If you guys were wondering why I have been missing in action that's because I have been on vacation. Six of my girlfriends and I decided to take a trip to Miami. I must say after all the planning we had been doing for months I was ecstatic that the trip was finally here. Why Miami? We picked Miami for this trip because it's the perfect vacation place to start the summer. Good weather, cuisine, music and great vibe. Great way to start the summer!
Day One: The girls and I arrived at our condo early Thursday morning. The condo was located in such a great location because it was about a 10 minute walk from South Beach, yet secluded from all the noise and tourists. Four girls (Crystal, Chanelle, Gormah, Jumet) and I took the same flight so we arrived at the condo at the same time. The ladies and I decided to grab lunch and some drinks on Ocean Drive. After scouting out a few restaurants, we decided to go with Kantina restaurant. The food was delicious. I tried their Shrimp Alfredo and let’s just say it was one of the best Shrimp Alfredo I've ever had! After we got done with lunch, we stopped by a local liquor store to grab a few bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey and Jose Cuervo Tequila before we made our way back to our condo. When we got back, Cath and Yoyo (two of my girlfriends that had a later flight) were waiting for us. It was great to be reunited. For nightlife, we decided to check out Story Nightclub. The club was pretty huge. The music was great. The club played a lot of Hip-hop and Pop music and everyone was finally together to celebrate. I wasn't really in the mood to party. I was feeling sleepy and so were the rest of the girls so we decided to leave the club around 3:30am.
Day Two: Time for some major exploring. The first activity of the day was to head to the beach. We decided to try a different beach instead of South Beach so we got an Uber and headed over to one of Key Biscayne Island Beaches. The closest one we found was Hobie Beach. There were coconut trees on the beach, which was one thing I enjoyed about this beach. It is also dog-friendly, and it was very quiet and peaceful. If you love serenity Hobie Beach is the destination for you. The only downside I had about this beach was that the water wasn't ocean-blue clear. After spending almost two hours at the beach, we made our way back to Ocean Drive to grab something to eat. The girls and I had lunch at Cafe Milano. FYI their chips and guacamole is spectacular! I know I keep bragging about the food at every restaurant, but Miami restaurant cuisines are definitely something to brag about. Everyone was in a great mood for a turn-up after lunch so we decided to check out a pool party at The Clevelander Bar. The turn-up definitely got real. We spent a good three hours at the pool party. The music was great and so was the vibe. After having a great time at the pool party, everyone decided to take a quick nap before we headed out to a club. Well that quick nap turned out to be longer than we expected! We set an alarm to wake up at 11pm to start getting ready for the club but no one heard it. We all slept like babies.
Day Three: Remember how I said we slept like babies our second night in Miami and didn't make it out of the condo? Well, day three was here and we were still talking about how we slept for that long. We realized that we had such a great time at the pool party that we didn't regret not going out that night. A new day, new adventures, and everyone was feeling refreshed! The girls and I decided to do a beach day at South Beach. Compared to Hobie Beach, South Beach is ocean-blue clear with the whitest sand. Because there aren't coconut trees on the beach, renting a beach umbrella or a cabana will save you sunburn. For lunch we decided to go local and try something familiar that reminded us of West African cuisine. Being that everyone on the trip was African, we were craving rice and meat. We all agreed to check out this local Jamaican restaurant called Clive's Café, which serves food similar to West African cuisine. Clive's Cafe is located in a neighborhood in Miami called Little Haiti. The neighborhood is called Little Haiti because it's predominately Caribbean especially people from Haitian decent. I must say I had one of the best oxtails and fried plantain at Clive's and the customer service was phenomenal. For nightlife, we partied at a Hip-hop club called Cameo Nightclub. Cameo’s scenery is not luxurious compared to Story Nightclub. Less than 30 minutes in the club and there was already a fight, but security broke it up quickly and the party continued. The DJ was definitely doing his thing. The music was on point and I was surrounded by my girls and drinks so the night was definitely superb.
Day Four: Oh my! It’s day four already! It's a Sunday and the ladies and I decided to dedicate our day to more exploring. But this time we wanted a break from the ocean and party life. First stop was the Wynwood Walls. It felt like I was at an exclusive art show when we visited this art district. The huge life sized murals were definitely captivating. If you're someone that's into art Wynwood Walls should be on your to-do list when you visit Miami. After being mesmerized by amazing arts, our next stop for adventure was Little Havana. Little Havana is a predominantly Cuban neighborhood. First we toured around the neighborhood in a 1957 Chevy Bel Air owned by a guy named Angel. He was born in Cuba but his parents immigrated to the U.S. when he was still a baby. He seems to know a lot about the Cuban culture and Little Havana. Next we stopped at a local bar called Casa Panza and got a few drinks. No one in the bar spoke English. It felt like we were in a foreign land. Luckily we got a customer that was fluent in English and Spanish to help translate to our waitress what we wanted. After a few drinks, we made our way to Top Cigar, a local cigar store. The vibe in the store was so magical. There was live music, and drums and a piano for guests to entertain themselves, and of course Cuban cigars to test out. We didn't really do anything during the night because we left Little Havana really late and I was well pleased with how the day went.
Day Five: Our vacation was finally coming to an end and we decided to go out with a bang! Some of the girls and I decided to do something out of the ordinary. We went for an early morning bike ride on Ocean Drive. I was a little nervous at first because the last I was on a bike was two years ago but honestly, it wasn’t too bad. It was a great feeling to get some workout after all that cocktails. After our Bike ride, we had some refreshing coconut water. I always drink coconut water from the can but this time, I must say, it was authentic! We decided to make our way to Clive’s again for lunch because we just couldn’t get enough of the food. After our nice Lunch, we had to say Goodbye to Yoyo because she was leaving earlier than the rest of us. Later that evening, we headed over to South Beach for some relaxation. I took a nice nap on the beach, I felt rejuvenated when I woke up. Next, we made our way to Colony, a bar located on Ocean Drive for some drinks. We were at Colony for almost two hour’s just talking, laughing and enjoying old-school Hip-hop and R&B music. For Nightlife, we partied at Delano. By far the best club scenery I enjoyed while in Miami. The vibe, atmosphere, and music was just right. It was a mixture of every genre. A little bit of Dancehall, Hip-hop, and Latin music. I guess we saved the best for last.
Well guys this pretty much sums up my Miami trip. A few tips when planning a trip to Miami, I’ll suggest you rent a property. It’s way cheaper than hotels. You’re restricted in hotels and tend to spend more money whereas renting a house you have more space and freedom to enjoy your vacation. Some websites to find affordable properties to rent are homeaway.com and vrbo.com. Also when it comes to transportation Uber is definitely a yes! It's easy to use. It’s affordable than a taxi, besides no one wants to be a designated driver while on a trip. Always remember to travel with your friends during any taxi or Uber rides just to be safe. Next, take cash on your trip instead of using your bank card. That way you can keep track of how much you are spending so you don’t face any troubles with your bank. Lastly, always travel with people that brings nothing but good energy and vibe to the table. Good vibe and energy makes a wonderful trip!