A Trip to Miami

During the thick of the pandemic, I found myself staring out my window, dreaming of an escape. Feeling sun on my skin instead of the blinding white lighting of my laptop screen, dipping my toes into a pool instead of into yet another pair of fuzzy socks to wear around my house.

The perfect antidote to this feeling of wanting to escape was Miami, Florida.

As both my grandparents and my parents have relocated to Central Florida, you could say I visit The Sunshine State about 3 times a year. All those times I have been there though, I have yet to venture south of Mickey’s ears. My boyfriend, Sean, and I had both never been to “the other Miami” (we are both alums of Miami University of Ohio) and said “why not!”

We booked an incredible stay in Brickell, the Financial District of Miami mainland, that sits right on the Miami River. Our condo had a gorgeous river view that truly never got old. (Pro tip: book on credit card points!!!)

After not taking a proper vacation in 2 years, I experienced a strange phenomenon when we first arrived. It felt really challenging to relax! I couldn't help but think to myself “you spend all this time planning a trip, getting the logistics together, taking time off work…only to get here and not relax??” Even after deleting the Outlook and Teams apps from my phone, I still felt like I should be working! Seems like the 2 years of straight work finally caught up to me. However, eventually, this feeling faded…and by the end I got reeeeaaallllly good at vacation :) Our accommodations included a 2 acre long pool deck, so that also made it just a little bit easier to relax.

So what is there to do in Miami, FL?

So much! I will break it down into parts to capture my favorite moments.

The Architecture

It was really surprising how beautiful the architecture was in Downtown Miami. I think that’s kind of the last thing people have on their minds when coming to Miami, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Along with the skyscrapers of the city, the Art Deco district of South Beach was beautiful. The hotels built in the 1920’s - 1940’s were very well preserved, through the work of the Miami Design Preservation League, and just as picturesque today. It felt like walking through a time capsule.

We walked down Collins Avenue, one of the Art Deco main drags; me with my camera strapped to my back, Sean patiently letting me go crazy taking so many awesome pictures. It was a nice wholesome way to experience South Beach, and take in the beauty west of the sand.

The Food

My ONE stipulation with vacation is no matter where we go, there has to be good food. And good food there was. Tacos, margaritas, crab legs, empanadas, you name it, they have it! It was all very delicious. I loved the Cuban influence on Miami’s food, especially the fresh mojito & Cubano we got at Old's Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina in Little Havana. So refreshing!

In my opinion, the best combo out there is a taco and a margarita, and Pilo’s Tacos were delightful. I got battered fish tacos with a spicy mayo sauce, paired with a Passionfruit margarita, and on a hot Miami day, this really hit the spot.

The Art

As a bit of an art nerd, the thing that excited me the most about Miami (other than the food) was the street art and murals throughout the city. And a trip to Miami would not be complete without a visit to the Wynwood Walls of course. What was once abandoned warehouses with graffiti from local artists, became an outdoor art museum of colors and talent from all over the world. Founder Tony Goldman saw blank walls as canvases and so did the artists. It was incredible! All the work is done by street artists that typically use a mix of standard paint and spray paint. The detail and control that these artists have over their paints was incredible to view.

Above "MonstroCity" by: Kenny Scharf, Below "The Girl in the Rain" by: Dan Kitchener

Between eating, drinking, exploring and relaxing, we made the most of our week in Miami, and took some much needed vacation and a break from work.

If you get the chance to go, Miami is the perfect getaway!

We thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to be back soon!

-M