Miami 2004

We flew to Miami in June 2004 with American Airlines via Boston and stayed at the Albion Hotel in South Beach Miami.

The flights on American were great as on the Manchester Boston flight, they use an aircraft that was previously used internally in the USA, so if you are lucky enough to get book a seat in the first 6 rows, this is the old first class so very big seats and extra leg room. On this particularly flight it is sold as an all economy service. It was nice to have loads of room!!!!!

The Albion Hotel is a nice hotel in a very good area just 5 minutes walk from Ocean Drive which is the heart of the Art Deco area and where the beach is. Just be prepared if you go to Miami that it is very expensive and when you dine or have any service where you would normally pay a tip, they automatically add a 15% tip to your bill. I think this is a bit cheeky really and have never know this anywhere else in the USA that I have been to. They do say that you can ask them to take the tip off if you are not happy with the service, but I would not do that!!!!!

South Beach is definitely the place to stay and be seen and loads of Celebrities have houses or restaurants there. We had breakfast one morning in Gloria Estefan's Hotel the Cardozo. When we were there, one night as we were going out there was a red carpet and loads of paparazzi, and crowds outside a hotel near where we were staying. When I asked somebody what was going on they told me that Marc Antony was doing a gig or appearance and his new wife (Jennifer Lopez) was attending!!!! They had got married about a week previously. Justin Timberlake was also in town but we never saw him. We did however see a famous footballer by the name of Rio Ferdinand!!!!! He was stood behind us in the Queue and sat on the table next to ours in the pub. It was the European Championships and he was still on his ban for missing a drug test!!!! He was with his team mate Wes Brown who also plays for Manchester United.


There are quite a lot of things to do in Miami apart from the obvious!!!!! (sunbathing, drinking, water and beach sports!!!!).

Versace's House (Casa Causuarina) is one of the most photographed properties on South Beach and is now a private members club. For some strange reason there was loads of people getting their picture taken on the steps where he was shot!!!!! How creepy is that!!!!!

You should really have a walk up Ocean Drive and Collins Ave and see the different coloured and styled Art Deco Hotels. Even the Starbucks is done Art Deco Style.

You can take a boat trip to Star Island which is basically what is says on the tin!!!!! It is an artificial Island in Biscayne Bay between Miami and Miami Beach. Famous celebrities who have properties include Madonna, Will Smith, Gloria Estefan and many more. The tour is about 1 hour and you get great views of Miami from the boat.


We also did a tour of Miami and surrounding areas where we visited Coral Gables, The Biltmore, The Venetian Pool, Coconut Grove and Little Havana. If you decide to do this sort of tour, make sure that you book a tour which allows you to get off and take photos. We had a grumpy driver from Argentina who would not stop and let us take photographs. We really wanted to take photos of the Venetian Pool and at Little Havana. Little Havana is a must see area including Maximo Gomez Park or Domino Park as it is known. There are domino tournaments and games played by the residents of Little Havana. There are lots of shops and restaurants all with a Cuban and Latin American theme.

The Venetian Pool is known as one of the most beautiful pools in the world as it is famous with celebs and has waterfalls, and fresh water. We liked Coconut Grove as it was different to Miami and had lots of nice shops and restaurants, so we went back the next day on our own.

We had our breakfast most mornings in the News Cafe on Ocean Drive. It is open 24 hours and is great for people watching. It is just a couple of blocks from Gianni Versace's House and it is said that he had his breakfast there the morning he was killed!!! The News cafe also offer great cocktails. The China Grill is the place to be seen in, (if you can get a table!!!!) as it is always full of celebs and is very hard to book unless your surname is Diaz or Lopez!!!!.

The Pelican Hotel is a trendy Hotel to stay in if you can get a room.

We had tried but it was full when we were going. It is owned by the Diesel Jeans company. It is on Ocean Drive overlooking the beach. It has 30 rooms and every one is different from the 'Me Tarzan You Vain' room to 'Born in the stars and Stripes' Room. It has tastes for everyone. You can check out the website for a nosey!!!!!!!....

Another day trip we did was the Everglades. This was really good and you can see lots of amazing birds, plants and flowers while dodging the crocodiles and Alligators.

The boats skim the water quickly at some parts, so hold onto your hats and glasses!!!!!. There is a presentation with a couple of alligator and Crocs we learned that the alligator will run from you while the crocs will run after you!!!!!.

I would recommend visiting the Holocaust Memorial at Dade Boulevard Miami Beach. It is free Entrance and one of the most moving attractions I have ever seen. The 42 foot sculpture below is the centre piece with lots of images and photos of the 6 million Jewish people who lost their lives. It is a very peaceful and quiet memorial and when you see it, you realise how lucky you are to not have been around at that time!!!!!

I did really like Miami, but it is very expensive, it has fantastic beaches and lots of people combine it with a trip to the Florida Keys. The people we met were very friendly, and perhaps one day we will go back after we have been everywhere else we want to visit......