Miami in a Day

Our first stop on our America in a Day tour took us to marvelous Miami, (*cue Welcome to Miami*). This vibrant city might seem like a place for the rich and famous to vacation, but as we learned, it is possible to go to Miami on a budget in one day! We decided on a flight on American Airlines that left early in the morning, and got back late in the evening. The flight went well, and ended up being under $230 roundtrip! As we arrived at the airport, it was like we had landed in a new and exotic land.

To leave the airport, we decided on taking an Uber. There is some controversy in Florida about the use of Uber, but we did not experience any issues. Neither of us had an Uber account before, so taking advantage of the promo code RideThereAA20, we were able to save $20 on our first trip. Using this code, we were able to travel to and from the airport for a total of $1.66. Definitely be sure to look up promo codes if you want to use Uber, or any ride program like that. 

Miami is a very large city, so you can't walk around and see it all in one day. Taxi's are expensive, so that wasn't an option, and parking is horrible so renting a car wouldn't have been worth it. What's left to get around the city? A bicycle. We rented bikes from Bike and Roll Miami at the Bayfront location. There was some confusion at first with this location, as we could not find it. Upon trying to return our bikes, we found out that all the locations were closed(an hour before they were suppose to) and we were left locking the bikes outside the front of the store. Besides that, the bikes were a great idea. Miami is very bike accessible, and there are bike racks all over the city! Our only change would be to use the Citi Bike Share Program. There are stations in the city and beach, plus the prices were the same(around $26). Make sure to bring your own bike lock. Those bikes also had lights on them, so it could be ridden at night. 

Once we had bikes, we headed to the Miami Design District and Wynwood Walls. The trip from Bayside to the design district wasn't too long, but you do start to ride through some non-touristy parts. It wasn't unsafe, but it wasn't what you typically think of when you go to Miami. Once we arrived at the design district, it really wasn't what we expected. Either we missed something, or it wasn't that exciting. 

While the design district was a little lack luster, the Wynwood Walls were vibrantly brilliant! It turns out that we didn't make it to the actual park, but the walls we did see were intricately designed by the artists. 

After the colorful walls, we decided to leave downtown and head over to Miami Beach. The bike ride was slightly long, but definitely worth it. The views of the extravagant mansions, pristine water, and rich and famous lifestyle is definitely something to be admired. 

Beautiful structures at the Mary and Howard Frank Plaza

More structures from Mary and Howard Frank Plaza

Once we were across and in Miami Beach, we decided to get lunch. While we were originally looking for something Cuban, our hungry stomachs could not wait anymore and we ended up in a highly reviewed Italian/Argentinian cafe, Cafe Charlotte. It lived up to the great reviews on Yelp. We ordered cheese ravioli in marinara sauce, and penne in vodka sauce. The cost for lunch came to around $17 for one person. Also it should be noted that tip was included, so if you go here be aware of that. 

After eating(we are about half way through the day at this point) we decided to go sit down and enjoy the beauty of the beach. We headed to the ever famous South Beach to take in the beautiful views. 

While we were thinking of staying longer at the beach, we decided to walk around and see the art deco buildings, but also find a nice cafe to sit in and plan out the rest of our day.(At this point we realized we had gotten sunburnt-key tip BRING SUNSCREEN). On our walk to the cafe, we experienced the unique art deco buildings. The pastel colors and building designs exclusive to Miami were definitely a sight to experience, but during the daylight it isn't as interesting as one might think. Viewing these buildings at night was definitely more visually appealing. 

Instead of a cafe, like we were hoping, we got gelato at Mammamia. It was deliciously decadent, and there were numerous flavors. It turns out that it is a chain of gelato stores unique to Italy, and this is the first one in the US! We tried the Kit-Kat, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Mango, and Raspberry. While it was a little pricey(~$6 for a small cup), it was worth it. 

After our gelato, we headed over to Lincoln Road Mall to check out the stores and take in more of the beach. This pedestrian only outdoor mall had a large selection of high end stores, and many different types of restaurants. From Cuban, Italian, American, there were restaurants for everyone's taste! There was also a Dylan's Candy Bar, which we definitely took the time to look around in. This lively candy store had something for everyone from the typical gummy bears, to Harry Potter and Star Wars themed candy. 

After our Lincoln Road Mall excursion(it's about 6:20pm at this point), we decided to go watch the sunset. We didn't leave as much time as we originally hoped, as we were really sprinting to watch the sun go down, but we ended up at South Pointe Park. This gorgeous park was filled with joggers, families, and even some circus performers/acrobats practicing their moves as the sunset. This park is  a must see if you are in Miami. The unique landscape and views were unbeatable, and its free! 

                                      

We spent quite some time at the park, and finally it was time to make our way back to the airport. Miami was quite the city. The Art Deco buildings, white sandy beaches, luxurious lifestyles of the rich, and fantastic restaurants(that would make any foodie drool) are definitely something that should be experienced by all at some point. Even the airport has great food, and was upscale! A small suggestion is to eat at La Carreta Restaurant(Terminal D gate 37). This Cuban style restaurant was very tasty, and the perfect way to end our day. Our first "city in a day" adventure was a 95% success as the bikes proved a small issue,(Plus we ended up looking like little lobsters-thanks Miami sun-) but it was totally worth it and we were able to see that our plan of seeing cities, and America, in a day could work out! 

What spots did we miss in Miami that you would have gone to? We would love to read your comments! Our next adventure is Seattle, so be on the look out for that post. If you want to see more pictures be sure to follow us on Instagram @americainaday! The map below shows all the places we went to in Miami, and you can follow our general route!

Blue skies,

L&K 

#americainaday