Apr 21, 2024

Desire for The Sunshine City

We planned a three-day trip to South Florida to escape some of the gloomy nature we had been experiencing in Ohio. But as much as we plan a beach getaway, sometimes the weather decides to do its own thing. The storms that we experienced while in Miami and Miami Beach were wild! Record rainfall and flooding was impeding on festival goers and spring breakers trying to also enjoy a bit of their escape. All of this was a reminder to breathe and know we’re still going to make memories.

During the one-and-a-half days of rain, we decided to check out the incredible cafes and museums. And after that, we had sunshine for the rest of our vacation! The beach was absolutely beautiful, with the Atlantic Ocean showing off its magnificent turquoise-blue hues. We were able to appreciate the sunrise welcoming in our final day, which was so nice to see from the oceanfront balcony at the Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort.

Where to stay

Miami Beach has some of the most beautiful Art Deco architecture (some buildings are now 100 years old), and the palm tree-laden streetscapes can be enjoyed by walking or taking the free trolleys, offering four unique loops. If you’re driving, be prepared to pay for parking through various apps and websites. Regardless of that, we found the Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort to be centrally located to nearly everything we enjoyed (nothing was more than 20 minutes away).

The resort offered a clean room with incredible views of the beach and ocean, and the bed was incredibly comfortable to return to each night. The Beachwalk (boardwalk) is right off the resort’s pool deck and is a promenade for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists that stretches 9 miles along the oceanfront. Take in a seaside stroll right from the hotel and see all the unique Art Deco designed lifeguard stations, as well! Best Western Plus Atlantic Beach Resort offers value for families and leisure travelers wanting to be footsteps away from all the fun Miami and Miami Beach offers.

What to see

Miami has more than beautiful beaches and has some incredible attractions to enjoy while the weather isn’t ideal to be outside.\

Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)

• Its modern steel, glass, and wood exterior is abundantly covered with hanging and suspended plants. It is on the Biscayne Bay near PortMiami, or the Cruise Capital of the World.
• If you can, be sure to check out the sculpture garden (we even braved the rain for this).
• While we were there, the special exhibit was Yayoi Kusama LOVE IS CALLING, one of the largest of her infinity room experiences. This event has now passed.

Frost Museum of Science

• Right next door to PAMM, and sharing a parking ramp, you will find the beautiful indoor/outdoor Frost Museum of Science.
• See sharks and take in an out of this world experience in the planetarium. They offer something for everyone’s curiosity. The aquariums are really great, allowing you to take in the sea life from all perspectives!
• Views of the city and port abound as you go from the top down.

Wynwood Neighborhood

• Appreciate the graffiti street art everywhere.
• This is pretty amazing to see. So much creativity and color!
• Shops, restaurants and clubs are numerous here, too.

South Pointe Park

• South of South Beach, we stopped by South Pointe Park for a walk along the path of the channel and out to the pier.
• Get up close to watch cruise ships take leisure travelers out to see.

Miami Beach Beaches

• You will find umbrellas and chairs to rent along many of the white sandy beaches.
• Take note of the flags flying at the lifeguard stations to be sure it’s safe to swim with surf conditions. When you are able to enjoy the ocean safely, the salt water is clean and feels so good to swim in!

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

• Take in Miami’s Home, built as a winter retreat for the late industrialist James Deering over 100 years ago. You will feel like you’re walking through the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby.
• Waltz the gardens of glory, terraces, and waterfront. Don’t miss the dock.
• The home was an entertainer’s paradise. The courtyard and loggias would have been filled with the most elegant of soirees during the time Mr. Deering was alive.

Where to eat + drink

Greater Miami is an international culinary mecca. In fact, the food and beverage scene is reason enough to visit! Here are some of our favorite spots we checked out while in town:

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar

• We started our first day here. We were impressed with their latte art. Then the signature cortado was perfect.
• Baguette breakfast sandwiches were delicious.

Tinta y Cafe

• A Cuban cafe that you must try. It is intimate yet has an open kitchen.
• Tinta y Cafe is a place to disconnect from technology, and appreciate each other’s company.
• The cafe con leche was delightful. We enjoyed the breakfast sandwiches with ham, swiss cheese and jam (one of us chose guava, the other chose tomato).
• Then we shared a Nutella croissant and guava pastries, which were the perfect end.
• Our server Joyce welcomed us kindly and wanted us to come back!

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen

• In the Wynwood neighborhood, Dukunoo provides diners with a really upbeat indoor/outdoor space. This lively atmosphere has reggae music playing and the bartenders and servers were even singing along!
• Try the delicious jerk chicken. You won’t be sorry!

27 Restaurant

• We found this hidden gem to be very eclectic. It looks like a guest house at Freehand Miami and has a nice covered patio space.
• Shared an excellent salad topped with squash and ricotta. Then it was onto their 27-layer oxtail lasagna, which was simply amazing!

Ichimi Ramen Bar

• Slurped some noodles on a cooler day for lunch
• Walked around after eating, as The Shops at Midtown Miami offer a little bit of everything

Piola

• We really enjoyed dining here with our server Gloriana. The Diavolo pizza was fabulous, with a light crust and flavor that left us wanting more!
• For dessert, we shared a slice of tiramisu that was perfectly fluffy with ladyfingers soaked in good espresso!

Why do we travel?

We love adventure together. Learning is also a pillar for us, and it’s always so interesting to glean a new perspective when visiting places and taking it all in. Regardless of the weather, we find activities to do and positivity within the moment. We reflect on these experiences and find inspiration in design specific to each place, how it’s unique and similar to others, and how to bring it into our home.

The value we find in staying with Best Western Hotels and Resorts allows us to get out more because we’re not breaking the bank on accommodations alone. The locations are convenient, the beds are comfortable, and the rooms are always clean. In a nutshell, we don’t travel just for the hotel room. We travel for the memories and quality time as a family.