Give us the truth-Vero B to Miami

[starbox]

There are two cities in Florida worth traveling to just to eat. Miami has the most variety and world-class quality. Tampa has fewer choices, but some very fine restaurants.

True - but OP has two small kids (4 and 6). I can see the appeal of dining, shopping, and architecture for an adult trip - but with a very young family, Miami would not top my list of Florida "must-sees" - not because it's dangerous (hey, I've got a great strip club and prostitutes that hang out at my exit of 1-85 in Atlanta) - but because it does not have anything for small kids that you can't find closer and elsewhere - there are lots of great zoos, children's museums, and beaches in Florida - there's plenty right around Vero.

It's hard to day-trip to a major city with small kids.

 

[La2kw]

True - but OP has two small kids (4 and 6). I can see the appeal of dining, shopping, and architecture for an adult trip - but with a very young family, Miami would not top my list of Florida "must-sees" - not because it's dangerous (hey, I've got a great strip club and prostitutes that hang out at my exit of 1-85 in Atlanta) - but because it does not have anything for small kids that you can't find closer and elsewhere - there are lots of great zoos, children's museums, and beaches in Florida - there's plenty right around Vero.

It's hard to day-trip to a major city with small kids.

We never let the age of our kids stop us from exploring new places. The OP is interested in Miami and there is plenty for kids to do there. Even spending a day on one of the beaches can be exciting for kids that age. Might as well make it a beautiful Miami beach. Vero is a nice beach, but Miami has much better beaches.

 

[La2kw]

There are two cities in Florida worth traveling to just to eat. Miami has the most variety and world-class quality. Tampa has fewer choices, but some very fine restaurants.

We have been impressed with the freshness and quality of everything we have eaten in Miami. On our trip last month, we even had a simple lunch in a bookstore cafe on Lincoln Road Mall that was better than anything we have ever eaten at Disney. We live in L.A., and we are used to a large variety of multiethnic foods. If you only ever visit Disney, and never get out to other cities, (like Miami) it can give you a pretty bad impression of Florida. Disney's food offerings and the quality has really slipped in recent years.

 

[starbox]

We never let the age of our kids stop us from exploring new places. The OP is interested in Miami and there is plenty for kids to do there. Even spending a day on one of the beaches can be exciting for kids that age. Might as well make it a beautiful Miami beach. Vero is a nice beach, but Miami has much better beaches.

But they are already vacationing in Vero - why drive 4-6 hours from a beach to visit another beach for the afternoon?

I mean - I understand if the question is "would Miami be a fun vacation"? Sure - stay in Miami for a few days and do the Miami beaches and family activities. But the OP's question was about whether it is it worth a day trip to leave Vero Beach resort and drive to Miami and then go back to Vero beach that evening.

 

[JimMIA]

We also went across Biscane Bay to an outdoor mall on the water near the cruise ship terminals and ate some excellent Cuban food. (JimMIA might know the name of it),

That's Bayside Marketplace, and there might have been a couple of choices there. Most likely, you ate at Mambo Cafe in the south part of Bayside. Or, if it was real casual, it was probably Latin American Cafeteria, also in the south part.

Frankly, for good Cuban food I'd go somewhere else. Lario's on the Beach and SoBe Bongo's Cafe (as well as several Casa Lario's restaurants on the mainland) are owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, and are very good. La Carreta is a very popular (and good) chain, but I actually prefer the smaller local places like Rio Cristal or Casavana.

 

[JimMIA]

True - but OP has two small kids (4 and 6). I can see the appeal of dining, shopping, and architecture for an adult trip - but with a very young family, Miami would not top my list of Florida "must-sees"

It was OP who said they wanted to see the architecture and beaches...and people watch.

But I think we all agree a day trip would be tough. That's why we suggested the alternative of staying over. Whether that's feasible for OP or not, we don't know -- but there is certainly enough high-quality kids stuff here to keep them occupied.

 

[joepoe]

DH and my kids(6 and 4) will be in Vero Beach in February and would like to check out Miami for the day. We are planning on leaving early on a Monday morning and return around 3 or 4 o'clock.

I have seached the boards for information on South Beach and I get the sense that many Miami residents don't recommend it for families and some people just didn't feel too comfortable there.

If you drove to Miami from VB, how was the drive? What did you do on your trip and would you recommend it?

Thanks!

I go to Miami on business a lot and you would be better off going to Ft Lauderdale, a little north. Nicer beach for families and still lots to do. Plus the drive is not bad until you get past Ft Laud. South beach is not for kids, traffic, crowds, and Miami drivers are rated the worst in America as far as uncourteous and road rage.

 

[deej696]

I have lived in Florida my entire life, and I love Miami. Are there people on the beach doing drugs, no. Is it a great mix of culture, food, architecture, and weather, absolutely. Is it a great place for a family with kids, probably not.....

In my opinion the things that make Miami great are really not what most kids would find to be a good time. If you want to see Miami, plan a cruise out of there sometime and go down the day or two before, thats probably all you would need....