Bienvenido a North Miami

I was accompanied by a bride and 3 other bridesmaids/friends on a 3 day bachelorette weekend in Miami. The temperature was in the 90s for the entire Fourth of July weekend. We stayed in the quieter North Miami Beach area, but frequented South Beach at night. As we drove around during the day, we saw the very prominent Art Deco District for which Miami is famous, characterized by geometric, low-rise shapes and pretty, pastel colors. We even saw a Gap that was housed in an art deco style building. We spent the weekend doing everything but sleeping--eating, swimming, dancing, touring, and playing silly bachelorette games. I would stay away from Miami if you’re not into the hip South Beach (SoBe) scene. There are quieter and nicer places in Florida for that type of R&R. Will Smith put it best: “Party in the city where the heat is on all night on the beach till the break of dawn Miami.” Despite the frequent reports of celebrities spotted partying in Miami, we did not run into anybody famous while we were there.

Quick Tips:

It was cheaper to fly into Fort Lauderdale and drive the half hour to Miami, so check flight prices to both cities. Once you’re in Miami, be sure to stop by a supermarket or convenience store and stock up on bottled water. We were so dehydrated from the intense heat that we each guzzled several bottles daily. If you’re considering a visit to the Miami Seaquarium aquarium in Biscayne Bay, I would skip the trip if there is an alternate activity available. At the time, I did not think that the .95 ticket price was worth the trip. Since 2004, the ticket price has increased to .95. Most of the attractions were outdoors in the heat and the park was generally run down. We didn’t stay for any of the shows because it just got too hot. I just found this website, www.miamiseaprison.com, which details the dolphin abuse that is prevalent at the Seaquarium. Lastly, if you venture into Little Havana looking for Cuban sandwiches, eat them on the spot. They won’t taste as good if you wait to eat them elsewhere. The group consensus was that New York Cuban sandwiches give the Miami sandwiches a run for their money.

Best Way To Get Around:

We rented a full sized car from Priceline and cruised around town in our brown Buick. Although none of us had ever been to Miami, we were able to navigate with Mapquest directions and the maps in the tourist guides. Note that Florida law allows right turns on a red light after a complete stop. Miami also has a Metrorail commuter train, which I don’t remember seeing.

http://www.edenrocresort.com/
I labeled the price range as "Moderate" since I got a really good deal via Priceline/Bidding for Travel. It probably would've been Moderate to High End without the deal. We only paid $65/night plus tax and fees when the resort is typically $200+ per night (per the website). The concierge from the Resort called me prior to our trip to see if I had any questions. He caught me a little off guard, because I'd never received a call like that before. I was truly impressed with that kind of thoughtful service.

Eden Roc is an oceanfront property in North Miami Beach, which is in driving distance from Miami Beach. It's a modern looking resort. The check-in process was painless. They offered us free apples and chocolate-covered cashews in the lobby. The 2 rooms were very nice. The bathroom was pretty and came with Bath and Body Works products.

I loved swimming in the Atlantic Ocean with the clean and calm water. It was possible to swim far out because the water was so serene. The water reminded me of a previous trip to the Bahamas--which makes sense given that the Bahamas is about only 50 miles from Miami. Swimming in the pool was also super fun. They give us complimentary pink lemonade by the pool. The pool was a decent size. We took turns lying on the inflatable crocodile. Swimming on Friday was the best since there was no one in the pool. It was more crowded on Saturday and not as enjoyable. The hotel does not check IDs, so I believe that there were non-hotel guests swimming in the pool on Saturday.

In true resort style, the Eden Roc has classes available for its guests, including yoga, spinning, legs/buns/abs, step, pilates, cardio box, etc. We didn't have enough time to take advantage of the classes. Since it was a batchelorette weekend, the bridesmaids chipped in and got the bride an aromatherapy massage at the Resort's Spa of Eden. She says she enjoyed it!

We had a small scare one night at the Resort. We found a pair of men's shoes in our room. There was a business card of a resort employee, Gerald Mcdaniels, stuck inside. We were afraid that we had a stalker. Fortunately, we finally figured out after calling downstairs that the bellman, Gerald, had mistakenly dropped off these loafers to the wrong room. Mystery solved, case closed! Overall, the Eden Roc was a highly enjoyable resort experience.

The first night we ate at Nexxt Cafe, located on Miami’s trendy and popular Lincoln Road in South Beach. The restaurant was recommended by a friend of a friend. We waited some time for our table and were eventually seated in the outdoor dining area. The restaurant is a great place to people watch. Everybody was out and about that night, and practically all the restaurants in the area were jam-packed—-it is definitely not an area for the claustrophobic.

The menu at Nexxt is very extensive…it runs for pages and pages and food prices are extremely reasonable. After discretely spying on other tables, we found that the entrees were so big that my friend and I decided to share the shrimp scampi with linguine. The dish arrived with six humongous and perfectly cooked shrimps, and the sauce was buttery, lemony, and delicious. Given the large portions, sharing entrees is definitely recommended. Other dishes enjoyed by our group were the Parmesan-crusted chicken (I had a small bite—-very tasty!) and the Asian chicken salad. We did not get a chance to try dessert because we were all so full from dinner.

We made friends with our very friendly and attentive Colombian waiter Andres, who suggested that we try Mynt Lounge for our first night of partying.

From the website: "…At Mynt, we have the the sinsanely wealthy, mingling with the exaggeratedly beautiful, both exuding the very confidence required to gain access. Mynt Lounge has the number one quote/unquote "A" list of world renowned celebrities and trendy socialites in all of South Florida. We urge you to give us a try when in Miami Beach. That is of course if you are lucky enough to get in." You would think that such an exclusive lounge would run spell and grammar check before uploading content to their flash-driven, but information-deprived, website.

We arrived at Mynt upon the recommendation of our waiter at Nexxt Cafe. The bouncers at the door were extremely strict about who they allowed inside the lounge. Our group, five Asian women fully clad in clubbing gear, was forced to stand on line for at least 15 to 20 minutes, even though the lounge was practically EMPTY inside. These pretentious clubs/lounges need to maintain the illusion of exclusivity. When we finally received the privilege of entering Mynt, we found that the decor was sleek, modern, sparse, and semi-futuristic, while the walls were colored light shades of green. There was a 40-foot bar and modular white couches spanned the lounge from front to bank. A unique aromatherapy system mysteriously infused the air with fresh scents like mint. The DJ’s booth sat in the back of the lounge. That night the DJ was partial towards house music…not our favorite, especially for dancing. The Mynt crowd were not great dancers. As the night progressed, the lounge got too crowded and hot, so we decided to check out of Mynt a bit early for a "going-out" night.

Suffice it to say, despite all the hoopla about getting in, we didn’t have the greatest time once we got in. If you do dare to show up to Mynt’s front door, be prepared to wait on line with the plebeians unless you show up with your own personal celebrity friend. Open Wed-Sat 11:30pm-5am. http://www.myntlounge.com

We headed to the Nikki Beach area for our second night of partying. Parking was not terribly easy. After dinner, we headed to Opium in an attempt to meet up with a friend who was already inside. The enormous crowd in front of Opium was aggressive and too crazy for our taste. People were standing outside Opium in utter chaos, desperately and wildly waving their hands and repeatedly yelling, "Pick me!” Since we had no desire to partake in such groveling, we decided to explore the Nikki Beach area for another club. We saw people standing in a more organized fashion in front of Pearl, which sits atop the Nikki Beach Club. At first we were confused because the sign in front read Pearl Restaurant and Champagne Lounge. We finally discovered that Pearl basically transforms into a lounge/club in the late night. We played the line game again, but this time we didn’t have to wait as long. The decor of Pearl was a huge contrast to Mynt, with its theme colors of bright orange and white. Circles and polka dots were everywhere, with fur-lined curtains adorning the walls. The shell-shaped champagne bar was complimented with shell-shaped chairs and the white leather couches. The energy level was high compared to Mynt and the crowd was more diverse and friendly. The DJ played a mix of music, including hip hop, pop, and reggae. Our group had fun at Pearl. I recommend it for a fun and carefree night out. Pearl’s website, which is more professional compared to Mynt’s amateur attempt at web design, promotes a “casual, yet trendy atmosphere.” Fri-Sun 7pm-5am http://www.pearlsouthbeach.com/