What does one do with 10 hours to kill during a layover in Miami? Well, first, you escape the airport and then, well, you make the most of the time you’ve got, and in Miami, that means heading straight to the BEACH!

Thanks to a bit of inspiration from Will Smith himself, I just spent quite the amazing day in the city where the playas play. Ha! I always imagined the city’s inhabitants to be decked out head to toe in white flowing attire, as if they’d just left a P Diddy yacht party. Alas, I was wrong about that, but I was right on the nose when it comes to the coolness factor of this town; it’s literally oozing coolness.

MOST IMPORTANT TIP: My advice is to PRIORITIZE, and pick one place or part of the city you’re in to spend your day exploring. Realistically, that’s all you’ll have time for. I chose South Beach, because I’ve never been and it was highly recommended by my insider pals.  Guess what, I LOVED it! It’s always fun to experience 75-degree-plus weather anew days before Christmas.

I started my day at the beach, and grabbed a great breakfast at a cafe on Ocean Drive. Strolling Ocean Drive and the surrounding areas is so cool, and the art deco architecture is beautifully preserved and so much different than any other neighborhood I’ve ever seen. Note to self: since Miami is a nightlife town, it’s semi-challenging to find lots of early morning eateries. Yelp is a great resource.

After I was substantially caffeinated, I stopped in at a Miami location I’ve been dying to visit forever, the Fontainebleau Hotel. Holy moly…this historic hotel has a great reputation for a reason. The grounds are gorgeous, the service couldn’t have been better, and the food was yummy. I didn’t want to leave. It felt like Waikiki and Las Vegas had a genetically perfect baby and this hotel was the spawn. Well worth leaving the airport to explore.

I had the best time hanging poolside drinking a mocha and eating some yummy 13-dollar fruit…totally worth it btw.

The cafe at the pool also had gelato, but since I was heading to Italy, I held off. But how amazing does it look…drooling.

 

 

I’m bummed that I didn’t get to try any legit Cuban food, but this Miami trip was just the appetizerer to a bigger trip in the future.

If you find yourself with a few hours to spare in Miami, or any great location for that matter, I highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity.  Just make sure to have a slight game plan and weather appropriate clothing.

Now, I’m headed back into the sky for some more adventure! Stay posted for more 411!