We didn’t spend very long in Miami (just two nights), so it was difficult to fully appreciate all the vices! It was the most culturally different place we visited on our American road trip. We were really surprised to discover that Spanish is more widely spoken here than English (we were greeted in Spanish upon entering most shops).
The Lonely Planet sums up Miami (and particularly Lincoln Road Mall, pictured above), as about seeing and being seen. They say there are times when the Mall feels less like a road and more like a runway! There were certainly some great shops here and some wonderful multicultural restaurants which made a nice break from typical American fare.
As well as the shopping and dining, Miami is of course very well known for its Art Deco buildings. I was excited to see these – the Art Deco historic district at South Beach is justifiably famous, with 800 of the buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. There are a lot of restaurants and hotels here where you can dine al fresco and people-watch. There is a constant stream of hip people and cars parading past (although he had to be pointed out to us by fellow diners, we even saw Alex Rodriguez – Jennifer Lopez’s boyfriend drive past in a very flash car).
As well as exploring Miami Beach we made a half day trip out of town to experience the Everglades. We got to take a ride on an airboat, which although super noisy was a novel way to explore what the Native Americans call the “River of Grass”. It was also a good chance to spot some alligators from a distance (of course)!
We only just scraped the surface of what Miami has to offer and will have to return another day to really understand what makes the place tick. For now, though, it was back on the road again, next stop New Orleans!