eat this every day!) Along with my meals I had some amazing drinks #1 was Kiki Love Potion *insert drooling emoji* from Kiki on the River, The Jerk Margarita from Mamey on 3rd, and the Tea San Benedetto from Dal Plin *chefs kiss*.
- Cafe Prima Pasta - 414 71st St, Miami Beach
- Squid Ink Seafood Pasta
- Caesar Salad
- Moscow Mule Passion & Caipirosca Marisa
- Mamey on 3rd - 1350 S Dixie Hwy
- Grilled Cheese with Mango Jam
- Island Spiced Fries with Mango Ketchup
- Jerk Margarita
- Threefold Cafe - 6907 S Red Rd
- Brekkie Sanga sans Bacon
- Tequiztlan Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar - 1884 Bay Rd
- Chilaquiles
- Tap 42 - 3252 NE 1st Ave
- Oven-Baked Shrimp Mac & Cheese
- Havana 1957 - 819 Lincoln Rd
- Garlic Shrimp
- Passionfruit Mojito
- Dal Plin (In Mia Market) - 140 NE 39th St
- Spaghetti Pomodoro
- Tea San Benedetto
- Kiki on the River - 450 NW North River Dr
- Seafood Pasta
- Kiki Love Potion
Accommodations
I spent time at 2 different hotels, the THesis Hotel in Coral Gables and 1 Hotel South Beach.
- THesis Hotel - Coral Gables - 1350 S Dixie Hwy
- PROS: Happy Hour at Mamey on 3rd, it is relatively quiet and the views from the "rooftop" are nice. They have Malin + Goetz Rum Shower Gel and it is the best shower gel I've ever tried, my skin felt like butter!!
- CONS: Everything Else! They took forever to answer any calls (front desk, room service, housekeeping, etc.) They misplaced keys, packages and overcharged us for incidentals, they later adjusted after being called out. We stayed here for our entire stay and our room was cleaned fully maybe 3 times. We would always have to call to get it cleaned, one time they just emptied one of the trashcans and left us towels, nothing else was done smh.
- I would not recommend staying at this hotel. But go to the HH.
- 1 Hotel South Beach - 2341 Collins
- PROS: The rooms are gorgeous, it's steps from the beach, the rooftop is a vibe and a half, and they have balconies!!! The views are amazing!
- CONS: Food was ok, ordered something to the room in the wee hours of the morning and had to call 3 times to get it, it took almost an hour.
- I would recommend staying here.
Things to Do
- GET ON A BOAT
- Groupon Has great deals starting around $300 for a 4-hour yacht tour
- Shopping
- Dadeland Mall - 7535 N Kendall Dr
- Traditional Mall with stores including Saks, Zara, Fabletics, Apple, Coach, and restaurants with outdoor seating.
- Lincoln Road Mall - Lincoln Rd between 16th St & 17th St
- Outdoor mall with affordable shopping and restaurants. Stores include Forever21, ALDO, Macy's, Anthropologie, and Nike.
- Design District - NE 41st St, NE 40th St & NE 39th St between N Miami Ave & NE 2nd Ave
- Standalone high-end stores: Louis Vuitton, Celine, Burberry, etc along with Sephora and 260 Sample Sale.
- Dadeland Mall - 7535 N Kendall Dr
- Beaches
- South Beach
- Miami Beach
- Ft Lauderdale Beach
Places to Take Photos
- The Design District
- Museum Garage - Corner of NE 41st St and NE 1st Ave
- Highly recommend the top level, the outside is amazing too, and they have a functional slide
- Murals
- There are so many murals all around the Design District and Wynwood.
- Shops
- many of the shops have amazing designs or beautiful paint schemes
- Museum Garage - Corner of NE 41st St and NE 1st Ave
- Your Hotel
- I took photos at my hotel in 4 different locations: the front, back, my room, and courtyard. Explore your hotel to see where the best light and locations are.
- Rooftop Pool
- If your hotel has one then that's an amazing place to take photos. If you have any friends with rooftop pools, visit them and take your bathing suit, that's what I did lol.
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