Need opinions on how to "experience" miami pre-cruise

[klepton]

I'll start by saying that DW, DD (Age 7) and I have never been to Miami. We've been to Florida numerous times (Tampa and Orlando many times, Daytona once) but never Miami. I'm having a harder time than usual figuring out where to stay in Miami to really get the Miami experience. We'll be getting in on March 28th or 29th, and cruising out of POM on the 31st. I know about Miami Beach, and unless you guys convince me otherwise I'm not really interested in that. We'll spend the entire following week on various beaches throughout the caribbean.

 

The two places I'm looking at now are downtown area and Coral Gables. Neither area looks overly targeted towards kids, but I figure there will be tings for DD at Bayfront Park downtown, or at the various parks throughout Coral Gables. What I like about both areas is that there's a lot around within walking distance, since we won't have a car.

 

So:

 

1) Will either Downtown or Coral Gables allow us to really experience Miami? What is the Miami experience (family friendly) other than beaches?

2) Both have easy access to the metrorail, are there any child friendly locations close to the metrorail line we could visit. Is the metrorail line itself worth taking to see the city if you don't have a destination?

3) Is it even worth trying to stay in Miami? Should we plan a few days to the Everglades instead?

 

Thanks for any input/advice you can give. I'm really struggling with this one for some reason...

[Keith1010]

You would get the real Miami experience in South Beach but understand your reluctance to stay there.

 

It is pricey but a very nice place is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It has a children's area and also a small beach like area and there are little stores and other places right adjacent to it.

 

It may not be in your budget but it would be quite nice.

 

Keith

[BlueHerons]

Definitely stay in Coral Gables. It is completely a family friendly local neighborhood. Click on my link for ideas, hotels, attractions, shopping, and restaurants.

 

It's a beautiful area. Some of the banyan trees are so old and so big and the fauna is so lush and tropical that it looks like Jurassic Park.

[klepton]

You would get the real Miami experience in South Beach but understand your reluctance to stay there.

 

It is pricey but a very nice place is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. It has a children's area and also a small beach like area and there are little stores and other places right adjacent to it.

 

It may not be in your budget but it would be quite nice.

 

Keith

 

Thanks for the info Keith, that is a bit out of what I was looking to spend. I was thinking under $200/night, which pretty much takes us out of the Downtown and South Beach areas right away I know, unless we used a travel deals site.

 

The Mandarin looked cool though. I actually looked at staying at the Mandarin in NYC when we went there over the summer.

[klepton]

Definitely stay in Coral Gables. It is completely a family friendly local neighborhood. Click on my link for ideas, hotels, attractions, shopping, and restaurants.

 

It's a beautiful area. Some of the banyan trees are so old and so big and the fauna is so lush and tropical that it looks like Jurassic Park.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence in Coral Gables and the link to your blog, the info/links on that page were pretty helpful. I saw the Venetian pool, any other things there you'd definitely recommend for a 7 year old?

 

I was looking at the Westin Coral Gables, I'm a starwood member and can use 4000 points + $60 per night, which makes it very affordable. Seems to be a great location within Coral Gables too.

[klepton]

Anyone have any suggestions for things to do within walking distance of the metrorail? Is the metrorail scenic at all? Is it worth just riding north and south to see the sights or is that a waste of time?

[klepton]

Finally getting around to posting an update... Hopefully this helps other people who stumble onto this post.

 

I did end up booking the Westin Coral Gables, using points + cash. It was a great deal. My gold member status got me a free upgrade as well, so the room we stayed in was very large and more than met our needs. The location within Coral Gables was very good. Right next to the Miracle Mile and walking distance to just about everything. Also right on the streetcar line.

 

In Coral Gables, the only real "don't miss" is the Venetian pool. DD had a blast swimming in the very large pond, swimming through the caves (pretty small) and under the waterfalls. The pool was not crowded at all the day we were there. We walked to and from the pool, but it was about 1 1/2 miles each way, so some might not consider that walking distance.

 

There was a nice salon where I surprised DD and DW with a mommy-daughter pedicure. While they were getting that, I went for a 4 mile run through Coral gables and around the golf course. It's a great place to run and explore. Coral Gables is busy, but you quickly get into more residential areas.

 

We took a cab to Bayside Marketplace, unfortunately the entire bayfront park was closed. The marketplace was kind of cool, we killed an afternoon just walking around. I would have enjoyed the atmosphere a bit more if it was just DW and I, as there were many bars and such, but it was a good time. We took the metrorail back to Coral Gables, and right where the Metrorail dropped us off we picked up the Goral Gables streetcar. That was so much easier than taking a cab, I wish we would have taken the metrorail downtown as well.

 

Speaking of cabs, they are very difficult to get in Miami for some reason. If you ask a restaurant or hotel to call you a cab, it took as much as an hour before one got there. So factor that in. One family we met on our cruise said they waited over 3 hours at their hotel for a cab to come, causing them a lot of stress thinking they'd miss the cruise.

 

Only downside was the food, it was either not that great, or very expensive, and in one case both of the above. Coral Gables is full of chain type restaurants, which we try to avoid when we travel. But the local places were really hit or miss, and it was hard finding local places open for breakfast.

 

All in all though, I'm very happy with the choice and the experience we had. I'd recommend it to anyone who's never been to Coral Gables.

 

On a side note, we did the everglades the day we got back from the cruise, and that was a lot of fun and totally doable in one day. We picked up our rental, headed out to the everglades, and got an airboat ride, animal show, and some shopping in before lunch. Headed back to Miami to exchange the rental car (long story not for this thread), got some good Cuban food for lunch, and then headed back out to Shark Valley in the everglades. Did the tram ride there, which was fun and informative, and went and ate dinner in Everglades city. Overall, that was a great experience that I'd definitely recommend doing.

 

Hope this helps someone!

[Isa65]

I did end up booking the Westin Coral Gables

 

 

Thanks for your review and update! Glad to read you were satisfied with the Westin Coral Gables as it might give other cruisers more options to choose from instead of downtown, Miami Beach and the airport area.

 

I stayed past April at this same Westin and the service was extraordinary. The main concierge, Joaquin, went out of his way to make all our wishes come true. He even mailed me after we got home. Excellent hotel and service.

Should I find a good deal in the future, I would certainly stay there again.

[maitlandmom]

As a former "Gables" resident, The Biltmore is the best way to truely experience Coral Gables. It is in a more residential area and within walking distance of Venitian pool. There are some great local restaurants in the area. Christy's on Ponce de Leon is my favorite. John Martins on Miricle Mile is also great. The original Tony Romas is close too.