In early January, my husband needed to go to Miami for a school event. Instead of sending him alone, we made it a family event. My mom and nephew even came along for the party! Follow our itinerary below, if you're looking for ideas for a weekend stay in Miami!
Airbnb Stays in Miami
Night 1 - Downtown Miami
Although our stay was rough due to construction issues, Christopher was a wonderful host to make sure we were taken care of. I will definitely try his place again, when we head back to Miami next. It's not super luxurious, but it seemed to be a fine place to stay -- downtown Miami, full kitchen, lots of beds.
The Story: After a long workday, we drove down to Miami on Friday night. We got to the Airbnb unit around 11pm, and I jumped in the shower. No hot water from any taps, and then water started coming out of the walls and into the kitchen, closet, and hallway. Messaged Christopher and he came over to the unit immediately. He gave us a full refund for the stay, and Airbnb offered to pay for a hotel for the night. But it was MLK weekend, so there was no availability at nearby hotels (we called at least 20). Christopher let us sleep there still, even with the full refund, and gave us access to another unit for showering in the morning. It was definitely a memory making experience!
Night 2 - Miami Beach
With the issue from our first-night stay, Airbnb gave us a discount for a new listing for the rest of our trip, so we splurged a little and stayed near South Beach. It's closer to the bay side of Miami Beach, but still easily walkable to the beach and Lincoln Road, even with four kids. You have the option to pay for parking, if you don't want to fight for street parking, and Adrian was gracious to let us keep our car there even after checkout, so we could continue to explore.
Looking to host your own Airbnb? Check out our Airbnb resources!
Cape Florida Lighthouse, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Dropped Brandon off at his school activities, and the rest of us went to IHOP for breakfast. Then drove down to Key Biscayne to see the Cape Florida Lighthouse. It was probably a 30 minute drive from Miami, and a pleasant drive! Entrance fee for the state park was $8 per car, but there was lots to do!
- Beach for sunbathing and swimming
- Docks for fishing
- Picnic tables for eating or games
- Tour the lighthouse and lightkeepers' house
- And I'm sure a lot more! We ran out of steam after a few hours in the sun and wind, and with my daughter hurting her foot on some rocks. We were ill prepared for all of the adventures!
The kids were excited to climb the lighthouse, until we got there. Then they chose to play in the water and sand, despite it being freezing cold water. And that we didn't bring swimsuits. All was fun and games until my oldest cut her foot on some rocks, and my youngest biffed it and was soaked. We were playing in the beach area right in front of the lighthouse and not really on the "beach-beach," so it was definitely on us. The real beach was just right next to us, we just hadn't explored enough. Luckily we had our suitcases in the car to get everyone cleaned off.
Lincoln Road and South Beach, Miami Beach
We got up on Sunday morning and decided to make it a walking day, since parking is a beast. We walked to McDonald's, as requested by the kiddos. Then headed towards the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, for Brandon (he's a landscape architect, and loves seeing garden designs).
Falling Iguanas
While we didn't have to worry about falling iguanas, we did see a few on our walk. Scared the kids, and I didn't want to get too close either. Since iguanas are cold-blooded, when the temperature is cold outside, the iguanas stop moving! So if they're in a tree, they will fall out and can hit you. It's a weird issue to deal with when you visit, but something to be aware of.
Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach
On our way to the garden, we passed by the Holocaust Memorial. Instead of just walking by, we decided to visit and talk to the kiddos about what happened. It's not just a statue, but includes a visual history of the Holocaust with photos and stories. Our 9-year-old understood best, and spent her time reading the details. The statues towards the heart of the memorial were a little more graphic, especially for the small kids who didn't understand (3 and 6 years old), so we didn't stay too long.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
A nice garden area to explore, with a small gift shop. A great place to let the kiddos run around and explore. Also a great place for a bathroom break!
Lincoln Road Mall
Dinner at Spris
Dinner on Saturday night was pizza from Spris, which was delicious! You can only have so much fast food. Brick oven pizza. The only complaint is parking, because it is on Lincoln Road, which is largely a pedestrian space. Brandon and I went together, leaving Grandma at the Airbnb with the kids, so he hopped out at a red light and I drove around the block looking for parking. We splurged and got the:
- Cesare Insalate (Caesar Salad)
- Hawaiana Pizze (Hawaiian Pizza, ham and pineapple)
- Quattro Formaggi Pizze (Four Cheese)
- Pepperoni Pizze
- Nutellino Calzone (Nutella-filled calzone, but since we ordered takeout they didn't include the whipped cream)
Farmers Market and Walk Through
After visiting the Miami Beach Botanical Garden and on our way to South Beach, we found Lincoln Road. It's a pedestrian-friendly corridor that walks you to the beach, with shops surrounding you. It gave the kids a larger area to walk without us worrying about traffic, and we did some shopping from the sidewalk vendors. Coconut ice cream, art exhibitions for the public, street peddlers, along with your standard mall stores (H&M, Lids, Anthropologie, Gap, etc.).
South Beach
Of course we couldn't leave town without another trip to the sand! Again, no swimsuits, but we rolled up our pants and played in the water. There are lots of beach chairs, but you have to rent them from the hotels to actually use them. If you try to use them without paying, they will ask you to move. Even in cold weather, the sand is warm and a quick foot bath in the ocean isn't too bad.
Heading Back to Orlando
Florida Turnpike Rest Stops and SunPass
One of the biggest stressors when driving the Florida Turnpike with little kids is bathroom breaks. It's not a regular highway with lots of stops every few exits. The Turnpike doesn't have a lot of exits, because it's meant for long-distance travel.
You will also want to have a toll pass (SunPass), so you don't have to stop and pay at each station. We did that when we first moved to Florida, and it made things very complicated. Hertz Rental Car provided us the optional upcharge of an unlimited toll, which we gladly accepted. Made things much smoother.
Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple
If there's a nearby temple on our road trips, we always stop for a minute to walk around! In our church, these buildings are holy places where we get married for time and eternity, and perform work for those that have passed. These short stops always bring such peace to me!
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