What's up in Miami?

[Robert J]

I am taking a cruise with my family and some friends out of Miami this Saturday. Last year we did the same, but we drove, and I swore that I'd lay off those 24 hour drives. So we're flying out of Buffalo tommorrow.

Anyhow, we have a couple of days after the cruise (ports of call: Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios ) and were staying in Hollywood, Fla. I want to check out the Cuban areas of Miami for food, culture etc. Anything really neat that I should take in (besides the Heat and the beaches). Remember I have 2 kids.

Thanks in advance!

also - I have 3 hour stop-over in Atlanta airport. Any secrets on how to pass the time there? Not sure if I can get wheat beer at the airport bars.

Edited January 6, 2006 by Robert J

[Big Wheel]

Miami is kind of a cultural wasteland masquerading as a cosmopolitan city, to be brutally honest.

Cuban cultural institutions: Versailles Restaurant

(anyone know of any others that would qualify?)

Others:

Parrot Jungle (haven't seen the new location on Watson Island, though)

Fairchild Tropical Garden (features a new installation of Dale Chihuly's weird glass sculptures, I was just there on Tuesday)

Key Biscayne/Cape Florida Lighthouse

Biscayne National Park/Elliott Key or Everglades National Park - but these are quite a hike from Broward County

South Beach-->Lincoln Road Mall (check the Van Dyke Cafe website for jazz events)

Wolfsonian Museum, Ziff Jewish Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami

Vizcaya or the Deering Estate

Downtown Coral Gables (Miracle Mile and around, Biltmore Hotel)

Edited January 5, 2006 by Big Wheel

[Dan Gould]

The Van Dyke is the place for live jazz.

The Miami Zoo is very good, if that would appeal to the kids.

If you're looking to hunt for jazz CDs, try the CD Collector on Sunrise in Fort Lauderdale. Not a long drive from Hollywood, maybe twenty minutes. Go east off of I-95. Where Federal Highway splits off and goes north, stay to the right. Go through one light and then take the next right into the parking lot. If you go too far you'll pass another light then a bridge over the intracoastal, with a Borders on the other side. I'd recommend that Borders but the jazz selection has gone to hell. But CD Collector has an excellent selection of used jazz, even some decent used LPs.

[Robert J]

Thanks!