TRAVELCONNECTION
PETER GREENBERG
Peter Greenberg is the
multiple–Emmy Award–
winning travel editor
for CBS News and host
of The Travel Detective
on public television
( petergreenberg.com).
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costcoconnection.com,
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EVERY TIME I go to Miami, the same ritual repeats
itself. By about 10 p.m. each night, I look at my watch
and shrug. Why even bother checking the time? In
Miami, at 10 p.m., things are just getting started. The
culture demands that you ignore the clock and simply have a great experience.
And if you go beyond the guidebooks and brochures and live like a local, pretty soon you won’t
even be wearing a watch.
For starters, you need to get out on the water. Not
just at the beach, where everyone else is going, but take
a canoe out on Hells Bay. Despite the moniker, this
canoe trail is quite manageable. It lets you paddle
through mangroves, small ponds, bays, campsites and
everything else that only makes sense in the Everglades.
Plan to go one way, or turn around halfway through,
as canoeing the trail there and back takes six hours.
Looking for a shorter on-the-water experience?
Try paddleboarding at sunset. These tours start at
sunset atop paddleboards equipped with LED lights.
The lights illuminate 15 feet under water and 50 feet
around the board for a unique twist on the sunset
tour. And if you’ve never been on a board, the tour
guides will teach you.
Off the beach, you’ll quickly discover that
Miami is a series of great neighborhoods. What dis-tinguishes at least one of them is a booming street
art scene. A must stop is Wynwood Walls (thewyn
woodwalls.com) in the Wynwood Art District.
There’s no missing these six giant warehouses covered in professional graffiti. Be sure to book tour
tickets ahead of time, then meet at the walls and let
local artists take you on the Wynwood Art Walk.
And every second Saturday of the month,
neighborhood studios, galleries and showrooms
open their doors to the public. This all happens
between Miami Avenue and Northwest Second
Avenue, where you’ll find pop-up shops from local
artisans and a battery of food trucks.
Speaking of food, south of Fifth Street, there’s La
Locanda (
lalocandamiami.com), where the locals go
for great Italian food. Do not miss the Penne
dell’Appennino, a mix of wild mushrooms with a
touch of truffle oil, and the thin, crispy-crust pizzas.
Another off-the-brochure place is the Foxhole
Bar (
foxholebar.com). A back alley and a red light
set the tone for this place, which remains a secret to
even some of the locals.
Tap Tap (
taptapmiamibeach.com) is a cool Haitian
restaurant (and the mojitos are affordable), but the
key attraction here is the food: spicy marinated
conch and, if you’re bold, the goat stew. (My choice:
the spinach in coconut sauce.) Aim for the third
Saturday of every month for live music.
If you are a true late-night fan, and that means
after Tap Tap, immerse yourself in Miami’s Latin
culture. For salsa dancing lessons, head to Ball &
Chain (
ballandchainmiami.com), a re-creation of a
1930s hot spot that once occupied the same space
and welcomed jazz superstars like Billie Holiday,
Count Basie and Chet Baker to its stage. You’ll enjoy
more than just the dancing if you sample some of
the Cuban-inspired cocktails: the Mojito Criollo
(made the classic way, with the mint leaves left intact
for more sugar and an enhanced aroma), the Canita
(white rum, lime, house-made honey syrup and
guarapo, sugarcane juice) and the Pastelito
Daiquiri (aged rum, guava puree, lime, simple
syrup and a side of pastelitos, or guava-filled pas-tries). Hint: While the place opens early, with live
jazz at 6 p.m., the locals arrive at 10. That’s when the
salsa dancers take to the floor and the bar.
As I cautioned you, in Miami, it’s best to ignore
your watch. C
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Biscayne Bay and
Miami’s downtown
skyline. Right: Get in
touch with your inner
salsa-dancing self.
Off the brochure
A different way to experience Miami
THE
COSTCOCONNECTION
Costco Travel offers packages
to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and
Orlando. To learn more, click
“Travel” at Costco.com or call
1-877-849-2730.
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and welcomed jazz superstars like Billie Holiday,
the Cuban-inspired cocktails: the Mojito Criollo
r
(white rum, lime, house-made honey syrup and
e
e
tries). Hint: While the place opens early, with live
.m
As I cautioned you, in Miami, it’s best to ignore
