20 Mar How to Spring Break in Miami
Binging Lifetime movies, drinking hot coffee, and hanging out with my mom is what I thought my 2019 spring break would consist of, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. I ended up having the time of my life with my best friend in Miami for spring break.
Planning
Plane tickets
Back in my small college apartment, spring break was quickly approaching and I had no plans. After talking to my roommate for a bit and she mentioned she was going to Miami and found some super cheap flights. Immediately, I hopped on my computer and started researching. Soon after I had already found round trip tickets from Philadelphia to Ft. Lauderdale for $150 on Spirit Airlines. Not being able to pass up that opportunity, I frantically texted my friend and we bought the tickets the next day.
Booking a room
Booking our flight was the easy part. Finding a place to stay, on the other hand, was pretty stressful. There are tons of areas to stay in Miami like the Design District, Wynwood, South Beach, and many more. My friend and I knew we wanted to be near the beach, so we limited our searches Miami Beach and South Beach. SoBe is expensive, so from my research, I found out about hostels.
If you don’t know, hostels are dorm-style shared rooms. Miami actually has a ton of hostels to choose from, many being super affordable and close to the beach! I had found a hostel 2 blocks from the beach in the heart of SoBe for $100 for 3 nights.
Traveling
The day has come and it was time to fly down to Miami. I don’t travel often, so flying is always exciting for me. This was also my first time going to the airport by myself, so I was a bit nervous I would mess something up. Getting through security and to our gate was a breeze; so much so that my friend and I had to anxiously wait for 2 hours to board the plane.
Flying
The whole flying experience was super easy. You may hear some horror stories about Spirit Airlines, but this was the easiest flying experience I’ve ever had. I slept for most of the way and within a few hours, I was in Ft. Lauderdale. Spirit doesn’t fly to the Miami airport, so we had to opt for the next closest airport.
The Uber ride from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami was around 45 minutes and cost us $30. Miami is pretty big, so keep in my you’ll need to Uber around a lot.
Let me tell you one thing, Miami is beautiful. Being from Philly, I was surprised at the sheer amount of palm trees everywhere. Everything is so colorful and the city is surrounded by blue water. Once we arrived at our hostel, I was ready to have my feet in the sand and have a drink in my hand.
Rooming
We stayed at the Hostel in South Beach and it was exactly what we paid for. The room was pretty small and humid, the shower had a mysterious drip from the ceiling, and we were only given a single sheet as a blanket. I knew what I was heading into when I paid 25$ a night for the room.
We immediately ran to the beach and it put the Jersey Shore to shame. The sun was shining and the water was warm and clear blue. We ended up at the beach 2 more times after that, subsequently getting sunburnt.
Stuff To Do
If you come to Miami, know that you won’t be bored. I suggest planning ahead if you want to explore the city instead of partying on the beach for 3 days (which is totally cool, too).
Museums/Art
If you’re going to check out the Design District, definitely go to the Institute of Contemporary Art. The admission is free and the exhibits are well worth seeing. Just walking around the Design District is beautiful and the streets are lined with every high-end store you can think of.
Miami is a very art heavy city, so there are art installations just about everywhere.
Just a short walk away from the Design District is Wynwood, famous for the graffiti that is all over the place. The Wynwood Walls area is every artist’s dream.
On my last full day, I went to Vizcaya Museums & Gardens and it was my favorite thing I did. It was this HUGE house that sat right on the water surrounded by the prettiest garden I’ve ever laid my eyes on. The architecture, gardens, and art throughout the property seriously blew me away.
Food/Drink
When in Miami, you will never go hungry or sober. There are endless amazing bars and restaurants that will make your tummy happy.
My hostel was only a block away from the famous Ocean Drive, where restaurants line the strip and they all seem to look the same and have the same menu. Just walking on the restaurant side of the street, you’ll have 25 hosts screaming in your face about happy hour specials.
Trust me, they all have the same 2 for $35 special on drinks bigger than your head. I caved, twice, and both times got cocktails that were too sugary but did the job.
My favorite drink spot I stumbled upon was in the Wynwood section of Miami, right across the street from the Wynwood Walls. This small hole in the wall smushed between 2 stores is the Miami Mojito Company.
Mojitos were the only thing on the menu, but in every flavor you could imagine. Raspberry, Pineapple, Passion Fruit, and Coconut were among the few listed on the chalkboard behind the bar. At $6 and finished off with a stick of raw sugar cane to chew on, these mojitos were amazing.
Check out this “hip” bar called the Broken Shaker. This bar/restaurant is connected to one of Miami’s more popular hostels, Freehand. This place was super nice, equipped with an outdoor seating area furnished with colorful benches, chairs, and string lights attached to palm trees. The food and drinks were amazing and the ambiance only added to it.
If you’re in the Design District, definitely check out the St. Roch Market. Hidden away in the Palm Court, behind some cute swinging chairs, the market features many amazing vendors, along with a huge bar located in the center of the market.
I eat a delicious acai bowl topped with crazy amounts of fruit, but sushi, fried chicken, pasta, and even vegan cupcakes are some of the other yummy treats available.
Miami is also home to huge Cuban and Haitian communities, so experience different cultures and expand your palate by visiting Little Havana and Little Haiti.
Take Away
It’s safe to say that no matter who you are, there’s something for you to do in Miami. If you want to party from dawn to dusk on the beach or club, spend your day seeing Miami’s rich history, culture, and art scene, or just drink pina coladas poolside, Miami is the place for you.
Booking a last minute trip there for spring break was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. I can’t wait to one day go back and explore all the things I unfortunately missed.
Something to remember, Miami is expensive! If you budget and do your research as I did, you can save some money on airfare and lodging,