After a late night catching up with friends in Miami, we slept in before meeting up together for brunch. While most spots on Miami Beach are quite expensive, Melissa knew of a more reasonably priced bistro where we could eat and drink for half the price.
Maxine’s is a ten minute walk from Roney’s so we stopped by a few boutique hotels along our way. We were seated at a small table on Collins then ordered a few carafes of mimosas and placed our orders for brunch.
I ordered the blue cheese chicken salad with hard boiled egg, bacon and avocado. Shawna decided on the club sandwich with fries and for Melissa, the chicken and spinach salad with hard boiled egg. We knew that it would be later in the day before we would be eating again as we had plans to explore South Beach and then a night out.
We walked a couple of blocks south on Collins until we reached 15th street to reach Ocean Drive. With views of the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, this is the more colorful side of Miami. Further south, we would have some time to check out the weekend flea market.
The skies were overcast and a perfect temperature to continue further south into the Art Deco District until we reached the Villa Casa Casuarina (Versace Mansion). Gianni Versace gained notoriety as a fashion designer in the 1980s and 90s, splitting his time between Miami and Milan. Visitors are known for leaving flowers on the stairs of the 1930’s Spanish-style mansion, marking the location of his death.
We enjoyed the day exploring South Beach and after a couple of drinks at The Clevelander, we soon noticed the sun was beginning to set. Our favorite place to watch the sunset is Nikki Beach, so we selected a table, ordered some mojitos and decided on the remaining plans for the night.
Back at the Roney Basecamp, we finally met up with the guys to decide what we would do next. We hung around at the Penthouse taking photos and catching our second wind before boarding an Uber to Island Gardens, one of Miami’s hotspots and superyacht marina.
Our table was ready at The Deck and we placed our order for a couple of Seafood Towers starting with the Deluxe Tower which included their specialty Ceviche, a half dozen of Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail and Crab Legs. We added additional plates of Ahi Tuna Tartare, Fried Calamari and the Charcuterie Board which included Mortadella, Copa, Duck Pastrami, Drunken Goat Cheese, Truffle Pecorino and Manchego.
The night was early so we went back to the condo to change into something more comfortable before walking over to the W Hotel bar. We ordered a few overpriced drinks to meet up with some of Mel’s neighbors and then went back to the condo.
It is always so much fun catching up with Melissa and the crew that traveled to Istanbul and Greece together. Our friendship has continued through so many years and i look forward to some more trips in the near future.
Do you have a friend that travels with you making incredible memories? I would love to hear about your travel experiences if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my fund weekend in Miami and wishing you many Happy Travels!
What to See and What to Do:
Casa Casuarina
1116 Ocean Boulevard
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Telephone: 305 908 1462
Clevelander South Beach
1020 Ocean Blvd.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Telephone: 786 532 4006
Nikki Beach
1 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305 538 1111
Island Gardens Deep Harbor
888 MacArthur Causeway
Miami Beach, Florida 33132
Telephone: 305 531 3747
Where to Stay:
The W South Beach
2201 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305 938 3000
Where to Eat:
Maxine’s Bistro & Bar
1756 Collins Avenue
Miami, FL 33139
Telephone: 305 674 1160
Mila’s on Lincoln Road
1636 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Telephone: 786 673 8374
What to Read:
- Miami, by Joan Didion
- Tourist Season, by Carl Hiaasen
- Miami Blues, by Charles Willeford
- Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber
- Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard
- 15 Views of Miami by Jaquira Diaz
Photo Guide for Miami and South Beach:
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- Art Deco Historic District: The Beach Park Hotel and the Colony Hotel
- Big Pink
- Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables
- Cape Florida Lighthouse
- Casa Florida
- Eden Roc Hotel
- Fontainebleau Hotel
- Gianni Versace Mansion
- Life guard stand at South Beach
- Lincoln Theater
- Miami Skyline
- Museum Garage
- Nikki Beach
- Ocean Drive: The Traffic and Palm Trees
- SOBE sculpture
- The Delano Hotel
- The Garden House Restaurant
- The Standard Hotel and Spa
- The Views from Juvia
- The Views from the Mondrian Hotel
- Venetian Pool
- Wynwood Art