Hi, I'm James. And I'm Laurent.
And today, we're in sunny Miami.
Like many snowbirds, we left the cold and snowy shores of Lake Michigan,
for a quick getaway to the warm and sunny beaches of Miami.
There is no place like Miami in the winter, with its beautiful beaches and wonderful weather.
But there is a lot more to Miami than just its beaches.
Miami has a fantastic art and cultural scene, with incredible Art Deco architecture,
international cuisine, and great nightlife,
and amazing high fashion design and shopping districts.
And in this video, we'll show you all the cool things to do, besides just going to the beach.
And we'll take you through our Top 5 favorite spots to explore in Miami.
So, let's go!
Number 1 on our list is South Beach.
If you want to be in the heart of it all, you have to stay in South Beach.
Just because this video is about more than just the Miami beaches,
it doesn't mean that we're not going to talk about the beaches at all.
South Beach is where you can relax on the beach, or stroll down Ocean Drive,
to see all the fabulous Art Deco buildings.
South Beach is right on the oceanfront, with a vast beach, that stretches for miles.
We enjoy hanging out in the cabanas, and hitting the open air gym.
We also love the Art Deco Museum, on Ocean Drive,
where you can catch walking tours of the area.
They take you through the lobbies of all the Art Deco hotels.
And point out tons of architectural details, that you would most likely overlook,
if you were to walk around on your own.
And South Beach is especially fun at night, with great restaurants,
serving up pan south and central American cuisine. Not to mention awesome Cuban food.
There are also many fun brunch options, including Bacon B...h,
where the servers dance, when a Beyonce song comes on.
We enjoy checking out the colorful light shows, along the strip,
with music and dancing, and also great people watching.
Number 2 on our list is the Versace Mansion.
This impressive Mediterranean-style villa is also known as Casa Casuarina.
It was renovated by Giani Versace, in the early 90's, as his primary residence.
If you're a fan of True Crime, you'll know that Versace was murdered
on the front steps of this villa, in 1997.
And the movie about his life and assassination was partially filmed inside the mansion.
The mansion is now a hotel and a restaurant.
And if you watched the movie, you'll know exactly where you are.
During the renovation, Versace completely rebuilt the house.
All the exquisite mosaics, sculptures, and railings,
were designed and fabricated in Italy, and then shipped to Miami.
It's incredibly beautiful, especially the terrace around the pool.
However, it is a bit morbid, to enjoy your drink on the patio,
just steps away from where it was shot.
You'll see lots of tourists, dressed in Versace, paying their respects, and then taking selfies.
It can get really crowded with tourists. So, you'll have to make a reservation.
The prix fixe menu by the pool is fantastic.
And we thoroughly enjoy lounging at the bar, and exploring the mansion.
Number 3 on our list are the Wynwood Walls.
The Wynwood Walls all began in 2009,
when graffiti artists started spray painting the walls of old warehouses.
Then, an entire city lot was dedicated as a park, and it eventually became a museum.
The museum is organized in a series of outdoor galleries.
And each wall is painted by a different artist.
And the museum also includes some amazing sculptures.
This is the best place in town to take a selfie.
Every wall is full of vibrant bright colors.
And you'll find everyone on their phones, trying to take their next big Instagram photo.
And walking around the neighborhood is super cool, because the artwork spills out in the streets.
Everywhere you look, there's always something interesting to look at.
And many local businesses have had their exteriors painted by street artists as well.
The art is both beautiful and thought-provoking.
Number 4 on our list are the Miami Design District and Brickell City Center.
If you love design, you have to experience the Miami Design District.
Here, you'll find all the top tier design houses.
Flagship brands, like Armani, Hermès, Yves St Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and many others.
The stores are beautifully designed. And each one has its own unique point of view.
We love strolling around the Design District,
with its whimsical art installations, and incredible architecture.
Who would have thought that a parking structure could have so much pizzazz?
And look at all these amazing streetscapes, and this really cool children's swing set.
One of my favorite things about Miami, are all the exotic cars.
There seems to be a higher concentration of them in the Design District.
James is from Michigan, and Michiganders love them cars.
Yes, we do! And car spotting was one of my favorite pastimes in Miami.
We saw plenty of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys. You name it!
And the incredible new Corvette Z Stingray.
If you love exotic cars, you will love Miami.
It's no wonder it inspired video games like Grand Theft Auto.
Another great shopping district in Miami, is downtown.
The Brickell City Center is one of the newest additions to the Miami skyline.
It's a vast complex of shopping malls, and restaurants, and theaters.
And it's often called 'a city within the city'.
It kind of reminded us of a smaller version of Hudson Yards, in New York,
with its modern outdoor spaces. But it's uniquely Miami, with all of its colors.
And Number 5 on our list is the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.
Vizcaya is an incredible estate on Key Biscayne, surrounded by 10 acres of formal gardens.
It's a beautiful example of gilded age architecture.
The home was built between 1914 and 1922, by James Dearing,
a Chicago native, and pioneering snowbird.
He started traveling to Miami in 1916, to get away from the harsh Chicago winters.
And 100 years later, we do exactly the same thing.
Architecturally, Vizcaya was designed to be a modern interpretation
of an 18th century Italian villa, from the Veneto region of Northern Italy.
And it is filled with incredible antiques, and beautiful sculptures, panel walls, and frescoes.
And just when you think you've seen it all, you realize you missed another section.
We especially love the views of the bay, and the dining room upstairs.
Although Vizcaya was built in the 1920's, it included many of today's modern conveniences.
It had elevators, large industrial fridges. And it even had a central vacuum cleaning system.
It also had an automated telephone, and a laundry system.
While there's so much to see inside the house,
you also have to take time to visit the immaculate gardens, that surround the home.
They are beautifully landscaped subtropical gardens, intertwined with the mangrove forest.
There are terraces throughout, and from there, you can see the house, from many different angles.
It has plenty of pools, and waterfalls, and fountains.
It's a beautiful setting, fit for a princess.
And if you love antiques and amazing architecture, as much as we do,
this is an absolute must-see!
But you should go early in the morning, when it first opens,
to avoid the crowd, and to take photos of the garden, before it gets too hot.
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Bye. Bye!