Must do in Miami

[uop1497]

We are here at Palm Aire . My husband want to see Miami too . Can you please suggest what must see and do in Miami area . Thank you

To update you on my fly . All advices I received on that thread are correct . My fly was depart 30 minutes late due to computer problem .

I arrived to Charlotte late and walked off this plane and boarded another right next gate on time ( because the other fly delayed 10 minutes in waiting for us, I think so at this point), 10 minutes later, my connect fly departed Charlotte . A lot of people who flew into to Detroit, Boston , Virginia were missed their connection fly. Also, the head bin fits fit my carry on luggage . However, No room left, so they checked my carry on luggage at the boarding gates .

My only complaint is waiting almost 2 hrs to pick up Alamo rental car . Very long lines at MIA airport

 

[chriskre]

I live in Miami so my must do list for visitors would include:

1. A visit to South beach and Ocean drive. Have lunch a an outdoor cafe and do a little people watching. You may just see someone famous.

2. Visit Bayside marketplace and possibly take one of the harbor tours.

3. If you haven't been to the beach yet then definitely visit one. A good one is Cape Florida on key Biscayne or my favorite Hollywood beach.

4. You gotta have Cuban food somewhere. There are lots of choices in Dade and Broward. Ask for a recommendation at the resort.

5. Vizcaya is a nice few hours spent as is Bonnet House.

6. Take the duck tour or do the Coral Gables trolley. I'm sure there is some type of hop-on and hop-off bus. Haven't done it personally but might be a good way to navigate the city if you're not wanting to deal with parking issues.

7. Seaquarium if you like whale and dolphin shows. Parrot Jungle Island if you like parrots.

8. Take the watertaxi in Ft. Lauderdale to see all the waterfront mansions and yachts of the rich and famous.

9. If you like golf visit Doral.

I'm sure others will chime in with their must dos.

 

[Talent312]

The last poster pretty much covered it, but I would add:

-- A day trip into the Everglades, entering either thru Homestead (which is also near Biscayne National Park) or Shark Valley (with a tram tour).

-- Lunch or an evening out in Coconut Grove, a/k/a "The Grove," a venerable section of Miami. A few miles South of Viscaya (not to be missed), its the oldest (1825) and greenest community in Miami.

"Local favorites include Atchana's Kitchen, Bice, Calamari, Greenstreets cafe, Lulu's, Foccacia Rustica, Jaguar, Georges, le Bouchon, Cafe Pop, Spartico, Panorama, Charthouse and Monty's Raw Bar. There are plenty of chain franchises as well, such as The Cheesecake Factory, Chili's and Johnny Rockets. By night, the Grove becomes a center of nightlife frequented by young professionals and students..."
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_Grove

 

[chriskre]

I agree with Talent, Coconut Grove is worth a visit if you have time.
They've got some nice bayfront restaurants like Monty's, Chart house and a few others. A stroll thru the village and the eclectic shops is worth doing.

If you like Botanical gardens then you might enjoy Fairchild tropical gardens too.

 

[uop1497]

Chris , Talent

Thanks for to do list

We are done with water taxi and Everglades tour . I wish I know someone in the large mansion facing the water so that we can take a tour of their big house and yatch

We plan to go to Miami tomorrow . DH can not find the self parking in his GPS for (South beach and Ocean drive and Bayside marketplace) . Can you please let us know where could we park in these locations .

Also, Is Miami beach and South beach the same place ?

 

[chriskre]

Chris , Talent

Thanks for to do list

We are done with water taxi and Everglades tour . I wish I know someone in the large mansion facing the water so that we can take a tour of their big house and yatch

We plan to go to Miami tomorrow . DH can not find the self parking in his GPS for (South beach and Ocean drive and Bayside marketplace) . Can you please let us know where could we park in these locations .

Also, Is Miami beach and South beach the same place ?

Parking is a bit of a pain in South beach. I usually just park on the street and use the metered parking. There are a few municipal lots but the only ones that I usually use are the Lincoln road garage for visiting Lincoln Road which is also worth a visit. Nice little Mexican restaurant there called Rancho Grande.

Bayside has a big parking lot right there, so it's easier to park there. There is also parking across the street but I usually just use the garage. That way you don't have to deal with the panhandlers if you're visiting at night.

 

[Talent312]

We plan to go to Miami tomorrow . DH can not find the self parking in his GPS for (South beach and Ocean drive and Bayside marketplace). Can you please let us know where could we park in these locations .
Also, Is Miami Beach and South Beach the same place ?

South Beach (SoBe) is a part of Miami Beach that is at its ... Southern end.
South Beach includes this historic art-deco section.

This webpage lists the public parking garages:
http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/parking/scroll.aspx?id=30862
The one at 13th & Collins is one block from the beach in the heart of SoBe.
Its also close to Casa Casuarina, the Versace mansion, now a luxury hotel.

 

[dwojo]

I am glad to see those suggestions. My wife and I are going to Miami area and the keys in April and will try some of those.

 

[MichaelColey]

If you're looking for some high end dining ($50-$100 per person), two of my favorites are in South Beach:

• Barton G's - Very unique experience and presentation. Run by a chef who used to cater events for stars.
• Prime 112 - Some of the best steak I've ever had, plus great sides. Must have the truffle mac and cheese.

 

[mjm1]

Thanks for these posts. We will be in W Palm Beach for Thanksgiving week and plan a day trip to Miami. We will plan to visit as many of these suggestions as we can in one day.

 

[uop1497]

Again, thank you everyone.
We have a good time in FT Lauderdale / Miami . I wish we can stay there longer

Here is update on our return trip

On our way back, I was surprised when US airway departed on time from Miami and arrived Charlotte 30 minutes early than schedule . We ended up waiting longer (3.5 hrs) to board our connection fly to SFO. Thanks to my dear son, I have some ebook files in my lap top to read to pass the time.

Our only carry on luggage was checked at the boarding gate (twice) because no more storage room on airplane . We were last group (#5) boarding the plane. Does anyone know how the airline priority passenger from #1 to 5 (I know #1 and #2 boarding category belong to people who have some sort of airline mileage membership, but unsure how they decide who gets boarding #3 to #5).

Regarding car rental insurance, I don't know why it is too high ($35/ day in Florida compared $10/day I paid for basic coverage when renting a car in Maui last year). The person who prepared a contract for me kept saying the fee charge different in each state and he did pressured me to buy car insurance coverage. He made my husband mad and we ended up not buying. I was a little nervous although we have our own car insurance coverage in case anything happens . If anyone have inputs about car rental insurance, please share .

By the way, we rent a mid size car and they gave us a van for ourselves with no extra charge . Not sure if it is a common practice from car rental agency .

 

[Talent312]

Does anyone know how the airline priority passenger from #1 to 5 (I know #1 and #2 boarding category belong to people who have some sort of airline mileage membership, but unsure how they decide who gets boarding #3 to #5).

Regarding car rental insurance, I don't know why it is too high ($35/ day in Florida compared $10/day I paid for basic coverage when renting a car in Maui last year).

Typically, after boarding the high-priority peep -- 1st class, revered FF'ers, and those w-small kids -- they tend to board in stages from back to front.

Customer service at rental counters is spotty. These are usually snot-nosed, minimum-wage kids. I always decline their car rental insurance. If you use an Am-Ex card, or an upper-tier MC/VISA, they provide coverage as a perk. I've used this service 2x and it worked like a charm.

 

[MichaelColey]

Our only carry on luggage was checked at the boarding gate (twice) because no more storage room on airplane . We were last group (#5) boarding the plane. Does anyone know how the airline priority passenger from #1 to 5 (I know #1 and #2 boarding category belong to people who have some sort of airline mileage membership, but unsure how they decide who gets boarding #3 to #5).

It varies from airline to airline, but basically they're using various schemes to try to make boarding as efficient as possible. Most airlines use a rear-to-front order. United does windows, middles then aisles. US Airways used to do a reverse pyramid, which is kind of a combination of the rear-to-front and window-middle-aisle schemes, but a couple years ago they went to a random order.

Some things (other than status and class of service) that I've seen airlines give earlier boarding for:

1) having their branded credit card
2) checking in online
3) checking your carryon bags in advance at the gate

If you fly one airline much, it's worth researching to see what can get you higher priority. If you fly anywhere near 25k miles a year (or more), it's worth looking at flying on just one airline (or alliance) so you can get status. Free checked bags, priority boarding, priority check in, priority security lines, and upgrades are great perks.

FlyerTalk.com is a great forum for learning the ins and outs of travel loyalty programs.

 

[siesta]

We are here at Palm Aire . My husband want to see Miami too . Can you please suggest what must see and do in Miami area . Thank you

To update you on my fly . All advices I received on that thread are correct . My fly was depart 30 minutes late due to computer problem .

I arrived to Charlotte late and walked off this plane and boarded another right next gate on time ( because the other fly delayed 10 minutes in waiting for us, I think so at this point), 10 minutes later, my connect fly departed Charlotte . A lot of people who flew into to Detroit, Boston , Virginia were missed their connection fly. Also, the head bin fits fit my carry on luggage . However, No room left, so they checked my carry on luggage at the boarding gates .

My only complaint is waiting almost 2 hrs to pick up Alamo rental car . Very long lines at MIA airport

How is the resort?

 

[MULTIZ321]

Some additional information for those planning a trip to Southeast Florida:

In the Tug BBS, scroll down to Resort Regions and click on the "US - Florida" Tug link - There is a 'Sticky' near the top of the page that opens "SE Florida Website Links" - open that link.

Our late Tugger Ken compiled a great list of Website Links divided by geographical County areas, namely: Florida Keys Area; Miami/Dade North (Miami is in Dade County for those unfamiliar with the area); Miami/Dade South; South Broward (Broward County is just north of Dade County - Fort Lauderdale is in Broward County); Central Broward; North Broward; and Palm Beach County (Palm Beach County is just north of Broward County).

This is a great resource to help you plan.

RIP Ken, thanks.

Richard

 

[travelguy]

If you use an Am-Ex card, or an upper-tier MC/VISA, they provide coverage as a perk. I've used this service 2x and it worked like a charm.

Amex also has an add-on car rental insurance for about $20/rental period that becomes the PRIMARY car insurance (among other benefits). Search TUG or Google for lots of info on this supplemental insurance and great reviews. Once you sign up, it is automatically applied to any car rentals made with your Amex.

 

[uop1497]

siesta,

Wyndham Palm Aire resort is O.K. Nothing fancy, furniture in the room is outdated but rooms are clean. Good bedding so we slept well .

This is our first stay at one of Wyndham resort we don't have much to compared.

Things that can improve

1) They don't give us the parking permit when check in right away. We have to come back the next day to ask for it. parking permit just simply a piece of paper printed (Wyndham wording) and they only wrote our last name with the time we will be there . I think this could be done by the front desk at check in .

2) I was told (over the phone when confirming my reservation) they will clean my room (mid week) but no one did it. There is only two of us, so I don't care much this time.

3) Both our room keys did not work when we returned from our Key West trip . They made us walk to the front desk so that they can reprogram the room key at 2:45am instead of sending someone over to help us get in the room .

I hope my input help