Miami/South Beach
and a Few Other Bits and Pieces of Florida


I've been to Florida a few times recently.  I briefly travelled through much of the state, but most of my time was spent in Miami Beach's South Beach (SOBE) area.  If I forget to specify a location, assume I mean SOBE.


Why South Beach?

South Beach gained a reputation for being a hot, swinging, trendier-than-thou vacation spot.  Well, I'm not a hot, swinging, trendier-than-anyone kind of guy.  So why do I keep coming back?

In part, it's a special interest trip.  I'm an orchid fanatic, and Miami has a great annual show.  The South Beach Wine & Food Festival often occurs at almost the same time; this is also a lot of fun.

But there's more to it than that.  SOBE offers an alluring combination of things:  warm winter weather; great people watching; good beach; activities galore; some expensive but interesting restaurants, and some good cheap eats as well; proximity to the Everglades.  For those interested in such things, there's also clubbing and shopping.  You can relax on the sand all day, or be as active as you like.


Weather    

"It's not the heat, it's the humidity."  Never was a truer word spoken.  I'd rather visit Las Vegas in August than Miami in June, much less mid summer.  Living in the Washington, DC area, I thought I was used to hot, humid summers, but noooooooooooooo.  Miami is worse.  Even though summer highs rarely get much above 90, the combination of humidity and tropical sun makes it brutal.  If you want to sight see in Miami in June, my advice is to sleep until late afternoon, and stay in your air conditioned hotel room until it cools off - say, December.

After my one trip in June, I've stuck to the February/March time frame.  It can get chilly, and it can get hot, but usually it's just right.


Hotels

If you've never stayed in South Beach before, it's important to understand the hotel situation.  First, the bad news.  The majority of the hotels are smaller, older properties that have been renovated.  Almost always, the original room size - small - is preserved.  Regardless of the price, don't expect luxurious accomodations.  Price is mainly based on location (how close to the beach; how close to the center of the action) and perceived trendiness of the hotel.

Don't assume that a $400/night room will be fancy.  Maintenance may not be what you expect; bathrooms may be small; maid service may be quirky.  Also, don't assume the room will be quiet.  The noise levels can be a sight (so to speak) to behold - even in the middle of the night.  Even if your room isn't facing the street, you might be adjoining some dance club that will rattle your walls until 4am, after which hordes of drunken patrons will keep the noise level high.

There are exceptions.  Some high end properties, such as the Ritz Carlton, have recently been built.  Some older properties also are luxurious.  However, if luxury and quiet matter to you, do lots of research before you reserve a room.

Now, on to the good news.  Many of these renovated hotels have character.  I'll assume you're aware of SOBE's Art Deco buildings, and leave it at that.  And as to noise - if you're among those "hordes of drunken patrons", the noise won't bother you.  After all, the reason to be in South Beach is to people watch and have fun, not to stay in your room and sleep.

Oh yeah, one more caveat: parking.  If you have a car, be prepared to pay about $20/day for valet parking - or spend half your life trying to find a parking space.

·        Delano.  I stayed here in June 2001; it was about $350/night for a corner room, beach front.  It's on the northern edge of SOBE.  When it first opened (after being renovated), this was the place to be.  Somehow or other, it still manages to hold on to a bit of fame.  It's also right on the beach.  It was expensive and quirky.  One elevator's lighting was monochromatic red, the other's lighting was monochromatic green.  Rooms are almost completely white, down to the white orchid in a white flowerpot, with just a touch of pastel green or pink here and there.  The swimming pool has a table and chairs in the shallow end.  The sundries shop has to be one or the more bizarre I've seen.  It was fun to stay there once, but not worth the money - and if it's trendiness you want, there are newer, trendier places at which to stay.

·        Impala.  I stayed here in February 2004; it was $180/night for a standard room.  It's in the middle of SOBE.  This is a small property that's one block from the beach.  It isn't trendy or flashy.  It is friendly and unassuming - and about half the cost of the Delano.  Rooms are plain and small, but with a good sized bathroom (for SOBE, that is).  My major complaint is that there was a dance club nearby whose deep bass notes vibrated through my skull.  This lasted until 4 or 5 in the morning.  I thought I'd get used to it, but I never did.  Despite this, I'd consider returning.

·        Kent.  I stayed here in February 2005, and again in February 2008; it was $140/night for a standard room (a bargain for SOBE).  It's in the middle of SOBE, near the Impala.  This is another small property that's one block from the beach.  It's by far the most modest of the hotels reviewed here, but it's also the cheapest.  The lobby is large and colorful, and offers free Internet access (but just one terminal).  They offer free continental breakfast, but to me it looked like orange juice and some questionable pastries.  Rooms are simple - and purple!  There's a large closet, but virtually no dresser drawer space.  The bed was comfortable.  The air conditioner worked well enough but was very noisy.  There was also a lot of street noise, but I somehow got used to it.  I'd go back again if I could get the same rate.


 Activities

·        South Beach Wine and Food Festival.  Held annually in late February, this is one big festival.  They set up huge tents on the beach, and hundreds of wine, alcohol, and food exhibitors provide free samples (the samples are free, but you have to buy a very expensive ticket to get in).  It's a lot of fun.  Many high end Miami restaurants are there, and there are all sorts of wines and liquors available for sampling.  There are also lectures, demonstrations, and parties - some free, some very expensive indeed.  It has become wildly popular, with tickets selling out months in advance.

·        Beach stuff.  I think that's the technical term.  The beach in SOBE is long and wide, although the sand tends to be coarse.  While there's no sharp division, the beach's character varies from block to block: family oriented; alternative life style; surfing; topless-tolerant.  You can just lie around, or be a little more active.  Jet skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing and paragliding are available.  So are surf lessons.  I took one lesson (South Beach Surf School), and had a great time.  Fortunately, there are no pictures.

·        Orchids!  I admit it - this has appeal to only a small group of folks...but I'm one of those folks.  South Florida is a great place to see, and buy, orchids.  The Miami International Orchid Show is held annually in early March.  It's one of the largest shows in the country, with some dazzling displays.  You can also buys orchids there (but you're on your own for shipping).  There are also a number of orchid vendors that will be glad to ship your purchases back home.  In 2008, the World Conference will be held in Miami Beach.

·        Winter Music Conference.  If you're going to be in South Beach in early March, you need to know about this.  It's a huge deal for the dance music industry, attracting both professionals and fans.  It attracts a large number of young, fun loving people to SOBE.  Since there are already a large number of such folks in the area, this results in crowded hotels, restaurants, and clubs, absolute gridlock, and even more noise than normal.  It's a great spectacle if you don't have to drive anywhere, and don't need to sleep.  I was in town for WMC 2004 and thought it was fun to experience the energy in the streets.  However, I was just as glad to miss it in 2005.


Food

South Beach has many trendy restaurants.  There are lots of disappointments, but some are quite good.  SOBE also has lots of cheaper places, and many of them are good.  Between fancier meals, I live on ice cream and pizza while in South Beach.  A side note: I've read a lot about poor, snooty service, but my personal experiences have almost always been positive.

·        Nobu.  1901 Collins Avenue, in The Shore Club Hotel.  Once you get to the hotel, ask for explicit directions.  Then, when you get lost, ask again.  Sometimes described as having Peruvian Japanese food, I have mixed feelings about this place.  Located in the ultra-hip Shore Club, it tries to be equally hip.  I can ignore this, but it's harder to ignore the prices.  Try the omakase - basically, chef's choice.  It goes for a relatively inexpensive $80 and up.  Get an accompanying flight of five kinds of sake for another $40 or so.  The food was good, but at those prices I'm not sure if I'll return.

·        Michael's Genuine Food and Drink.  130 N.E. 40th St, Atlas Plaza, Miami Design District.  This place is a short drive from South Beach, and is well worth it. It offers very good food in a casual atmosphere, at prices that are quite reasonable.

·        Sushi Samba Dromo.  In the middle of Lincoln Road Mall.  Another place about which I have mixed feelings.  Food here is some sort of combination of Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese.   Sushi is good, but avoid the sushi bar;  you cannot order directly from the sushi chefs, and the atmosphere is sterile.  Get a table instead, even if you're ordering sushi.  The food and drinks are good, and very expensive.  This is another place where the omakase is a good choice - good food at a relatively good price.  If you want to try a drink that's a little different (but not too different), order a caipirinha.

·        Ice Cream and Gelato.   South Beach is ice cream and gelato heaven.  In addition to the standards (Ben & Jerry's; Haagen Dazs), there are a number of excellent smaller players. They tend to come and go with distressing frequency, but the following two have hung on for many years:

·        Pizza Rustica.  This is a small family-run chain, with stores on Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue.  Great pizza, with unusual toppings, for very little money.  This is a pizza parlor, plain and simple.  The inside is very plain, with limited seating; the Lincoln Road branch also has outside seating.  One piece is all you need; it takes two paper plates to hold it.

·        Jerry's Famous Deli.  On Collins Avenue.  Huge portions of pretty good deli.  Show up at 7am, and you may see lots of kids dressed mostly in black - still up from the night before.  Hopefully the staff have forgotten about me by now .  There I was, sitting peacefully at my table when I dropped a fork.  Being ever so cool, I slowly leaned to my left to pick it up.  My chair slid to the right.  I fell, but not before grabbing the tablecloth, causing a tidal wave of food, water, and condiment bottles to cascade on top of me.

·        Puerto Sagua.  On Collins Avenue.  Good, simple, Cuban food.  Atmosphere...well, there isn't any, but it doesn't matter.

·        David's Café.  On Meridian Avenue, just north of Lincoln Road Mall.  This is another Cuban Restaurant, with good, simple Cuban food.

·        News Café.  On Ocean Drive, it's across the street from the beach.  When the weather's right, sit outside and enjoy a leisurely breakfast.  Great for people watching.



Other Parts of Florida


The Everglades
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  Click here for pictures.  This is close to the west coast of Florida, so is a bit further from Miami.  For most people, including me, its attraction is a 2 mile long boardwalk through the sanctuary.  You'll see a variety of plant life, and a variety of birds.  I got there early in the morning, and was lucky enough to see three otters sunning themselves on the boardwalk.  They seemed unconcerned with the attention of a group of us (5 or 6 people), and seemed content to stay there indefinitely.  Eventually we decided it was time to move on, and someone clapped their hands.  The otters slowly drifted into the water.

Wear a hat, sunglasses, loose clothing, and take water with you.  There's a fair amount of shade, but sun block is still a good idea.  There are supposedly enough birds, and enough fish in the water, to control the mosquito population.  I didn't wear repellent, and suffered no bites.


Fakahatchee Strand Boardwalk.  The Fakahatchee Strand enjoyed a minor moment of fame when it was featured in the book The Orchid Thief.  If you drive from Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to Miami, you'll pass the Fakahatchee Strand boardwalk.  It is a fairly short boardwalk, and not as interesting as Corkscrew.  However, it is much more shaded than Corkscrew, and has a different feel.  It also has lots of mosquitoes.  When I went, the sign said the mosquito population was low to moderate.  I'd hate to see the sign say high!  There were swarms everywhere.  As soon as I opened the car door, some flew in.  Put on a heavy layer of insect repellent.


Shark Valley.  Click here for pictures.  There are no sharks, and it's not a valley.  It's a good place to see lots of birds, and lots of crocodiles.  Shark Valley has a fifteen mile path through the Everglades; half way out is an observation tower.  You can walk (yeah, right!), take an electric tram, or rent a bicycle.  I recommend the bicycle.  You can go at your own pace, and stop whereever you like.  Wear a hat, sunglasses, loose clothing, and take lots of water.  Put on sun block.  You may also want insect repellent, although when I was there strong breezes kept the mosquitoes at bay.

On the way out, the path parallels a slough (pronounced "slew").  A slough is a deeper channel within the Everglades, and almost always has water year round.  This attracts lots of wildlife.  You'll see all sorts of birds, as well as a lot of crocodiles sunning themselves on the path.  The crocs are only 3 or 4 feet long, but it's still disconcerting to be within a few feet of them.  Signs warn you to stay 15 feet away from the crocodiles.  Well, let's see...croc is on path; path is five feet wide; how does this work?


Anhinga Trail.  Click here for pictures.  If you have limited time or energy, this is an alternative.  It's closer to Miami, and the trail is less than a mile long.  However, in that short distance, you'll see lots of birds, and the occasional crocodile.

  
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