Florida

Miami

Miami is color turned all the way up. I stayed downtown at the InterContinental, spent a day on the water cruising past the skyline, waded into turquoise water at South Beach, chased murals in the Design District and optical illusions at Paradox Museum, and ended every night with the city lit up across the bay.

Boat day South Beach Downtown & Brickell Design District murals

Into the turquoise

Evie in a pink cover-up and straw hat throwing a peace sign toward the ocean — South Beach, peace sign up

In pictures

Evie in a lilac pleated set and pink sandals lounging on the bow of a boat on Biscayne Bay — Boat day on the bay

Evie seen from behind on the bow of a boat cruising a canal toward the skyline — Cruising the canals

Evie on a boat with the sun flaring overhead and buildings along the water — Sun, water, skyline

A pink sandal propped up against a blue sky full of clouds over the water — Feet up, Miami style

A red cup raised on a boat cruising under a blue bridge on the Miami River — Cheers from the river

Evie in hot pink crouching in front of a bright green mural — Mural stop

Evie in a hot pink set and white sunglasses seated at a blue cafe table beside a painted turquoise wall — Pretty in pink

Evie in a pink two-piece taking a mirror selfie in a floral boutique — Boutique browsing

The curved, hand-painted Paradox Museum sign against a deep blue sky — Arriving at Paradox Museum

Evie appearing upside down on a pink lifeguard tower illusion at Paradox Museum — Paradox Museum

Evie in an olive shirt dress taking a selfie in a mirrored room of endless striped pillars at Paradox Museum — The mirror room

Downtown towers, including the InterContinental, under a pink sunset sky — Downtown at sunset

Curved high-rise towers above a street strung with lights at dusk — Brickell at dusk

A yacht docked below lit-up residential towers along the river at night — The river at night

Lit-up high-rises reflected on the water at night, framed by a palm tree — Night skyline from the water

Evie in a yellow sleeve throwing a peace sign under a blue I love Miami shop sign at night — I ❤ Miami

The neon Hard Rock Cafe sign above a stairway strung with holiday wreaths at night — Hard Rock Cafe, Bayside Marketplace

Where I stayed: InterContinental Miami

My home base was the InterContinental Miami, right on Biscayne Bay in downtown. The lobby is a gallery in itself, with a huge carved stone sculpture under the skylight, and my suite looked straight out over the water. Breakfast at Olé, the restaurant right inside the hotel, made the mornings easy.

The InterContinental Miami tower and its glowing turquoise entrance at dusk — The hotel at dusk

Views from my suite

Room tour

A large carved stone sculpture beneath a skylight in the InterContinental lobby — The lobby sculpture

Inside the InterContinental lobby

A breakfast menu at Olé on a table set with red napkins — Breakfast at Olé

On video

On the water

Skyline from the river

Paradox Museum illusions

Design District murals

Browsing Tory Burch

Downtown after dark

My Miami picks

Favorite experiences

A boat day cruising the canals and the bay, with the skyline sliding by. Wading into turquoise water at South Beach. Getting turned upside down at Paradox Museum. Hunting for murals in the Design District. And walking the river at night, when every tower lights up.

A table covered in dishes at P.F. Chang’s

Where to eat

A big shared feast at P.F. Chang’s: noodles, fried rice, dumplings, and more plates than the table could hold. Breakfast at Olé, a grilled sandwich and fries for a sunny lunch at Kanoli Italian Restaurant, a pepperoni pizza at Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza, barbecue ribs, chicken and shrimp rice at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Miami Bayside, and something cold for dessert: gelato from Mammamia Gelato Italiano at Bayside Marketplace and a virgin piña colada ice cream from Aubi & Ramsa.

Planning tips

Book a boat cruise; the city looks its best from the water. Stay downtown or in Brickell so the bay, the riverwalk, and plenty of restaurants are a walk away. Hit the beach in the morning, and pack serious sunscreen.

A grilled sandwich with lettuce and tomato beside a cup of fries at Kanoli Italian Restaurant — Lunch at Kanoli Italian Restaurant

A double scoop of Mammamia gelato in a waffle cone — Mammamia Gelato Italiano, Bayside Marketplace

A cup of virgin piña colada ice cream held up outside Aubi & Ramsa — Virgin piña colada at Aubi & Ramsa

A Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza menu, round sunglasses and a glass of water on a wooden table — Pizza night at Mister O1

The pepperoni pie

Barbecue chicken, glazed ribs and fries on a square plate beside a bowl of shrimp rice at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville — Ribs, chicken and shrimp rice at Margaritaville

A Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Miami Bayside menu with a palm-lined sunset beach on the cover — Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Miami Bayside

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