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Miami's South Beach: Take the Art Deco District Tour
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South Beach's Miami Post Office. Sue Frause photo.
Last winter before going off on a Cayamo music cruise originating in Miami, we spent a few days in South Beach before boarding the ship. I was pleasantly surprised, as the last time I visited was back in the '70s. It was dull, dull, dull.
South Beach is dull no more.
I'm a big fan of walking tours, and one of the best ones is the South Beach Art Deco District's tour. The ninety-minute walking tour gives an introduction to the Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival and Miami Modern (MiMo) styles found within the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District. We visited hotels, restaurants and other commercial structures and had a chance to peek inside some of their interiors.
Highlights were The Congress Hotel, built by Henry Hohauser in 1936; Cardozo Hotel, now owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan; Jerry's Famous Deli; and The Leslie Hotel. OK, the latter I liked because I have a good friend named Leslie. It made for a very fun photo to email her. Casa Casuarina, a Spanish mansion built in 1930, is most famous for being the Versace Mansion. After Gianni Versace's death, it was purchased by Peter Loftin, and today it is a by-invitation-only private members club.
Oh, and you are at the beach. Ocean Drive is the cool cruisin' boulevard that runs along the beach, where you can do serious people watching at one of the many outdoor cafes, or rent a chair in the sand for ten bucks.
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