The Kimpton Angler’s Hotel was a perfect location for a family with young children. Despite Miami Beach’s rightfully earned reputation as a party destination, we were able to escape into our quiet room and enjoy the lush and shady gardens. Our room was in a smaller building located above the Sewell Fish & Oyster restaurant. A morning coffee bar, complimentary happy hour drinks, and a beach bag with towels and umbrellas were all included with our stay. The “mermaid pool” next to our room was a quieter option midday, compared to the busy rooftop pool.

The beach was two blocks away and we chose to splurge on a full-day rental of two chairs and umbrellas. Although there was a lot of seaweed in the surf and on the beach, just past it the water was clear with many shallow sandbars. We easily saw fish (and one stingray) swimming around us.

The Miami Beach Botanical Garden was an unexpected oasis in the middle of the city, filled with quiet, hidden pockets with benches and tables. The garden is free to visitors and many people were enjoying Sunday morning coffee in the shaded gardens. The small gift shop offered local art, honey, jewelry, and garden-related gifts. And, just in time for pollinator week, were hundreds (maybe thousands) of Hairstreak butterflies.

One of the biggest draws to Miami Beach is the prominence of Art Deco in the building design. Most of South Beach was rebuilt when the movement was popular, and they’ve continued to use the design for the lifeguard stands along the public beach. A small welcome center on Ocean Avenue offered us a summary the history of the architectural style. The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum is also located in South Beach, but their permanent collection of Art-Deco style furniture was off-exhibit due to construction. We did enjoy the Shameless exhibition by Dutch artist Bas van Beek, which will be on display through August 7, 2022. Most of the hotels had public restaurants on the first floor and were heavily promoting to tourists as they passed by. We enjoyed lunch on the patio of the Carlyle Hotel, popularly known as the exterior for The Birdcage film.