What to Do on a Miami, Florida Vacation
There are many things to do in Miami, Florida. The city holds 400,000 people, and another 5 million live in the Miami metro area, so there is a demand for entertainment and leisure activities. There is quite a variety of options to fulfill those demands.
For much of its history, most Americans have associated this southern city with its beaches. South Beach, in nearby Miami Beach, probably has the most name recognition nowadays, but there are numerous other beaches open to the public in the greater metropolitan area and surrounding communities. These beaches are available for a wide variety of recreational activities, including fishing, boating, surfing, swimming, scuba-diving, sunbathing or just people-watching.
There were few places to stay in Miami when it was founded in the late 1800s. Times have changed, and the city is bustling with hospitality. Post 1800 hotels are easy to find now, as are eating establishments catering to local cuisine. Many of the metropolitan area's 450 hotels have restaurants or are located in walking distance of restaurants, clubs and cafes.
Spectator sport fans also have plenty of options for entertainment. The city's professional teams have won national championships in football, baseball and basketball, so there are opportunities to watch professional-level competition at all times of the year. The University of Miami also fields competitive teams, and has won national championships in football and baseball.
Families may enjoy a visit to the children's museum. This establishment provides a wide variety of exhibits designed to teach children about themselves, their community and their world. Exhibits focus on economics, health, pets, safety, the environment and many other things.
For other learning experiences, families can go to the Miami Science Museum. Here children and adults can learn more about energy and motion, space, and the ocean at numerous interactive exhibits. The museum is also home to the Miami Planetarium, with a 65-foot diameter projection screen, and the Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center, where staff members rehabilitate and release injured raptors.
Two institutions that focus specifically on wildlife are the Metro Zoo and the Seaquarium. The zoo, also known as Zoo Miami, hosts an aviary, an Amazon River basin exhibit and a children's zoo, all in addition to their other animals from around the world. The Seaquarium is the country's longest operating oceanarium. The Seaquarium hosts a vast collection of fishes and other marine life, including a killer whale named Lolita that is over 40 years old.
If visitors want to venture beyond the city, the Everglades are a 45-minute drive away. Here people can see all kinds of wildlife indigenous to the south Florida swamps. Many of the species found here are endangered or threatened, including both the American alligator and the American crocodile.
For much of its history, most Americans have associated this southern city with its beaches. South Beach, in nearby Miami Beach, probably has the most name recognition nowadays, but there are numerous other beaches open to the public in the greater metropolitan area and surrounding communities. These beaches are available for a wide variety of recreational activities, including fishing, boating, surfing, swimming, scuba-diving, sunbathing or just people-watching.
There were few places to stay in Miami when it was founded in the late 1800s. Times have changed, and the city is bustling with hospitality. Post 1800 hotels are easy to find now, as are eating establishments catering to local cuisine. Many of the metropolitan area's 450 hotels have restaurants or are located in walking distance of restaurants, clubs and cafes.
Spectator sport fans also have plenty of options for entertainment. The city's professional teams have won national championships in football, baseball and basketball, so there are opportunities to watch professional-level competition at all times of the year. The University of Miami also fields competitive teams, and has won national championships in football and baseball.
Families may enjoy a visit to the children's museum. This establishment provides a wide variety of exhibits designed to teach children about themselves, their community and their world. Exhibits focus on economics, health, pets, safety, the environment and many other things.
For other learning experiences, families can go to the Miami Science Museum. Here children and adults can learn more about energy and motion, space, and the ocean at numerous interactive exhibits. The museum is also home to the Miami Planetarium, with a 65-foot diameter projection screen, and the Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center, where staff members rehabilitate and release injured raptors.
Two institutions that focus specifically on wildlife are the Metro Zoo and the Seaquarium. The zoo, also known as Zoo Miami, hosts an aviary, an Amazon River basin exhibit and a children's zoo, all in addition to their other animals from around the world. The Seaquarium is the country's longest operating oceanarium. The Seaquarium hosts a vast collection of fishes and other marine life, including a killer whale named Lolita that is over 40 years old.
If visitors want to venture beyond the city, the Everglades are a 45-minute drive away. Here people can see all kinds of wildlife indigenous to the south Florida swamps. Many of the species found here are endangered or threatened, including both the American alligator and the American crocodile.