December 19, 2015 ---- Our Florida trip came to an end in Miami. We were enjoying the warm weather, great Cuban food, and all the beautiful places we went to during this trip. Miami was our last stop before heading to SC to celebrate Christmas with family. Although we stayed there just for one night, we actually got to see many major tourist sites. Florida is a wonderful state and has a lot to offer, but I think Miami is just okay. Nothing like NYC or SF.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Nathan and I left Florida City early enough to get to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens before 10 a.m. The traffic wasn't so bad on Saturday morning either. There was a lot of free parking spots when got there, but it was quite full when we left around noon. The line to the ticket booth and the entrance to the villa was quite long and slow, but we eventually got in after 10 - 15 minutes of waiting.
Nathan and I rented an audio tour of the estate at the ticket booth. I don't remember how long the tour was, but it was quite enjoyable. We started at the gardens first because the villa was already crowded that morning. The audio tour came with a walking map.
The gardens were beautiful and the weather was just perfect when we were there. The estate really reminded me of Europe, and I learned later that the owner was inspired by his trip to Europe and wanted to build a home the way the wealthy Europeans did then.
After we finished touring in the gardens, we went inside the villa. There were many rooms to see and learn about. Most of the antiques were bought and shipped from Europe. The audio tour explained each room with great information. There are also some displays or signs you can read if you don't have an audio tour.
Nathan and I spent about two hours to finish the tour of the estate. It was well worth the visit, and I highly recommend anyone to go there if you are in Miami.
Little Havana
At around lunch time we drove to Little Havana to have some authentic Cuban food. I found an interesting place called "El Nuevo Siglo Supermarket" on Yelp.com which got great reviews, so we decided to eat there. The restaurant was nothing fancy. It's located in a supermarket and has very few tables. A lot of people just sat at the bar or got take-out. Luckily Nathan and I got a table almost immediately, so we could enjoy the food more.
The server didn't speak English at all, but somehow we understood each other. The menu wasn't that complicated, and I ordered "Boliche Beef." I didn't really know what it was, but everything was DELICIOUS! Cuban food has become my favorite now, especially the fried plantain.
After lunch we strolled along the main street in Little Havana. There were some interesting shops selling souvenirs. We didn't hang out too long because we ran out of coins to pay for the parking.
Lunch at El Nuevo Siglo Supermarket
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| Boliche Beef |
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| The BEST black bean soup ever! |
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| Grilled shredded beef |
Downtown Miami
Nathan and I checked in early at our hotel in Downtown Miami. We stayed at River Park Hotel & Suites because it was cheap and in a convenient location. We didn't expect to get into the room right away, but we wanted to leave our rental car at the hotel and explore Downtown on foot. The valet parking was $25/day.
After settling in our room, we walked straight to History Miami to learn about the city. I really liked this museum and am glad we made it there. Miami wasn't bustling as I expected, but I guess it was the weekend and most shops were closed, so people weren't hanging around. Anyway, I liked Miami fair enough, and its history was interesting, especially about the aboriginal people.
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| The view from our room |
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| Metro Mover |
History Miami
Miami South Beach
No one comes to Miami without visiting its famous South Beach. Although it was extremely windy when we were there and so difficult to walk on the sand, we somehow managed to walk at least half a mile along the clear, light-blue water. It was stunning! The beach was so big and the water was quite clean. I could imagine on a beautiful sunny day, this beach must be super-crowded.
After visiting the beach, we just drove around to see some neighborhoods and the bustling streets. There was a ton of great sit-in restaurants and several night clubs and bars for people who love night life. Nathan and I didn't want anything fancy, so we just went for a simple Mexican place called "Alma Mexicana." The reviews on Yelp.com were great, but I was a little disappointed with my chile relleno. It was just too cheesy.
Overall, our day in Miami was great fun. My favorite was History Miami, and Nathan's was the Vizcaya. I don't know when we will have a chance to go there again, but I know that I will miss Cuban food more than anything.
Dinner at Alma Mexicana
