Miami, FL

TL:DR Go to Miami for the beach, don’t stay for the Design District.

It was July 4th weekend and I decided to take the boy with me on our first vacation. Going on a trip as a couple usually tests how your relationship will be in the future. I can gladly say that the trip was a success!

Day 1: Miami was hot. Like temperature hot. Since it was closer to the equator and in the middle of summer, we definitely got sunburned. Anyways, since we had a short amount of time, we wanted to optimize our beach time.

It was relaxing to just sit under big white umbrellas eating peanut butter jelly sandwiches and goldfish crackers by the beach. The water was warm and refreshing from the brutal sun. Spending the whole day at the beach was the most ideal way to start this vacation.

Day 2: Our second day was also pretty low key. We decided to go explore Miami a little bit. We went to the museum of modern art. Quick note, getting around Miami without a car was not too bad. Ubers and Lyfts were about $3 a ride and the metro was about $20 for a week. Coming from New York, these prices made me dance a little. Anyways, the museum was pretty fun. They had these chairs outside that were technically swings.

The museum also had the best lighting for portraits. So what better way to take advantage of that than a photo shoot lol.

Day 3: We brought our skateboards to cruise around. Since the boy has been skating for over 15 years, we wanted to check out the local skate scene in Miami. It was pretty humid out that day. Like humid to the point where your shirt is soaked from your sweat in about .3 seconds. Anyways, we ended up at a skatepark close to the Airbnb we stayed at. We didn’t skate long because the sun was pretty brutal and the boy was already red like a lobster. So I felt bad for even going out.

Later in the day we made a visit to the Wynwood Walls. These walls are graffiti art that are displayed in an outdoor space. All the art was unique and pretty cool. So it was definitely an Instagrammable spot, not doubt about that.

Day 4: What is one thing to do before you leave Miami? Check out the Cuban culture. So we headed down to Little Havana. The food there was unbelievably flavorful. We ended up at this small Cuban restaurant that had a guitarist/singer who was playing some Latin music. The vibe was festive and the food was amazing.

Other than the delicious food, the culture around Little Havana was low key and had the type of vibe that makes you want to stroll around the city in the scorching heat and not even think about it.

Later that night we ended up going to the beach. Did you know that the Miami beaches stay open till 9 pm?! We went for a night swim and the weather was enjoyable. The sun wasn’t beating down on us and the combination of that with the warm water, it made for an incredible night on the beach.

Day 5: This was our last day in Miami. Since our flight was later that night, we decided to check out the Designer District. Everyone on Pinterest was raving about this place. To be honest, it wasn’t entertaining. If you’re into high end retail shops, this neighborhood is for you. In addition to the retail shops, it was also still under construction. With all these factors, we didn’t stay long and it wasn’t our favorite part of Miami. But I’m sure it would be cool if everything was already built and set up.

All in all, Miami was hot and a great vacation spot for couples, families, or just by yourself to explore.