Just back from my first trip to South Beach with my honey. A moment-by-moment account is NOT coming-- this was mostly Romantic Relaxation and Quality Time. But some points:

-- Beaches are still great. The heat was oppressive until you were at the shore, and then the ocean breezes actually manage to cool you. Fantastic. By the way, don't get your bikini bottoms in a twist if you see the occasional topless sunbather-- or dental floss thongs. And if you're planning to be one of the topless or thong-wearing, please look in a mirror and ask yourself: "Will my expression of personal freedom make anyone gag?" If the answer is "Yes", please cover up a bit more of yourself.

-- I'm finding that the tourists I see in South Beach are getting coarser. Less Eurotrash, yes, and that's good. But if I saw one more moron family in a rented SUV blaring bad hip-hop out the window and driving down Ocean with the camcorder sticking out (like they had never seen people walking on a street), I was going to rip my eyes out. Let's not talk about the "Girls Gone Wild" drunks at the Clevelander either....

-- Still, the Cardozo Hotel was a sweet oasis while we were there. Yes, a city view room. But the bed was king-sized and very comfortable, the room's ambience was soothing and sexy, the hotel staff were as friendly and helpful as always, and the hotel restaurant is under new management and was even better than the last visit (when it was quite good)! Tiny bathrooms-- a very New York touch, I thought.

-- My new favorite restaurant in South Beach is Wish, in The Hotel. Fusion cuisine, artistically presented, perfectly portioned (no Gut-Buster Specials), perfectly delicious. Exquisite in the classic sense (unusual, precious) and the general sense (incredibly good). The wait staff are efficient, friendly, chatty, knowledgeable, and won't give you the bum's rush to get a free table. We went twice, we were so impressed. The second time, one of the waiters (who had served us the first night) arranged for us to tour The Hotel (a Deco classic, redecorated by Todd Oldham). A very, very nice property.

-- Several hotels are still under major renovations right on Ocean. The Victor (which will be a super-upscale Hyatt) is running behind schedule and will open this winter, but it looks pretty great. The Carlyle (aka "The Birdcage") has work going on, but no indication of when it might re-open, or who will be managing it. The Adrian complex is boarded up and getting worked on as well. No clue as to what's going on. The Ritz-Carlton/DiLido is also still being redone.

-- The Clinton, a new hotel on Washington, is stylish and chic, and looks like an up-and-comer in the South Beach hotel scene. Anyone who's got reservations there-- you should enjoy yourself.

-- The club scene is basically status quo in South Beach, although more tacky people are getting in. Oh well, "Aunque se vista el mono de seda,/ Mono se queda" (Dress a monkey in silk, it's still a monkey). Fine, I'm a snob. But once you pay those astronomical cover charges to get into a club, don't whine about the cost of the drinks-- even if it IS the well booze, it's gonna be at least $10 per, OK?!

This is all off the top of my head. Oh yeah-- flying into Fort Lauderdale is a fine alternative to Miami International. Shuttle service is easy to get into South Beach, so we never considered a car for this visit. Next time, we are planning to hit more of the whole metro area, so we'll get a car.

Great report, thanks. I love going to South Beach every now and then if only to see which of the wonderful old hotels are being renovated and which are falling back into decline. It just continually ebbs and flows. You've got to love it.

Almost forgot the following:

-- Cardozo Café offers live entertainment in the lobby. Jazz guitarists, Latin combos, vocalists-- depends on the day. We enjoyed it, and it seemed to stop by 2 AM, at which time it's soft Top 40 stuff.

-- I still heartily recommend the Front Porch Café (in the Penguin Hotel) for cheap, yummy breakfasts. News Café is fine as well, but Front Porch is better.

-- South Beach still has a sizable gay population, and it was amazing to me to watch tourists gape and point at same-sex couples holding hands. Did these people crawl out from under rocks? Did no one tell them that this is perfectly accepted in South Beach? Maybe I'm a jaded, faux-sophisticate big-city boy, but I found it refreshing that the locals could be so non-judgmental (no one even batted an eye). Too bad I saw so many intolerant boobs from out of town. Be warned if you don't like "those gays and/or lesbians".

-- Don't forget that you will hear a LOT of Spanish. I'm bilingual and don't even notice what I'm speaking half the time, but I overheard numerous out-of-towners complain about it. Well, I'm sure they're all sorry South Beach isn't downtown Indianapolis, but don't people visit there because it's different from "home"...?

My first trip to South Beach was definitely my last. It can not compare to Fort Lauderdale. I didn't care for the art deco. We had lunch on the popular strip by the beach, it was awful (can't remember the name). Lots of foreigners of every kind (which doesn't make me a left or right...just reporting it). Lots of older women with definite breast implants wanting to show off what they bought, lol. There was a street that was nothing but shops...that was a joke....the merchandise was old stuff from way back when that still no one was purchasing. I give this place: two thumbs down!

Yeah, claire, South Beach is definitely not a family place like Ft. Lauderdale is. But it's not meant to be. By the way, I'm a bit confused. In May, you were arranging travel in June for your 16- and 18-year-old "guys"-- and I see you're now saying how much your "twenty-something" guys loved FLL. Sounds like you've got a lot of sons traveling with you (no girls as buffers? I'd be going nuts myself, and I'm a guy!!).

My kids are 17 and 19 now but were 16 and 18 when we went; i look at them as they are just along the lines as twenty somethings!

Ahh, claire, don't rush them into their 20s. My oldest niece just turned 21 and DAMN it makes me feel old. Of course, my mom replies, "How the hell do you think I feel, Methuseleh?!?!?"

I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't get into the Deco architecture, but I guess it's all in perspective. The LA metro area has some pretty wonderful examples of Deco style (the Argyle Hotel in West Hollywood, the main terminal at Long Beach Airport), and there's a bit of 30s era romance that I associate with those buildings. It also counterbalances the almost-pushy debauchery you find in South Beach, IMHO.

I think of South Beach as Disneyland for cool people. There is never a dull moment and the energy is, well, energizing. I'll soon be living in FLL and I love it there--for living, but South Beach is unique for visiting. Could look at the art deco forever. It's a treasure.

This has been an interesting thread for me to read. We took our son and daughter there two years ago when they were 14 and 12 years old. From downtown Indianapolis (yes, rjw_lgb_ca, I've been catching those Indy and Kokomo comments ) which is where we live. It was an eyeful, to say the least. We stayed at a small hotel in the 1300 block of Collins, and proceeded over to the News Cafe to see the world stroll by. I saw more cleavage in five minutes than I had in a lifetime. It took me aback. I pursed my lips in my best Catholic school manner, disaproval furrowed in my brow.

And then the magic happened. I don't know how, but all of a sudden the very vibrancy and vitality of South Beach seeped into us. There's something about being there on a sultry late summer afternoon, sipping a drink and eating good food and doing nothing more than gaze at the crazy chaos that surrounds you. I can only describe it as entrancing.

Yes, we saw PLENTY we'd never see in the Midwest. But surprisingly, much was the same. There was plenty of that cleavage but it was on grandmas taking their daughters and granddaughters out for the evening. There were many gay couples, but if that's news, you've had your eyes under blinkers for a decade at least. We saw as many rich tourists as we did poor. It was a mixed bag of everything, and let me say, the mixed bag was in a good mood, and it was infectious.

On our last day we rose very early and took our daughter down to the beach for one last swim. While we were at the faucets washing the sand off our feet, we noticed a very old, thin man in a wheelchair washing his body. He was clothed in nothing but a strategically placed washcloth. Our daughter saw, but also saw that everyone around this man was preserving this man's dignity by ignoring him while he went about what was presumably his morning routine. We're not sorry our daughter saw this other side of life. While we travel primarily for our own enjoyment, the world in all its warts sometimes pops up, and should be faced. South Beach presented an interesting family discussion. We all came away far more changed by South Beach than our regular beach vacation, and that was a good thing.

Oh dln, you know I'm only joshin' about Indianapolis! Besides, that's actually a pretty large city, as I recall (having driven through in my misspent youth).

But I stand by my statement that I heard a lot of complaints from tourists around us whining about how things are different in Miami, and "When I think about two men holding hands, it makes me sick" (my usual response: "Hey Quasimodo, get a gander of yourself and your wife Flossie in the mirror some morning-- we're ALL a bit nauseous over that!!") and "How DARE they speak Spanish here? This is Amur'ka!!" As I stated in another thread: Do the research, determine if the culture will upset your delicate sensibilities, and if it does, go elsewhere.

Well, not you. You went, you found the beauty there, you adapted. I'm sure you and your family are excellent travelers (and well-adjusted people in general) with such a healthy attitude.

RJW, thanks for the post on your trip!! I'm leaving Thursday for South Beach and plan on doing a lot of things, and at least you gave me some ideas! (PS After all that hubbub about hotels, I settled on the Blue Moon on Collins, so that I can have the extra spending cash to go out....) Besides, you only need a place to sleep if you're out having a good time, right? I'll supply my little trip report after I get back on the 21st....

missjanna, I think you'll be quite happy at the Blue Moon. And you're right in the center of everything on Collins, so it's a great location. I look forward to hearing how you like it.