Miami is nice, so I'll say it thrice!

[mikehn]

I know the OP asked specifially about Miami, but not that far north is Ft Lauderdale, which is a little more affordable. Miami is nice but be ready to shell out some serious coin for lodging, parking, playing, and just about everything else. Like Jim said, know what you are ordering, you might even want to ask the price before ordering. I found out the painful way after ordering cocktails at the Fountainbleau.

 

[JimMIA]

Other Miami places to visit

Wynwood
Winwood is the newer artsy-fartsy area of Miami, located north of downtown. Uber to Wynwood Walls and walk from there. Lots of dining, art, and galleries. Some of the places are currently closed, but should be open in January.

Do NOT drive there – nowhere to park, and sketchy areas all around.

Little Havana
For Cuban culture, go to the Versailles Restaurant, located at 3555 SW 8th Street, Miami – in the heart of Little Havana. You will stand in line, but the line moves pretty quickly. Great Cuban food and a Miami landmark.

After you eat, walk around a bit and soak up some ambiance. Then come back in March for our one-day, million+ attendance Calle Ocho Festival (actual name: Carnival Miami).

You could easily spend a week sampling all the many, many cultures of Miami. You're not in Wisconsin any more!

Brickell
This is our downtown, financial area, millennial heaven. Some good restaurants and a big mall. I wouldn’t bother, but it’s a place people go. If you do go, the girls would probably enjoy American Social (club) if it's open.

There are some other clubs on the north side of downtown, on NW 11th Street.

E11even is NOT a strip club -- it's a cabaret. Okay, there may be a random stripper or ten, but it's still a cabaret. E11even and Club Space across the street are the two hottest clubs in Miami, and E11even was open 24 hours on weekends pre-covid.

Just FYI, many Miami clubs don't even open until 11 PM. Story is one, and there are many others.

Nature outing – day trip
This day may be the unexpected highlight of your trip.

You will want to rent a car for this trip. You can Uber out there, but that will cost as much as a rental car. And worse, you will have huge difficulty Ubering back, because it's out of their app coverage range. One of the biggest tourist things in South Florida and no Uber coverage!

Everglades Safari Park – on US 41 about 15 miles west of the Florida Turnpike. 45 minute airboat ride into Everglades National Park – one of only 3 tours that are actually within the park.

This is the place with the best safety record, best boats, best drivers, and best route. It’s where NPS takes VIP’s for airboat rides.

Shark Valley entrance to Everglades National Park. 2 hour, 15 mile amazing naturalist-guided tram tour into the heart of the River of Grass. Stops at the 60+ foot tall observation tower where you can literally see for 20 miles across the Everglades on a clear day. Admission to the park is $25 per car, and the tram tour is roughly $30 per person. THE place to see the real Everglades.

Don't worry about the alligators sunning next to the path you walk. As I used to tell visitors, they almost never attack humans.

*****
I’ll put together some must-do’s for a Florida Keys side trip shortly.

 

[JimMIA]

The comments above about Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood are accurate. Actually, Hollywood and Dania Beach would be less expensive. Ft. Lauderdale beach might be comparable to Miami Beach.

All feature beautiful beaches, good dining (well, maybe not so much Dania Beach) and wonderful quiet times. They remind me of places like Marco Island, Sanibel/Captiva, and many other places on both coasts of Florida. Great places to vacation.

But they are not Miami.

You can also get airboat rides west of Ft. Lauderdale -- but they are in South Florida Water Management District flood-control reservoir areas, NOT in the true Everglades. And there is a vast difference.

 

[J'aime Paris]

Again, many thanks @JimMIA for putting together such thorough details of your city!

 

[fly girl]

I have nothing to add except to sing, "Miami ... you're cuter than ...an intrauterine."

 

[J'aime Paris]

The comments above about Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood are accurate. Actually, Hollywood and Dania Beach would be less expensive. Ft. Lauderdale beach might be comparable to Miami Beach.

All feature beautiful beaches, good dining (well, maybe not so much Dania Beach) and wonderful quiet times. They remind me of places like Marco Island, Sanibel/Captiva, and many other places on both coasts of Florida. Great places to vacation.

But they are not Miami.

You can also get airboat rides west of Ft. Lauderdale -- but they are in South Florida Water Management District flood-control reservoir areas, NOT in the true Everglades. And there is a vast difference.

I looked at availability of the hotels you suggested.
I think the higher end hotels are above budget for our friends unless we share a room.

I checked the "moderate" Hampton Inn. They have no rooms on the dates I inputed. Do you have another moderate suggestion to check out?

 

[JimMIA]

I looked at availability of the hotels you suggested.
I think the higher end hotels are above budget for our friends unless we share a room.

I checked the "moderate" Hampton Inn. They have no rooms on the dates I inputed. Do you have another moderate suggestion to check out?

I don't have any specific recommendations. I would look closely at Google Maps for hotels along Collins Avenue between 5th street and 17th street. Lots of cool Art Deco hotels.

Also look at AirBnB 2 bedroom apartments between 5th and 17th streets, and from Collins Ave west to Lennox Ave. Good, quiet residential apartment neighborhood. The area from about 13-14 street to 17th would be perfect. Just checking quickly, I saw a couple of AirBnB 2 bedrooms from $199 per night.

 

[AlohaNow]

Cuban food and drag shows!

 

[mikehn]

OMG, drag shows are the bomb! And Im straight as an arrow.

 

[JimMIA]

Florida Keys – two day trip

Even if you do the day trip to Everglades NP, you might have enough of Miami Beach in 3 nights. If so, consider a combination Miami Beach/Florida Keys trip. You will need a rental car for the Keys part.

As @shh mentioned above, a Keys trip really needs two days…and that’s scrambling.

Yet another geography lesson: In the Keys, most addresses are referenced by Mile Marker, or the distance from the end of Key West – like MM 88.5.

Here’s how I would do it:

Day 1 – Morning

Rent a car and drive to near Key West. Lots of AirBnB’s from Big Pine Key to Key West. For reference, Big Pine is +/- 30 miles from Key West.

On the way, a couple of stops are *mandatory:

*Robbie’s – https://www.robbies.com/ Lower Matecumbe Key (which is the next key south of Islamorada), just at the end of the bridge, on the right. Feed the massive tarpon from their dock. Seriously – you’re in the Keys, do this.

You might also eat lunch there. I haven’t eaten there, but it’s a convenient option because you’ll be there already.

Marathon – Marathon is the big town in the Middle Keys, and has lots of restaurants, so that would be a second choice for lunch. We ate at the Island Fish Co a few weeks ago and it was okay – nice setting, pretty good food.

Angler & Ale on Duck Key (just before Marathon at MM 61) is better. Just off the highway – across the little bridge and it’s on the left.

Seven Mile Bridge – just past Marathon is this legendary bridge with breathtaking views. Please do NOT stop to take pictures!

*Big Pine Key, Key Deer Refuge – https://www.fws.gov/refuge/National_Key_Deer_Refuge/ This is not a joke. Full grown adult Key Deer (an endangered species) are waist-high to an adult human. Must see. Go into Big Pine and turn right and just drive around. You’ll see them. They’re used to people and will pose for you, but don’t touch them or feed them.

*Looe Key Dive Resort – Ramrod Key (MM 27.3, just before Boondocks) https://www.looekeyreefresort.com/ – the best (by far) snorkel/dive trip in the Keys. Half-day trip ($+/-35 per person, includes equipment) to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Amazing shallow reef with thousands of fish. Google Image Looe Key to see. This trip is worth the drive from Miami!

Do the morning trip on Day 2, and have lunch at Boondocks after. Do NOT eat at Looe Key Resort – nice people, love ‘em to death – don’t eat there. Boondocks is much better.

Boondocks – restaurant/bar on Ramrod Key (MM 27.2). Good place for casual dining if you’re in the area. Good grouper sandwich.

Square Grouper – restaurant on Cudjoe Key (MM 22.6 ) Do NOT eat here – way overpriced, long wait for a table, poor service, mediocre food on their best day. Other than that, it's not very good.

Lodging – I’d do an AirBnB somewhere from Cudjoe Key to Stock Island/Key West. We usually stay on Cudjoe, but next time we're going to stay on Stock Island, which adjoins Key West itself. Stock Island looks pretty cool, and I believe there is free public transportation into Key West, which solves the whole parking problem in KW.

Day 2
Morning – get up early and drive up to Looe Key Dive resort for the 8 AM (?) trip to the reef.

Afternoon – you can either eat lunch at Boondocks, or drive to Key West and eat there. Lots of places to eat in Key West.

Key West must-do’s

• Southernmost Point – MM 0.0 – for the obligatory group picture in front of the buoy at the southernmost point in the continental United States.
• Mallory Square sunset – on the water at the end of Duval Street. As sunset approaches, just follow the crowds walking toward Mallory Square. You’ll see street performers and a beautiful sunset. We usually bring a cooler with stone crabs and champagne. The ultimate Key West experience. Don’t forget to applaud when the sun actually sets.
• If you want to do a sunset cruise instead, we recommend Danger Charters. Good times, good people.

Other places/things to do

There is a lot to see in Key West and one way to see it is via tour bus. The other is by walking the downtown part of Duval Street. In and around Duval Street are the following:

• Mel Fisher Museum – 200 Green Street – https://www.melfisher.org/ I know you don’t want to do museums, but this is a legit treasure-hunter museum! Mel Fisher is the guy widely ridiculed as a nut-case for decades during his search for sunken Spanish treasure galleons…until he found the Atocha! He recovered millions of dollars worth of Spanish gold and other treasures (most of which went to the State of Florida). This is one unique museum worth seeing.
• Margaritaville Key West restaurant – 500 Duval Street. This is Jimmy Buffet’s place, and we actually saw him there last visit. Pretty good food, but at least a place to look in.
• Sloppy Joe’s – Ernest Hemingway’s famous hangout. 201 Duval Street. Stop in for a glass of wine maybe.
• Hog’s Breath Saloon– 400 Front Street, just around the corner from Duval Street.
  • The required purchase here is a teeshirt with their motto: “Hog’s Breath is Better Than No Breath At All!” You know you want that shirt! It’s the classic KW souvenir.
• Half Shell Raw Bar– 231 Margaret Street – this is borderline walkable from Mallory Square, but it would probably be better to drive there. Typical classic, flip-flops optional Keys place. You actually expect to see dirt floors. But the food is very good, and reasonably priced. We eat there every trip to Key West.
  • You can walk next door to Turtle Kraals and see the sea turtles there. Good food too, but the Raw Bar is more fun and less expensive.
  • But it’s okay to just look at the turtles – they do a lot of rescue work, so they like people seeing the turtles.

And finally, a word about the drive back to Miami.

Try to avoid making this a Saturday/Sunday trip. Everything will be much more crowded, but more important, the drive home on Sunday will be an absolute nightmare. Half of Miami goes to the Keys on the weekends, and we all drive back home on Sunday. One recent example:

We recently made a day trip down to Marathon (the halfway point to Key West) to visit DD’s BF’s family. We left mid-afternoon on a Saturday and the 100 mile trip to our home took us 2 1/2 hours. BF’s family didn’t leave until Noon Sunday, and their drive took 6 1/2 hours! No accidents, just bumper to bumper traffic on a two-lane highway most of the way. Avoid a Sunday return drive!

 

[J'aime Paris]

Florida Keys – two day trip

Even if you do the day trip to Everglades NP, you might have enough of Miami Beach in 3 nights. If so, consider a combination Miami Beach/Florida Keys trip. You will need a rental car for the Keys part.

As @shh mentioned above, a Keys trip really needs two days…and that’s scrambling.

Yet another geography lesson: In the Keys, most addresses are referenced by Mile Marker, or the distance from the end of Key West – like MM 88.5.

Here’s how I would do it:

Day 1 – Morning

Rent a car and drive to near Key West. Lots of AirBnB’s from Big Pine Key to Key West. For reference, Big Pine is +/- 30 miles from Key West.

On the way, a couple of stops are *mandatory:

*Robbie’s – https://www.robbies.com/ Lower Matecumbe Key (which is the next key south of Islamorada), just at the end of the bridge, on the right. Feed the massive tarpon from their dock. Seriously – you’re in the Keys, do this.

You might also eat lunch there. I haven’t eaten there, but it’s a convenient option because you’ll be there already.

Marathon – Marathon is the big town in the Middle Keys, and has lots of restaurants, so that would be a second choice for lunch. We ate at the Island Fish Co a few weeks ago and it was okay – nice setting, pretty good food.

Angler & Ale on Duck Key (just before Marathon at MM 61) is better. Just off the highway – across the little bridge and it’s on the left.

Seven Mile Bridge – just past Marathon is this legendary bridge with breathtaking views. Please do NOT stop to take pictures!

*Big Pine Key, Key Deer Refuge – https://www.fws.gov/refuge/National_Key_Deer_Refuge/ This is not a joke. Full grown adult Key Deer (an endangered species) are waist-high to an adult human. Must see. Go into Big Pine and turn right and just drive around. You’ll see them. They’re used to people and will pose for you, but don’t touch them or feed them.

*Looe Key Dive Resort – Ramrod Key (MM 27.3, just before Boondocks) https://www.looekeyreefresort.com/ – the best (by far) snorkel/dive trip in the Keys. Half-day trip ($+/-35 per person, includes equipment) to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Amazing shallow reef with thousands of fish. Google Image Looe Key to see. This trip is worth the drive from Miami!

Do the morning trip on Day 2, and have lunch at Boondocks after. Do NOT eat at Looe Key Resort – nice people, love ‘em to death – don’t eat there. Boondocks is much better.

Boondocks – restaurant/bar on Ramrod Key (MM 27.2). Good place for casual dining if you’re in the area. Good grouper sandwich.

Square Grouper – restaurant on Cudjoe Key (MM 22.6 ) Do NOT eat here – way overpriced, long wait for a table, poor service, mediocre food on their best day. Other than that, it's not very good.

Lodging – I’d do an AirBnB somewhere from Cudjoe Key to Stock Island/Key West. We usually stay on Cudjoe, but next time we're going to stay on Stock Island, which adjoins Key West itself. Stock Island looks pretty cool itself, and I believe there is free public transportation into Key West, which solves the whole parking problem in KW.

Day 2
Morning – get up early and drive up to Looe Key Dive resort for the 8 AM (?) trip to the reef.

Afternoon – you can either eat lunch at Boondocks, or drive to Key West and eat there. Lots of places to eat in Key West.

Key West must-do’s

• Southernmost Point – MM 0.0 – for the obligatory group picture in front of the buoy at the southernmost point in the continental United States.
• Mallory Square sunset – on the water at the end of Duval Street. As sunset approaches, just follow the crowds walking toward Mallory Square. You’ll see street performers and a beautiful sunset. We usually bring a cooler with stone crabs and champagne. The ultimate Key West experience. Don’t forget to applaud when the sun actually sets.
• If you want to do a sunset cruise instead, we recommend Danger Charters. Good times, good people.

Other places/things to do

There is a lot to see in Key West and one way to see it is via tour bus. The other is by walking the downtown part of Duval Street. In and around Duval Street are the following:

• Mel Fisher Museum – 200 Green Street – https://www.melfisher.org/ I know you don’t want to do museums, but this is a legit treasure-hunter museum! Mel Fisher is the guy widely ridiculed as a nut-case for decades during his search for sunken Spanish treasure galleons…until he found the Atocha! He recovered millions of dollars worth of Spanish gold and other treasures (most of which went to the State of Florida). This is one unique museum worth seeing.
• Margaritaville Key West restaurant – 500 Duval Street. This is Jimmy Buffet’s place, and we actually saw him there last visit. Pretty good food, but at least a place to look in.
• Sloppy Joe’s – Ernest Hemingway’s famous hangout. 201 Duval Street. Stop in for a glass of wine maybe.
• Hog’s Breath Saloon– 400 Front Street, just around the corner from Duval Street.
  • The required purchase here is a teeshirt with their motto: “Hog’s Breath is Better Than No Breath At All!” You know you want that shirt! It’s the classic KW souvenir.
• Half Shell Raw Bar– 231 Margaret Street – this is borderline walkable from Mallory Square, but it would probably be better to drive there. Typical classic, flip-flops optional Keys place. You actually expect to see dirt floors. But the food is very good, and reasonably priced. We eat there every trip to Key West.
  • You can walk next door to Turtle Kraals and see the sea turtles there. Good food too, but the Raw Bar is more fun and less expensive.
  • But it’s okay to just look at the turtles – they do a lot of rescue work, so they like people seeing the turtles.

And finally, a word about the drive back to Miami.

Try to avoid making this a Saturday/Sunday trip. Everything will be much more crowded, but more important, the drive home on Sunday will be an absolute nightmare. Half of Miami goes to the Keys on the weekends, and we all drive back home on Sunday. One recent example:

We recently made a day trip down to Marathon (the halfway point to Key West) to visit DD’s BF’s family. We left mid-afternoon on a Saturday and the 100 mile trip to our home took us 2 1/2 hours. BF’s family didn’t leave until Noon Sunday, and their drive took 6 1/2 hours! No accidents, just bumper to bumper traffic on a two-lane highway most of the way. Avoid a Sunday return drive!

More super tips! I really appreciate all your efforts

 

[bcla]

I didn't go there, but a friend recommended Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach.

https://www.joesstonecrab.com

 

[JimMIA]

More super tips! I really appreciate all your efforts

NP. One note about beaches. Miami is the place for beaches. Not many good beaches in the Keys. The beaches there are mostly rocky, and Smathers Beach in Key West is usually nasty with piled up seaweed.

 

[JimMIA]

I didn't go there, but a friend recommended Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach.

https://www.joesstonecrab.com

Right. I mentioned Joe's in a post above. Two keys to Joe's

• Go early. They don't take reservations and they are always slammed. And NO, you can't bribe the Maitre d' for a table! But if you go before 6:30 PM, you'll usually walk right in.
• Bring money. See my post above...4 people for dinner, $550.

And believe it or not, Joe's other famous specialty is fried chicken!

 

[AlohaNow]

My limited, but firsthand, south Florida knowledge:

We stayed at The Chesterfield in Palm Beach about 8 years ago. A fabulous boutique hotel, just be aware the rooms are only queen or king, meaning just one bed. The rooms aren’t huge, but each one is very different and it is charming. We were able to borrow beach chairs and towels for our day on Miami Beach.

Two years ago after a cruise we went to Sawgrass Recreation Park for some gator airboating. Super fun! We also walked around Dania Beach a bit and I’d love to rent a house for a week there. Before the cruise we stayed at the Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale. The beach is just across the street and there are many good hotel options right around there to choose from.

Last month we stayed at Tranquility Bay on Marathon Key. Loved it! It is mostly beach houses but they also have a hotel room side. It really does look just like the pictures online. This was mainly a dive trip, though you can snorkel off a boat as well. DH has 100+ dives and said Looe Key was the best diving he’s ever done, seconding @JimMIA opinion as far as seeing ocean life goes! We also paid $8 for a day at Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key. Grab your snorkel gear and jump on in, with sturdy water shoes! Part of our Key West day was snorkeling off Fort Zachary Taylor SP, entrance fee was maybe $10. Just beautiful.

I’m sure we’ve given you way too much to consider! Most importantly, have fun planning, and enjoy your trip!

 

[shh]

*Looe Key Dive Resort – Ramrod Key (MM 27.3, just before Boondocks) https://www.looekeyreefresort.com/ – the best (by far) snorkel/dive trip in the Keys. Half-day trip ($+/-35 per person, includes equipment) to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Amazing shallow reef with thousands of fish. Google Image Looe Key to see. This trip is worth the drive from Miami!

We keep meaning to try snorkeling with looe key dive resort - enjoyed KL, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West sites, but hear that Looe Key is close to ocean outlet...and tends to attract bigger fish.

 

[shh]

You can walk next door to Turtle Kraals and see the sea turtles there. Good food too, but the Raw Bar is more fun and less expensive.

Turtle Kraals is sadly closed - I so miss the tower bar - gorgeous sunsets from there. Several places closed up shop due to covid. But there's a few new places opening, from what I hear

Everything mentioned in this thread - and much more - can be found on Trip Advisor's Miami and Key West forums - locals there are happy to answer lots of questions and share tips. Just do a search before you post a question, as odds are very likely it's been answered many times.

I've learned a ton, saved a lot of money and had trips that were much more memorable than they would have been, thanks to the contributors on those TA forums.

 

[JaxDad]

Turtle Kraals is sadly closed - I so miss the tower bar - gorgeous sunsets from there. Several places closed up shop due to covid. But there's a few new places opening, from what I hear

Everything mentioned in this thread - and much more - can be found on Trip Advisor's Miami and Key West forums - locals there are happy to answer lots of questions and share tips. Just do a search before you post a question, as odds are very likely it's been answered many times.

I've learned a ton, saved a lot of money and had trips that were much more memorable than they would have been, thanks to the contributors on those TA forums.

I read about Turtle Kraals closing on the TA forums. Very sad. It was my go-to place for many years when I used to visit Key West more often, and when it was still primarily a bar and much less touristy. They used to have pool tables and the big enclosures with rehabilitating sea turtles. I visited a couple years ago with my kids and did the turtle races with Clark Whitt (who I heard passed last year). I'll actually be in Key West all next week for work. I'm looking forward to cruising around town in my time off.

 

[JimMIA]

We keep meaning to try snorkeling with looe key dive resort - enjoyed KL, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West sites, but hear that Looe Key is close to ocean outlet...and tends to attract bigger fish.

You really have to try it -- it's the best in the Keys, by far.

I don't know about the inlet part. As you know, all of the Middle Keys and much of the Lower Keys are pretty open between the Atlantic and Florida Bay. Looe Key is not far from Seven Mile Bridge, but the whole area is mostly water. A satellite view of the area really puts things in perspective.

I think there are a couple of things that set Looe Key apart. One, of course, is that it's a National Marine Sanctuary, so everything there is protected. There's no anchoring -- only a limited number of mooring buoys -- so that keeps human density down. It's also a ways offshore -- it's a good 30 minute ride.

But I think the biggest attraction there is the topography itself. It's kind of right on the edge where the bottom really starts to slope downward. If you've done Molasses Reef off Key Largo, that's a similar situation although Molasses might be a little deeper. The reef itself is a shallow finger reef. The top of the reef is awash at low tide, and the bottom is only about 25-30 feet deep at low tide, so it attracts a lot of smaller species.

But it's close enough to deeper water that you get bigger stuff too -- we always see several sharks (the crew calls one of their mooring spots "Shark Alley"), and there is one enormous Goliath Grouper who loves to sit under the boat at one mooring site. DD and I had an enormous spotted eagle ray swim almost directly over us -- and we were snorkeling! I swear that thing had a 10-foot wingspan!

 

[J'aime Paris]

My limited, but firsthand, south Florida knowledge:

We stayed at The Chesterfield in Palm Beach about 8 years ago. A fabulous boutique hotel, just be aware the rooms are only queen or king, meaning just one bed. The rooms aren’t huge, but each one is very different and it is charming. We were able to borrow beach chairs and towels for our day on Miami Beach.

Two years ago after a cruise we went to Sawgrass Recreation Park for some gator airboating. Super fun! We also walked around Dania Beach a bit and I’d love to rent a house for a week there. Before the cruise we stayed at the Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale. The beach is just across the street and there are many good hotel options right around there to choose from.

Last month we stayed at Tranquility Bay on Marathon Key. Loved it! It is mostly beach houses but they also have a hotel room side. It really does look just like the pictures online. This was mainly a dive trip, though you can snorkel off a boat as well. DH has 100+ dives and said Looe Key was the best diving he’s ever done, seconding @JimMIA opinion as far as seeing ocean life goes! We also paid $8 for a day at Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key. Grab your snorkel gear and jump on in, with sturdy water shoes! Part of our Key West day was snorkeling off Fort Zachary Taylor SP, entrance fee was maybe $10. Just beautiful.

I’m sure we’ve given you way too much to consider! Most importantly, have fun planning, and enjoy your trip!

View attachment 537537

Thank you for the info! So many helpful tips!!!
And great photo of The Golden Girls