Miami

I didn’t get to spend very long in Miami, with a less than 36-hour layover to explore the city. This is an exciting and vibrant metropolitan city with an international flavour, located near the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula. It is home to many Cuban and other Caribbean ex-pats, and as a result, there is some of the world’s best Cuban cuisine, a vibrant nightlife, and white sand beaches. The trendy South Beach area, which is home to many Art Deco buildings is the beating heart of this exciting city.

I basically had one day of daylight to walk around the city, but I was determined to explore as much as I could. I arrived late in the evening on a Tuesday and taking a pre-sunrise flight on Thursday. I spent most of my time either sleeping, eating or walking – primarily admiring the Grafitti in the very cool Wynwood neighborhood. Of course, on the morning that I had set aside to explore, it was raining and I was forced to stay inside and watch Netflix until just after 12 before the weather started to clear. This made my short trip even shorter.

Because of the weather, I decided to skip the beach and stay in the downtown area of Miami. It was forecast to start raining again in the evening, and throughout the day I watched the weather change above me. It was a surprise vacation, so I didn’t have much time to plan the trip. The two things I set out to do were see some of the famous graffiti in the Wynwood neighborhood and eat as many Cubanos as possible.

I spent most of my time in Miami in the old warehouse district of Wynwood, which has become a destination recently for those who want to see some of the cities best street art. Some of the best graffiti and street art is found at Wynwood Walls, which is a cool art exhibit featuring many great pieces of artwork.

The quality and quantity of Street Art located in the city was simply amazing. After spending a few hours walking around Wynwood – enjoying a few beers at Miami’s first Craft Brewery, Wynwood Brewing – I found a little diner called Enriqueta’s, an old mom and pop diner that was rated as one of the top Cubanos in Miami. This was my most memorable experience; walking into Enriquetta’s made me feel like I had stepped back in time. The sandwich was one of the best that I have ever had in my entire life. It arrived in front of me looking so glorious.

I didn’t end up with a lot of scenic or artistic pictures in Miami, but instead, my memory card was full of pictures of Grafitti. While it was only a short trip, Miami blew my expectations out of the water, and I didn’t step foot on any of the beaches. The city is deserving of a second trip, and I look forward to going back someday soon!

Miami, Florida