Sara Waxman, OOnt, is an award-winning restaurant critic, best-selling cookbook…
It is clear why Miami loves Canadians, but why do Canadians love Miami? Even as far back as 2016, the spend-per-year of the 3.5 million Canadian visitors was $6.5 billion dollars. We make up 25% of the international visitors and 9% of purchasers of properties. Wow.
Miami, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Like most of us, as soon as the snow flies, I answer the siren call of the sun, sand, and sea. And every year, no matter what part of Miami I visit, there are new and exciting things to do: art and culture, new dining experiences, walks along the beach, and for adventurers, there is no limit to outdoor water sports.
Miami is one place where it’s worthwhile to wake up early.
Art Galleries and Public Art
It’s been recommended that we include at least a “drive-by” of the Wynwood District and Wynwood Walls. Within minutes, we let the driver go as we began a stroll through a neighborhood where the world’s greatest artists working in the graffiti and street art genre show their brilliance. We see murals by artists like RETNA, Ron English, Aiko, NUNCA and so many more. Our “drive-by” turns into most of the day. This is another world with ever-expanding “walls”, ones we have never seen the likes of before. There are restaurants galore and outdoor cafes offering prime people-watching. Wynwood Walls must not be missed.
Pérez Art Museum Miami is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Contemporary art installations may intrigue you or may have you saying, “What in the heck is this all about?” Come with an open mind and stretch your sensibilities.
The Bass Museum of Art features diverse art, artifacts, a sculpture garden, plus films and lectures. The City of Miami accepted a gift of baroque and renaissance works of art from John and Joanna Bass, and in due course, the Museum opened. The architecture and the collections give this building a personality of its own.
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Patricia and Philipp Frost Museum of Science does not tell us, it shows us the core science behind living systems, the solar system and known universe, the physics of flight, light, and lasers, the biology of the human body and much more. We leave feeling better about our world and the humanity in it.
Institute of Contemporary Art is where we see the work of emerging, local and under-recognized artists. It provides a platform for the most innovative art of our time and plays a role in developing cultural literacy throughout the region. Admission is always free. Leave your preconceived notions about art at the door before you enter.
In many major cities of the world, there is the phenomenon of the Umbrella Sky, an international art installation that has popped up in Lisbon, Paris and now Coral Gables. Walk along the promenade under these swaying colorful umbrellas and feel protected and happy. We’re inclined to pop into Threefold Café for a sparkling Mimosa cocktail.
For more, visit Miami Beaches.
Sara Waxman, OOnt, is an award-winning restaurant critic, best-selling cookbook author, food and travel journalist and has eaten her way through much of the free world for four decades, while writing about it in books, newspapers and magazines. She is the Editor in Chief of DINE magazine.