My Top 5 Miami Beach Family Vacation Must Do’s

My TOP 5 Miami Beach Family Vacation Must Do’s

After a year and a half of staying close to home, we decided to take a well deserved vacation to our second home, Miami. We took a 2 hr direct flight from RDU to FLL via Delta Airlines, and before you know it, we were back in the sunshine state! Since moving away in 2015 (and my last solo trip in 2018>>read about that visit here.) much had changed but luckily alot stayed the same. We visited some of our favorite places in the 48 hours we were there before driving down to Key West (I’ll share more about that in my next blog post). Here are My Top 5 Miami Beach Family Vacation Must Do’s!

1. Stay at the Residence Inn Miami Beach South Beach

Location, Location is why we choose this hotel for our family stay whenever we visit Miami Beach. Besides being right across the street from one of my favorite stores, Trader Joe’s, you can walk (or utilize their free shuttle) to get to South Beach. A one bedroom suite suits my #HeighPartyof3 well as it includes a sofa bed in their spacious living room plus a kitchen. It’s also quiet because it is more on the local side of South Beach, so our stay at the Residence Inn Miami Beach South Beach has always been pretty relaxing.

My favorite feature at the hotel is the rooftop pool
Make sure to use your hotel amenities! I enjoyed taking a FREE yoga class offsite at Green Monkey Yoga

2. Explore the artsy side of Miami in Wynwood

Miami is known for many things: parties, beaches, latin food and culture. Miami in 2021 is also known for its street art scene. The Miami neighborhood of Wynwood is the center of this art scene. What started as grafitti artists tagging buildings has turned the area into a outdoor museum of murals, artist studios and unique eateries and shops. We spent a few fun hours there enjoying the scene and checked out an exhibit called the Womanish Experience, now showing thru August 29. See more about my experience hereโคต๏ธ

Love street art and murals? There are so many Instagram worthy photo ops in Wynwood

3. Shop & Dine on Lincoln Road Mall

Living 5 blocks away, Lincoln Road was the backdrop of my daily life as a resident. It consists of almost a mile of restaurants, shops, a movie theater and more. There is even a church there in case you need a moment. We met up with a friend at Doraku, a restaurant known for it’s sushi/Asian cuisine. They have a great happy hour in a laid back stylish atmosphere. I suggest everyone spend time just strolling on Lincoln Road and see what catches your interest!

Lincoln Road Mall, a great place to shop, dine and spend some time. Check out Doraku for a great Happy Hour menu!

4. Get a relaxing spa treatment at exhale Spa

I learned that exhale Spa in Miami/South Beach offered Kiddie services and wanted to make an appointment for my daughter and I to have a mani/pedi date. However, because of my limited time, I decided to have a mommy break and enjoy a bit of self-care. The Power Facial was just what I needed to get my outer glow and inner glow aligned. Not only was it a relaxing treatment but the quality of the products used and service provided was stellar! See more about my lovely experience here โคต๏ธ

Give the gift of wellness via a gift card or make a purchase at the boutique. For 15% percent off, follow exhale_southbeach on IG

5. Play in the sand and soak up the sun on South Beach

While I enjoy living in NC, I do miss the ability to walk 8 blocks to the ocean. We decided to frolick in the South Beach surf in the late afternoon. The ocean is bath water warm in August but still cooler than the air temps, so it was a relief from the heat! I did some daily yoga poses while hubby gave our 10 yr old piggyback rides in the water as the cruise ships went by. It was a beautiful day at the beach!

Spending some time on the South Beach sand is a great way to enjoy some family fun!

We enjoyed our 2 night stay in Miami Beach and being ex-locals made it easy. Seeing our friends and visiting old stomping grounds was a great start to our extended Florida stay. Next up… the Florida Keys and Key West! Stay tuned for more about our family fun in Key West coming soon on the blog, SobeSavvy.com!

We will always love Miami! Until next time๐Ÿ˜˜

My Top 5 Miami Beach Family Vacation Must Do’s

Featuring My Favorite Places to Stay, Explore, Shop, Spa and Play

#TRAVEL | My 48 Hours in South Beach #MIAMI ๐ŸŒด Beach, Bites, Sips & Sights โ˜‰ #FoundInMiami

Last week this time I was flying Delta airlines to make my way back to a city that I lived in for almost 19 years, Miami Beach. My reason for going was to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration ‘On the Road’ conference[stay tuned for my recap], however while there I made this trip into a mini Momcation. If you don’t know what that is, it’s when a Mom travels solo without kid(s) or husband in tow and goes away on a much needed break! As seen in my Miami Beach Family Travel Guide, South Beach with Kids can be done, but this time I was back to enjoy some solo fun. I saw some friends, got some sun and of course dined at some restaurants! With just 48 hours in the Magic City, I made sure to enjoy 4 things: BEACH..BITES..SIPS..& SIGHTS!

BEACH

I moved away from South Beach three years ago and the number one thing I miss is being able to walk to the beach. After meeting up with a friend/former neighbor at Beach Taco for lunch [I’ll tell you more about that in a bit], we walked over to the sand behind Nikki Beach, known for its day parties and Sunday Brunch. The temps of the water can be a bit cold in March, however don’t let that deter your from playing or taking selfies by the shore! Plus I had some new sunglasses from my friends at SunglassWarehouse.com to break in! ๐Ÿ˜Ž I love these over-sized sunshades for great sun protection.

BITES

Since I arrived on a Tuesday, it was only right for my first bite to be tacos! Beach Taco Miami was the perfect place to celebrate #TacoTuesday while enjoying a variety of tacos for lunch. My fave were a tie between the shrimp tacos and korean bbq. Take a look at the yummy pics I took ….warning you may be dreaming of tacos after! ๐ŸŒฎ

SobeSavvy Tip: Every Tuesday, get an order of queso dip and handmade chips FREE with your order at Beach Taco Miami!

Breakfast was provided at the conference and since I was staying with a friend, I enjoyed the comforts of home and eating in. However, I was able to enjoy a lovely dinner on my final night at Barceloneta. Located in Sunset Harbor [which is where locals dine away from Ocean Drive], this place is known for its amazing Spanish tapas and flavorful mediterranean dishes. I used to dine here for brunch often, but this was my first time coming for dinner. Feast your eyes on these tasty bites:

SobeSavvy Tip: Enjoy Happy Hour specials every day from 5-8pm and also late night Sun- Thurs, 11 pm-12 pm & weekend happy hour 12 am-1 am Fri & Sat in the bar/lounge area at Barceloneta Miami Beach.

SIPS

As formentioned, Barceloneta is a great spot to enjoy some sips. They have an extensive wine, beer,and cocktail list. I highly recommend getting a pitcher of their ‘Verdajo Al Sol’ Sangria[pictured above]. It’s made with sparkling wine, verdajo, gin and passionfruit.

Every tourist must check out Wet Willie’s on Ocean Drive/South Beach for their infamous frozen drinks! Mix and match your flavors and head upstairs to enjoy the view. SobeSavvy Tip: Not sure which flavor you want? Just ask the bartender to give you tasting samples before making your choice. Keep in mind there are more flavors located on the second level.

My favorite sip is a cocktail that I enjoy during Happy Hour at Doraku. It’s a ‘Lychee Martini’ and I try to have one or two each time I visit. It’s that good! This restaurant is popular for its sushi and their happy hour is the perfect time to try a variety of things from their menu at a great price. I don’t know about you, but I’ll drink to that! CHEERS!๐Ÿธ

SIGHTS

No matter where you look there are always sights to see in Miami. From the beautiful beaches to the palm trees, the best place to take it all in when you have a short amount of time is Ocean Drive on South Beach.

With the right shoes, sunscreen and cold beverage in hand, you can walk and take in so much scenery on the 15 blocks that make up Ocean Drive. My friend took me to the newly renovated Muscle Beach area where men [and women too] and their muscles are on display during workout sessions on the sand at 9th/Ocean, Lummus Park.

Have you been watching the FX TV series: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story? This crime happened in 1997 and we had just moved to Miami Beach in 1996. Can you imagine how sad/scary that was to say the least! The Versace mansion which is located on Ocean Drive, is now a hotel & restaurant. It’s worth stopping by just to see the beautiful villa adorned with the iconic Versace symbol on the outside.

SobeSavvy Tip: Take the opportunity to get off the beach [via a short bus ride, taxi, or use UBER and get $5 off each of your first 4 Uber rides. To accept, use code ‘2ackv’ to sign up. Enjoy!]. Head to Downtown Miami to see views by the water at Bayside Marketplace. Also check out the Wynwood Walls to see some amazing street art. Find a mural and get your pose on!

Thanks for reading all about my fun-filled 48 hours in South Beach Miami. Special thanks to Beach Taco Miami and Barceloneta for hosting me. I enjoyed trying items from your menu and sharing about my experiences. I hope you all plan to check them out as well as my other suggestions your next visit to South Beach- Miami Beach, Florida! See more beach,bites, sips and sounds on my youtube recap video. Enjoy!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MIAMI BEACH? WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE BEACH BITES, SIPS & SITES? SHARE BELOW๐Ÿ˜Ž๐ŸŒด๐Ÿธโ˜‰