Our Miami Trip in Review (Where We Stayed, Ate, What We Did)

A full week later and I’m just getting around to sharing what Ridge and I did in Miami last weekend. It’s been a crazy week! We got home at 10:30pm last Sunday and I flew to Boston Monday for meetings all day Tuesday. Naturally, the rest of the week was catch-up at work and at home!

Our trip to Miami was short but we packed in a lot– and still felt like we were able to relax and unwind (I guess that’s the magic of a warm weather and the ocean!). We arrived at 1pm on Friday and departed just after 7pm on Sunday. Miami is a 1.5 hour flight from Charlotte so it was the perfect distance for a weekend getaway.

Where we Stayed
We stayed in the heart of South Beach, at Blue Moon. I stay at Marriott properties for work travel, so when planning we narrowed our search to redeem points. Blue Moon, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, piqued my interest as a boutique hotel with a character all its own…which is exactly how it turned out to be! Ridge and I loved everything about the hotel- the location was amazing (one block from Ocean Drive/South Beach), the staff was incredible, and the design/décor was fantastic. The only thing I didn’t like was there wasn’t a power outlet in our bathroom, which made styling my hair a bit difficult ;). I looked up the typical rate at Blue Moon (around $200) and consider it a great value.

Where We Ate
One of the things I love most about Miami is it’s a cultural melting pot…and the food reflects it! During our two and a half days Ridge and I tried a variety of authentic cuisines. One of my favorites was Larios, a Cuban joint on Ocean Drive. Lunch was a real value- authentic Cuban food at good prices, buy one get one mojitos, and free dessert! Mama Antonia was another favorite. It’s a little joint tucked away at the corner of Collins and 11th Street. We went there for breakfast on Sunday for the most incredible cream ice, fresh croissants, and espresso.

What We Did
Miami Seaquarium. Ridge wanted to “swim with the dolphins” and Miami was the place to make that dream come true. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us both! Saturday morning we caught an Uber from South Beach to Miami Seaquarium on Virginia Key (a 25 minutes drive full of fantastic views). We found a deal on Groupon for the Dolphin Odyssey, which gave us 1.5 hours of interaction with a few groups of dolphins. We got to kiss them, “shake hands”–and catch a ride from one side of the pool to the other! Ridge and I couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards. It was even better than we had anticipated! While we were at the Seaquarium we caught the dolphin show. I was blown away by all the things these little guys can do!
Bayside Boat Tour. We decided on this one after we got to Miami. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to relax Sunday and let a boat take us around Miami to see things we couldn’t by car. We did the “celebrity boat tour”, which brought us a stone’s throw from breathtaking mansions owned by Elizabeth Taylor, Shaq, Gloria Estafan, Ricky Martin, Sylvester Stallone, and others. But what I loved about this tour is that it shows a lot more than just houses! It took us around cruise ships and gargantuan container ships being unloaded at the Port of Miami. The tour guide was hilarious and shared really interesting information the whole way. At just $28 I highly, highly recommend!
Shopping. Miami Beach has amazing shopping- and so many options. Ridge and I went to outdoor Lincoln Road Mall, and wow! Every store under the sun is on that strip showcased in the prettiest architecture (lots of fantastic dining options too!)
Beach. The prettiest views were at South Pointe Park, at the very southern tip of South Beach. It has incredible views of both the ocean and the Miami skyline.

What I Loved
This was my first time in Miami. Here is what I loved the most:

The weather. It was 75-80 degrees the whole time. Coming from high 40s/low 50s in the Charlotte area, it felt amazing!
The blue-green water. I’ve been to several beaches in Florida and the water in Miami is so much prettier! It has that gorgeous blue-green color people flock to the Caribbean for.
Culture. We met people from all over the world. Ridge and I enjoyed talking to other vacationers from Europe and South America and even got ideas on where we may want to visit next.
People watching, especially after 10pm at night on colorful Ocean Drive!

It was a magical trip. I left feeling we had done a lot, but wanting to go back someday to experience the rest of what Miami and the surrounding area has to offer!