South Beach, Miami - Daylight Visit

Everyone around the world has heard of South Beach. Not only has South Beach played back drop to numerous movies, and television shows, it's one of the hottest places on the planet.  Hot as in trendy, hip, and cool. Visit enough and you will spot your fair share of the rich and famous. Maybe even a big time celebrity. At night, South Beach is ablaze with neon, and is a mile long party that lasts till dawn. Like most party places, the action takes place after dark.

South Beach is a hot spot during the day as well but not with crowds of people. At noon in September, like most of South Florida, it's hot enough to melt your flip flops to the sidewalk. Only the hardiest of locals and most unwitting of visitors would spend a day pounding the pavement taking pictures. Lucky for you, I am one of those hardy, sun baked locals.

This was going to be an all day hike with a fabulous lunch mid way so a double dose of sun tan lotion was in order. That and a camera with a full charge and off I went. 

I prefer to park at the garage near the convention center, directly across from City Hall on 17th. I never know how long I will be there and it's nice to have a central location and not worry about meters.  I always go to South Beach hungry so I can enjoy an amazing meal. South Beach is mostly Art and Food. I can't afford the art but I can manage a great meal once in a while.

The day began with an early morning walk down Ocean Drive. The street is lined with beautifully renovated Art Deco hotels and the most exciting outdoor restaurants in all of South Florida. I have eaten along the beach road many times over the years and never had a bad experience. On this day, my morning hike turned into a quest for a unique dining experience on Lincoln Road. The choices are delicious and endless, and it's hard to go wrong. Not wanting to jump at the first opportunity, I actually walked the entire dining and art district. Along the way, I checked out some amazing galleries and stores. In some cases just to get a little relief from the oppressive heat. If you are interested in the art scene around South Beach Click Here for an introductory list. My favorite on this trip was the Peter Lik gallery. Blown away just begins to describe my impressions of this photographers work.  Lunch at the Books and Books cafe was the final touch to a perfect day in South Beach.

To see my photos from my day on South Beach Click Here. Not quite ready for my own gallery showing but it should give you a good feel of South Beach in the daytime.