Hot Weekend in Cool Miami

This was a great resort to stay at because it is close enough to Miami Beach but far enough away to relax in a less crowded area. The resort was beautiful but expensive. The $30/day parking charge was unexpected but we definitely needed a place out of the sun to park the convertible! The room was nice and spacious and all of them had a great view. Ours was beach side and at a high floor so it was spectacular. The beach was private for guests, and my friend and I enjoyed the services. Lay on a beach lounge chair and put the flag up; minutes later, a waiter runs over with water and towels, and you can order a great margarita too! So two drinks in a coconut, four margaritas, multiple towels and water bottles later, and we were tan and ready to head out for dinner!

We had lunch at this great unique place right outside Fort Lauderdale, off of Route 1, on the way to Miami Beach. The restaurant is mainly outdoors and is furnished with swinging wooden benches (with overhead awnings for sun relief)! It was a great touch to be swaying in these huge wooden rockers and enjoying a nice lunch with a view of the beach.

At this great place right near the end of the Strip, they had a la carte seafood, including the specialty in Florida--stone crab claws! They were huge! We also had a lot of fun here with some festive music and tropical theme.

The club was amazing inside, but the best part of Nikki Beach is, well, you guessed it, the beach. Outside in the still very warm Miami night were dozens of white beds lined up on the sand with some more private cabana bunks surrounding. There were plenty of people everywhere to mingle with. They even had teepees set up for some privacy. My friend and I settled into one of the cabanas and enjoyed our drinks before hitting the loud dance floor.

After Nikki Beach, my friend Kathy and I made some new friends and decided to go to Crobar, a hot club down the street. We were able to skip the long line and get in just after midnight, when the crowd seemed to be peaking. It was very crowded and loud and had a great high-energy vibe with dancers everywhere, and it had a raw, metal, edgy decor. Dancing was fun and drinks were expensive. Luckily we had been on the beach all day, so our golden tans fit right in with the beautiful scantily clad club-goers there!

This park and wildlife reserve is a great walking tour for a beautiful day. Right outside of Miami, this precious island has a great view of the city and a relaxing walk through nature. Go see the lighthouse at the end, too!