Off the Tourist Trail in Miami & Florida - For People Who Hate Tours

Pelicans, Haulover Beach Park, Miami

This personal guide to Miami and South Florida includes things that you probably wouldn't stumble upon by accident.

Also, it recommends places that most people might not be looking for, such as restaurants which serve vegetarian food, in fact vegan.

Here are a few of the spots in Miami-Dade County that I like, plus tips on subjects such as finding free wi-fi in Miami and stopping noise in South Beach hotels.

Alligators in the Wild
Before my wife and I moved to Miami Beach, we visited Fort Lauderdale and went on a commercial Everglades tour, simply because there didn't seem any other way to see alligators in the wild. The airboat was noisy, probably not very ecologically friendly, and we were splattered with insects as we bounced across the wetlands. The only alligators we saw were some sad-looking specimens imprisoned in a tiny compound.

On the other hand, if you hire a car and drive to Shark Valley or Royal Palm Visitor Center, both in the Everglades National Park, you could see a dozen or more alligators in the wild, but close up, plus turtles and birds such as anhingas, blue and white herons and cormorants. A seven-day pass for the Everglades National Park costs just $10 per car, not per person.

Bars Where the Locals Drink
As in all tourist towns, a lot of the bars in Miami Beach charge tourist prices. In the Fontainebleau Hotel, close to where I live, just one beer can set you back $20, according to a friend owns an apartment there (plus the 15% tip).

But Zeke's Roadhouse bar on Lincoln Road, South Beach, has 200 beers, including American microbrews and imported beers, all costing $4.

Haulover Nudist Beach
Even topless sunbathing by women is the exception rather than the rule on Miami's beaches, but just to the north of Miami Beach is Haulover Beach Park naturist beach, where South Florida Free Beaches/Florida Naturist Association holds occasional events.

Downtown's Free Driverless Trains
Miami's Downtown isn't a place to go at night, because nearly all the shops and restaurants are closed by 6 pm, and some people consider it to be unsafe in the evening. But during the day the elevated Metromover train system is a good way to get round the sights and is a driverless novelty worth riding just for the experience. Also, it's completely free.

Holocaust Memorial, South Beach
This spectacular memorial isn't a depressing place. It's beautiful, haunting and thought-provoking. Yet a Jewish friend who has lived in Miami for years has never seen it. If you're in Miami Beach, or even elsewhere in Miami-Dade County, it's not to be missed.

Oldest House in Original Location
The Barnacle, in the centre of the Coconut Grove district of the City of Miami, is the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still in its original location, built in 1891 by pioneer settler and yacht designer, Ralph Middleton Munroe. It's located in a park dotted with palm trees stretching to the waters of Biscayne Bay. Admission is only $2 per person.

Tours That I Do Recommend
An extra $3 is charged for tours of The Barnacle. Yes, generally I hate tours, but this is a very low-key one, and the interior of the house is worth seeing.

What I detest are commercial tours in a bus or those open-sided vehicles which are called trolleys in Florida, herding you from place to place, with a loud commentary that you can't ignore.

Boat Trips from Bayside Marina
Although the boats trips from Bayside Marketplace, in Downtown Miami, do have commentaries, they're not so obtrusive that you can't ignore them. The trips skirt the islands in Biscayne Bay, passing houses of the rich and famous, which are pointed out. If you time your trip right, you could see the sun going down behind the towers of the Brickell financial district as you return.

Free Wi-fi in Miami
There is free wi-fi in cafés such as Starbucks and the City of Miami Beach has a free wi-fi system, but the quality of both is erratic. The best option is Miami-Dade public libraries, where anyone can use the wi-fi without a password. In the main Miami Beach library there are even electrical points to plug in your laptop.

Noisy Hotels in South Beach
South Beach is a party town, so you should always ask if there is loud music in or near a hotel before making a booking, preferably getting a reply by email. However, if you still have noise problems, Miami Beach Police Department has a special enforcement section. Phone them 24-hours a day on 305 673 8285 and they'll send an officer with an instrument to measure the noise level.

Vegan Latino Food
Cuban restaurants often serve what appears to be vegetarian food, for example rice and beans and maduros (fried plantains). However, lard may be used for cooking, rather than vegetable oil, so always ask. One restaurant which has a reasonable selection of vegan food is Bernie's Latin American Café, on Alton Road, not one of the main tourist streets of South Beach, but not far from Lincoln Road.

Pelicans Close-up
To see pelicans close-up, like those in my photograph, the best place that I know is Haulover Beach Park Marina, to the north of Miami Beach. Groups of pelicans await the morning return of fishing boats round about 11 am, clustering around a slab where fish from the boats are gutted, scrambling for the discarded entrails.

For more detailed information about the above topics, check my blog every week.

I'll be including information about places all over Miami-Dade County, which includes the City of Miami, the City of Miami Beach, and other cities and towns such as Coral Gables.

Water Taxi and Kennedy Space Center
Possible excursions will also be covered, such as a Water Taxi trip along the canals of Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County, and even to places further afield, including major attractions such as the Kennedy Space Center. An overnight stay somewhere nearby is needed to see the Space Center properly, perhaps in Titusville.

Orlando, But Not Disney World
However, I won't be covering Disney World, in Orlando, which doesn't interest me at all. On the other hand the centre of Orlando has some pleasant spots, and quite a bit of nightlife, so it could be somewhere to stay when visiting the Kennedy Space Center.

My wife and I stayed at the Courtyard at Lake Lucerne, a bed and breakfast in Downtown, by one of Orlando's many lakes. Ask for a room in the 19th-century part, preferably with a view of the lake.

Suggestions and Comments, Please
Only places that I like will be included in this blog, plus warnings about annoyances or dangers. If I'm not interested in something it won't be included, although I am open to suggestions.

And please let me have your comments, whether favourable or critical.