Miami recommendations?

[Brian Legge]

My wife and I are going to Miami next week to escape the dreariness of Seattle. Its the first time for both of us. At the moment we're just looking forward to better weather, a change of scenery and Cuban food.

Anything we should be sure to see or do? On the photography front, are there any areas that tend to be more interesting?

 

[Dwig]

My wife and I are going to Miami next week to escape the dreariness of Seattle. Its the first time for both of us. At the moment we're just looking forward to better weather, a change of scenery and Cuban food.

Anything we should be sure to see or do? On the photography front, are there any areas that tend to be more interesting?

If you'll have some time and a car I would suggest a drive down through the Keys. Miami to Key West is a good 4 hours, hard to do a round trip in a day, but a drive as far a Marathon and back would leave some time to do some shooting.

IMHO, Miami itself isn't very great. Miami Beach and the other communities around Miami that hug the coastline are where the interest is. The weather here in Key West has been rather nice, highs between 75F and 82F and lows only occasionally dipping slightly below 70F. It has been a rather wet December with some light rain for a short time about 1/3 of the days. Normally December is bone dry. Miami runs about 5 degress cooler than KW this time of year.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

From Miami, I think the number one photo destination is Shark Valley. Bring 300mm equivalent lens, you won't need the heavy iron, and enjoy the birds at close range. Less than one hour from Miami.

p.s. No sharks. No valley. But that's the name. The most accessible part of the Everglades.

 

[Pablito]

Coral Gables if you want to see bizarre USA.

 

[tjh]

The Wynwood section of Miami, right north of downtown is a mecca for graffiti/street art. I go there often to photograph. Outside Miami, one of my favorite places is Alabama Jack's, a waterfront bar isolated on Card Sound Road, on a side route to the Florida Keys. This can be combined with a day trip to the Everglades Park. Shark Valley is a different part of Everglades Park, off of US 41. If you go a bit further, you can take a gravel road through one of the most beautiful places in S. Florida - loop road in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Of course, there is Miami Beach (South Beach). Where are you staying? In any case, send me a msg and I'll give you my email and phone.

Tom

 

[RedLion]

http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/

 

[tjh]

Vizcaya Museum is great - a mansion used as an art museum and wonderful gardens. You can take photos on the grounds but not inside the museum. The only thing I think worth visiting in Coral Gables is the Venetian Pool - a coral rock (limestone really) pool.

I'm highly biased but if I were going to choose two days of interesting trips I'd say

#1) Drive to Alabama Jack's for lunch, then to the main road in Everglades Nat'l Park to Anhinga Trail for birds and alligators. You could stop at Robert Is Here on the way out of the park for famous milk shakes and buy some exotic fruit to eat later. Burr's Berry Farm is also a good choice for its famous strawberry milk shakes.

#2) Wynwood to take pictures of the graffiti and street art. Lunch at Wynwood Kitchen and Bar or Joey's.

Tom

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Useful links are:

http://www.coralgables.com/index.aspx?page=167 (Venetian Pool)
http://www.robertishere.com/ (Robert Is Here)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/alabama-jacks-key-largo (Alabama Jack's)
http://www.knausberryfarm.com (Knaus Berry Farm)
http://www.burrsberryfarm.com (Burr's Berry Farm)
http://thewynwoodwalls.com (Wynwood Walls)
http://www.wynwoodkitchenandbar.com/home.html (Wynwood Kitchen and Bar)
http://www.joeyswynwood.com/menus.html (Joey's Wynwood)

 

[tjh]

More links:

http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1925375_1925379_1925400_last,00.html (Time Travel - Best of Miami)

http://www.redlandriot.com/PDF/RedlandRiotMap2011.pdf (Good map to locate Burr's Berry Farm, Robert Is Here, on the way to the main road in Everglades National Park)

 

[kshapero]

Sounds like a drab deal but it isn't. Stay at the Marriott Courtyard in Miami Beach (On Washington St). It is not what you think. It is a converted, inexpensive, for MB, funky hotel in the heart of MB's Cuban district. Lot's of restaurants, the real deal. Tourists rarely get there. And you are about 3 blocks from South Beach and it doesn't get any weirder than that.