24 Hours in Miami

In my years with the government I learned that no matter where you go an interesting evening is never far away. In the next few articles I will be covering overnight layovers in various cities. For this initial article I will cover my very own backyard: Miami, Florida.

Miami has changed so much in the last few decades, from a retirement community to a sexy trendy metropolis. This city now has one of the most bountiful day-time and night lives around.

Lets get to lodging; There are no shortages of hotels in Miami, for those that have a little time and deeper wallets the Mandarin is an amazing stay. If you stay there you will not need to leave the hotel to enjoy your layover, between the phenomenal restaurants and outrageous spa the only thing that may happen is miss your next flight and extend your stay.

But for the road warrior there is a little more realistic pricing and lodging available, for this I would recommend the Miami Airport Hilton or the Sofitel both of these hotels are only a few minutes (less than 5) from the airport and have great morning breakfasts.

After checking in your hotel, ensure to take one of the shuttles to South Beach a staple of Miami. If you get there early enough lunch and people watching at the News Café or Mangos are a must, either will provide great food at reasonable prices. The News Café has more Italian style plates, and a great bruschetta. Mango's has a great Continental/Latin fusion seafood fare.

While in South Beach you can enjoy great shopping, more bars than anyone can visit on a single visit and most at night have live music. Enjoy anything and everything, just look at their boards they will show what entertainment they will have. Thee great thing about visiting during a weekday is that you can avoid the weekend crowds that make Mardi Gras look like an accounting convention.

For dinner, there is an excellent place right by your hotels, The Catch of the Day, their seafood is amazing and its impossible to go wrong with the menu. My recommendation though are the ceviche for appetizer, the lobster bisque and the deep fried whole snapper and there you have a meal for a king, queen and a few jester and the best part is the whole thing will only run about $30.00 with tip and all.

Other options are catching a show at the Adrian Arsht Opera House or Dade County Auditorium. When you check in check the hotel's concierge they can assist and get great prices on tickets. When you return to your hotel you will have gotten a flavor injection of the soul of Miami in less than 12 hours.

Please stay tuned for other great locations from a true "Road Warrior".