I am excited to share with you all my Miami travel guide from a couple of weekends ago when I was there celebrating my 30th birthday. I had never been to Miami and had always wanted to see what it was all about. There has been some great articles on the food, nightlife, and of course can’t forget the beaches that are there as well. I ended up going with my 2 girlfriends and it was so much fun for a quick escape. We ended up staying just 2 nights which I think was perfect for this town. The weather was great, people watching was even better, and to celebrate a 30th birthday there was perfect. I have put together the places we went to, where we stayed, and where we ate.

To Stay

I would highly recommend staying at a hotel while you are here in Miami. There are lots of AirBNB as well, but the majority of them are high rises that are downtown. I had looked at potential beach houses as well if there was going to be a big group, but there are not many at all. I liked the idea of staying at a hotel that had a restaurant, bar, and a pool that was right on the beach. I had heard about South Beach and knew I wanted to stay more at Mid Beach that was a little more quiet and the hotels a little more nicer. I am so glad that we did stay in Mid Beach and was satisfied with our hotel. We couldn’t beat the price of it too!

• The Confidante $: This is the hotel that we stayed at and I really liked it. What drew me into it was the colorful decor and rooms and that it was right on the beach. We knew that we wanted to be able to hang out all day on the beach after brunch on our full day there. This hotel had all of the amenities including a great balcony that we would sip our coffee in the morning and look over the pool and the beach. They have a nice bar, a great pool area complete with cabanas, and their own private section on the beach. This is what we loved about it was that we walked out on the beachand there were nice lounge chairs with great umbrellas for us too. Also, we scored a great deal and it was only about $130 per person for the entire weekend which was such a great deal.
• Foutainebleau $$$:  This was the other hotel that I had looked at when booking our trip. It was a couple of blocks away from The Confidante, and is very sleek and modern. It is famous for the nightclub Liv which we did try to get into on our first night there. The rooms aesthetic look very clean with cool crisp whites throughout. It is also one of the hotels that has direct access to the beach as well. The price and the more fun decor pieces of the Confidante is what changed my mind about not staying here.

To Eat

Miami has some really great food. Of course they have a lot of Cuban influence, but you can get anything from tacos to some great sushi here. Depending on what area you are in, I will say that the food and drink prices range but are very similar to Vegas prices. There are several different sections of Miami that have different things that they offer.

• Coyo Taco: A great taco place is always a must in every city right?! This was located in Wynwood Arts area and has a long menu of various tacos. It was a great place that had cheap prices and authentic flavors. There was already a long line when we got there which was at afternoon time. It seems like this place is popping at all hours which for sure says something about it.
• Yardbird: I had several recommendations to go here in Miami. We had so many other places to go to on the list, that we didn’t get to go here. I have been to the one in Vegas though and loved it. It is your typical Southern place complete with fried chicken and fried tomatoes type thing. This would for sure be a good place to have a decadent brunch as well.
• Marion:  This is where we really celebrated my birthday dinner on Saturday night when we got in. It is super cute inside with an old Hollywood glam meets Miami flair to it. It is for sure one of those places where the people watching is a must and so worth it there. There is a roped off area before you even get in where they make sure your name is on the list. Inside there are lots of tables, a DJ, a great bar, and even better service. I always wonder how the service is going to be at a place like this, but was very happy and surprised at the great service. They are known for their sushi which is really good and unique. We had to splurge and get the sushi with wagyu beef that they prepare table side. Their other rolls are great as well and their shrimp too. When it is a special event or you order a bottle, they come out with sparklers which of course is a nice added touch!
• Bagatelle: We didn’t get to go to this restaurant because we picked Palace for brunch the day we were debating between here or another place. Their food is French/American and I hear that the Sunday brunch is over the top. I think for Miami and especially celebrating a 30th birthday, that it is nice to go visit some over the top places whether it is the music, food, or anything else that makes it really unique. Their tartare and ceviche looked good, and I will for sure have to go here next time.
• Cecconi’s:  This was our dinner place on our last night and I was so impressed. It was completely opposite from the first place that we went to. It was a cute quant place that was like a little garden complete with twinkling lights, pillows, and some of the best Italian food. I would highly recommend this for a place that you can relax at after a long day at the beach. We ordered calamari, a pizza, and some wine and for sure had plenty and it was so yummy.

To Do

When we were in Miami, I wanted to be able to go and explore and do some things that looked so much fun in pictures. Miami is one of those places that has many different areas just like Houston, but it is not all just beaches too. We of course stayed in Miami Beach because we had never been before, but also were able to go to South Beach, Brickell, Wynwood, and downtown area as well.

• Visit the Wynwood Walls: This was the first place we went to after checking into our hotel. Wynwood is a whole area that isn’t just 1 street. It has the designated area of where the actual Wynwood walls are, but there are blocks and blocks of unique art work that are around. My favorite pieces were actually several blocks outside of the Wynwood area. There are also a couple different little museums that you can walk into within the Wynwood area as well. All of this is free and is a must if you like some great wall art.
• Go to a Club: If you are like us, then you had heard that Miami has some of the best clubs and nightlife in the US. Also if you are like us, then the club scene is really not your scene. We decided to try to go to Liv which was probably the number one club. It was a weird process to even get to where you could pay. You had to know a promoter or have a table or something that none of us had. Also it was a $100 cover which we were not about to pay for either. There was another club that was the same way too. I would recommend trying one, but ask your hotel as well if they have any information on any.
• See a Drag Show Brunch at Palace: I have seen several drag shows both in Houston and in Palm Springs. I think they are always fun and the makeup, outfits, and dancing is always really good. Having a brunch with unlimited mimosas just makes this 10 times more fun. We had heard great things about Palace and decided to check it out. The price is worth it for unlimited mimosas, steak and eggs and the show for $45. The restaurant, outdoor area, and even the sidewalk are taken over by dancing. We sat inside, but the action seems more outside and especially since people start lining up on the sidewalks as well. This is a fun activity for any type of celebration as well.
• Enjoy the Beach: After the drag show brunch, we decided to spend the day chilling on the beach. Our hotel had offered some complimentary towels, chairs, and umbrellas which is nice. We decided to stay in the more chill part of the beach which was Mid Beach. I hear South Beach is for sure great for people watching if you decided to do that as well. After we had just way too many mimosas at brunch, we wanted something more chill that we could take a nap at too.
• Rent Some Bikes: We decided to either Uber or walk everywhere, but there were lots of places where you could rent some bikes to explore. A lot of the hotels offer free rentals and they are the cutest vintage bikes to cruise around in. Remember when I rented some in Palm Springs?!

To Drink

I feel like you can’t go on vacation without having a cocktail and letting yourself relax right! There are so many bars around Miami in the different places where we visited and all of them were very unique. They have everything from authentic Cuban cocktails to rose that is $34 a glass….yep we experienced this. What is nice about the time that we went was that it felt perfect to be able to sit outside and enjoy a drink without being too hot.

• Miami Mojito Company: This was a little tiki bar that was my favorite spot. We came here after exploring the art in Wynwood and were not disappointed. Obviously their speciality was all mojitos. I have had an authentic one when I visited Cuba, and I would highly recommend this place which was just as good. It was as if we stepped into a whole other place when we walked in. The bartenders cracked me up with their dancing, and it was a fun vibe for just being 3 pm on a Saturday.
• The Dirty Rabbit: We saw this place after we were about to leave to go check into our hotel. There were actually promoters that had a coupon for a free drink, so we took them up on the offer. This was like a normal bar that probably would get kind of clubby at night. It was in the afternoon and there was a DJ, but we were more mesmerized by the cool decor. Between the old fashioned TVS, and then the old pay phones, just stopping in was worth it.
• El Tucan: This was for sure a dinner party vibe in here. We came here as it was right next door to the Marion restaurant that we went to on the first night. We had already eaten so we just grabbed drinks here and watched the entertainment. There was a singer singing Diana Ross and then a burlesque performance as well. I will say that the drinks are not cheap here though, but it is a fun place.

We had a great time in Miami and I would recommend going if you haven’t been before. There is a lot to do and different areas to explore. I think a weekend is the perfect amount of time to be able to get a glimpse of what this city can offer. I would highly recommend it for a celebration, and let me know if you have any questions on anything else.