I’m here with available light, posting via the included broadband connection in our hotel room (w00t). We have tommorow until early evening free to do stuff, so I need recommendations. I’ve heard that the local good eats is a Cuban sandwich, so I will have to sample the best one available. What are some cool things to do or see?
Also, what’s the third common language around here? I was at the rental car office, and they had a sign in English, Spanish, and something that had Latin roots and accents all over the place. I know it wasn’t French, Portuguese, or Italian, which leaves… Romanian? I dunno.
That third language is Creole, spoken by Miami’s large Haitian population.
Where exactly are you staying–what part of town? For Cuban food (which is wonderful), I recommend the La Carreta chain of restaurants, but you can’t usually go wrong with little holes-in-the-wall either. If you drink, be sure to get a mojito somewhere, made with dark rum and fresh guarapo (sugar cane juice)!
Depending on where you’re staying, you may want to take a cab to South Beach and just walk around the scenic Lincoln Road/Washington Avenue area. It is very trendy and touristy and full of “beautiful people,” although perhaps not super-crazy on a Monday. It is great for shopping and dining, but pricey (of course).
Another option might be to tour the Vizcaya Palace and Gardens, located on US1 near where it splits off into Brickell Avenue. The concierge at your hotel can probably arrange transportation, or give you directions if you want to drive. It is a beautiful landmark and a “very Miami thing to do.” The Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium are right there too, but the museum is more kid-oriented.
If you like to eat meat and have a lot of money to spend on a meal you’ll remember for the rest of your lives, I highly recommend the Brazilian-style restaurant Porcao, where they bring the finest meats ever to your table on giant swords, and you just eat all you want, as many different things as you want. More information here: http://www.rodizioplace.com/ I’ve only been there once ever, but it’s SO worth it.
Since I see where you are now, I can tell you that you’re pretty conveniently located for going downtown, or to the Brickell area, or to South Beach. From the 836, taking the Le Jeune exit toward Coral Gables will also lead to some great restaurants, most of which are way out of my price range. I don’t know your budget, though. Are you driving yourselves, or will you be taking public transportation? I don’t recommend out-of-towners take buses or the Metrorail unless they have a good plan as to where they’re going.
What else are you interested in? What do you usually like to do?
I should read closer. I see you have rented a car, so just be careful. Get good Mapquest directions (or consult your concierge) before you go anywhere, to avoid ending up in scary parts of town. Yes, there are several.
I see in your profile that you’re an aspiring game designer. Did you know Alienware is based in Kendall, here in South Miami? (I should e-mail you some time for advice. My brother wants to be a game designer too, and has no idea how to break into the industry.)
What do we like to do? Well, just sort of absorb the local flavor I guess. Check out the local funky shops, go to cultural events or museums, eat the food, stuff like that. We’re on a middling budget, so we won’t want to plunk down grandiose sums on anything that isn’t truly magnificent, and even then it will require some thought.
As for getting into the game industry, hell I don’t know. I’ve been trying for two years now. Although not as hard as I could I suppose. I have all these half formed ideas for Neverwinter Nights modules and such, but they never coalesce.
I’m home now. We didn’t get to do much touristy stuff, but we did end up eating at both Porcao and La Carreta. Porcao was good, but I thought overpriced and a bit snooty. My wife’s not a big meatasaurus like I am, so she cared for it even less. We both liked La Carreta a lot though.
Sorry about Porcao! I’ve only been there once, but I was impressed by the decadence (and someone else paid my way, or I would NEVER have gone). My dad thinks it’s the neatest thing ever, though. I hope you guys had some fun in town, at least!