*photo from purewow.com*
If you follow me on Instagram (you totally should btw) you probably know that I was in Miami this past weekend. As I’ve mentioned before, I actually attended the University of Miami and graduated two years ago, before moving to NYC. This weekend was actually our homecoming, so some of my sorority sisters and I decided to make a girls’ trip of it like we did last year, and guys, it was so much fun! I realize that Miami is a pretty popular travel destination for lots of people so I thought it would be cool to recap my trip and let you guys know what we did, plus include some insider recommendations for your upcoming trip in my first ever Miami travel guide!
Day One
I actually arrived in Miami on Thursday evening but our full group didn’t get to Miami until Friday afternoon. We started off the day with breakfast at Threefold Cafe in Merrick Park. My friend, Danielle, is obsessed with their avocado toast and after trying it for myself…I have to say it was super yummy! I got it with a fried egg on top—delicious! I also ordered a cold brew with my meal (of course) and that was also fab. Seriously I was craving that cold brew for the rest of our trip, ha!
Next we went to check-in at our AirBnb. We stayed at an apartment in Brickell with amazing views and a great location (it was super close to where two of our sisters live in Brickell, so going back and forth between apartments wasn’t too bad). Highly recommend this place if you’re looking to stay near the Downtown Miami/Brickell area (feel free to message me for specific details!). After getting settled, we got ready and went over to happy hour at RA Sushi in Coral Gables. This was one of our favorite spots back in college because it’s super close to the UM campus, has a great happy hour menu, and their food/drinks are always so good!
Post happy hour, we headed over to campus for the homecoming/school spirit activities and had so much fun checking out the new things on campus, seeing old friends, and stopping by the bookstore for some UM swag. Afterwards we headed over to pre-game in Brickell before heading out to Sidebar (a Brickell bar) with our massive group of girls.
Day Two
We got home pretty late on Friday night (I should say Saturday morning if I’m being honest) and probably went a bit too hard because I definitely was not feeling so hot on Saturday morning, ha! I wasn’t alone though; most of the other girls I was staying with at the AirBnb also were feeling the repercussions of the previous night, so we stayed in bed watching Law & Order SVU marathons and ordered breakfast in. It actually was really nice and some much-needed down time.
Our only plans for that day were the homecoming football game, which wasn’t until 8 pm. Once we all started to feel like humans again, we got ourselves together and got ready for the game. After stopping at the store for a couple of Gatorades, we were on our way to Hard Rock Stadium to tailgate before the game. This was so much fun because we got to see a ton of people that we hadn’t seen in a while and act like we were back in college for a little while, ha! And of course the game was great because (hello!) we won! Still undefeated baby!! I forgot how exhausting football games are though; since we didn’t get home until around midnight, we all pretty much crashed as soon as we got back.
Day Three
Our final day together consisted of Sunday brunch at George’s On Sunset. I got the ham and cheese omelette with breakfast potatoes, my friend next to me got the blueberry pancakes, and we just kind of split them both to get a taste of everything. All of the food was so good, plus George’s also has bottomless mimosas for just $15! That’s super affordable, especially coming from NYC where bottomless brunch usually means at least $40. Afterwards we migrated over to campus one more time to get some group photos with the iconic U statue before people started to leave for their flights. We finished the afternoon over by the pool at my friends’ Brickell apartment, complete with some drinks and lots of girl talk. It was such an amazing weekend with some of my very best friends, exactly the weekend break I’d hoped for.
Miami Travel Guide
Now all of that being said, I’m sure you’re ready for the rest of my Miami travel recommendations as promised. Here are some of my personal favorite places to explore, relax, eat and drink when in Miami. Do you have any trips planned there soon? I’d also love to hear your recommendations since there’s so much to do in the city! (Also don’t forget to pin the image at the top so you can come back to this post whenever you’re planing a trip!)
Explore & Relax
South Beach (for obvious reasons, the beaches here are just sublime + so much shopping!)
Key Biscayne (beautiful beaches and much more chill than South Beach if that’s not your scene)
Wynwood Walls (so many cool murals and places to check out in Wynwood during the day)
Vizcaya (gorgeous scenery for photo shoots and super relaxing spaces in the gardens)
Calle Ocho (authentic Cuban food + such a fun atmosphere)
Sawgrass Mills (one of the largest shopping malls in the U.S. but it’s a bit of a drive from Miami)
Fontainebleau Miami (you know it; it’s iconic. great place to grab drinks by the pool)
Perez Art Museum (cool modern/contemporary art)
The Venetian Pool (huge scenic, public pool if you aren’t down for the beach)
Eat & Drink
Threefold Cafe (try the cold brew and avocado toast!)
RA Sushi (such a great happy hour!)
Rok Brgr (great brunch with free mimosas for ladies! also delicious food)
Prime 112 & Red The Steakhouse (amazing upscale steakhouses for when you’re feeling fancy)
Coyo Taco (super yummy Mexican food at affordable prices)
Yardbird (delicious southern food!)
Tap Tap (authentic Haitian food; never actually been here but I’ve heard great things!)
Big Pink (on South Beach; definitely try the mac ‘n cheese if you go!)
The Federal Miami (amazing brunch!! a bit pricey though)
Nightlife
Bar Hopping in Wynwood (Shots is a great one that is always a good time)
Sidebar in Brickell (pretty spacious club/bar and they have food trucks in the back!)
LIV (obviously)
The Ivy (new-ish club on South Beach)
Fat Tuesdays (not really nightlife but has fun/cheap frozen drinks for when you go to the beach)
Sugar Rooftop Bar in Brickell (great views and good drinks)
homecominglifestylemiami travel guiderecent gradthe UtravelUMiamiuniversity of miami
