A South Florida Mash-up of Fun, Adventure, and Curiosity

The Heat Is On

By David Kriso

There’s no better time than summer in South Florida. It’s the perfect season to get away from the unpredictable weather of the North and mash up with the picture-perfect weather of the South. Despite its vast size and diverse cultures and lifestyles, there’s no place like it. For anyone visiting the greater Miami area and its beaches, it’s not difficult to digest or comprehend. There is something fun for everyone. Whether it’s about the family, couple, or solo traveler, the Miami area welcomes anyone and everyone to take in all that South Florida has to offer. South Florida welcomes visitors of all ages. Whether you come by plane, car, boat, or train, the Miami area makes memories like “magic.”

When it comes to exploring the Miami area’s highlights, it pays to start with the simple things. The must-do for any first-time Miami visitor is going on an airboat tour of the Everglades National Park. The Everglades is one of the most vast and majestic natural settings in the United States—and the world. It is one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. It’s best to let an airboat captain do the talking. Two of the best airboat tours in South Florida are River of Grass Adventures, based in Miami, and Everglades Holiday Park, west of Ft. Lauderdale. The Miami Everglades airboat rides offer exciting nature experiences for every type of adventurer. The one-hour airboat tour is a thrilling, fast-paced ride that showcases the beauty of the wetlands in just the right amount of time. The most enchanting hour of the day and true Everglades luxury come together on the Private Sunset Airboat Adventure. With plenty of daylight for wildlife viewing, guests watch the sun sink below the horizon and listen as a symphony of Everglades sounds comes to life for golden hour River of Grass magic.

Everglades National Park

Everglades Holiday Park is home to the famous Gator Boys. Their tours of the Everglades are unlike any other! They are packed with facts, history, and educational tidbits about this distinct Florida region, home to unparalleled wildlife. Their exclusive airboat tours offer guests an exhilarating thrill. To make the visit even more memorable, guests see live gators during the exciting 20-minute show. These resident gators were rescued by the Gator Boys Rescue Team. Who said that alligators were fearsome animals? At Everglades National Park, resident alligators invite guests to learn more about them up close and learn the most important thing. There’s no need to “hide.”

Speaking of Mother Nature, there’s nothing like surrounding oneself with the wonders of nature. With its water features, plants, and various tree species, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is the perfect example of Mother Nature mingling with humankind. The Miami Beach Botanical Garden is an urban oasis and micro forest in the heart of Miami Beach. Through immersive education, wellness, and cultural programming, the Garden creates transformative experiences that empower individuals of all ages to become champions of South Florida’s lush environment. It is “rooted” in community. The Garden cultivates a welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can gather, grow, and feel a sense of belonging, inside and outside its gates. The Garden embraces the beauty and diversity of the natural world as a source of creativity, curiosity, and wonder, sparking new ideas and deeper connections with its surroundings. More so, it’s driven by respect. The Garden honors the value of every person, plant, and place-recognizing its shared responsibility to care for each other and the Earth. Most importantly, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a champion of well-being. Botanists at the Garden design spaces and programs that nourish the mind and spirit, recognizing that time in nature is essential to human health and happiness.

For the more sports-spirited crowd, Miami is clad with great sports teams. The Miami Dolphins are the city’s storied NFL team. The Dolphins call Hard Rock Stadium in North Miami their home. In downtown Miami, sports fans can catch the energy of Miami Heat basketball at the Kaseya Center. And who’s up for a game of baseball? The Miami Marlins, formerly the Florida Marlins, are the 1997 and 2003 World Series Champions. The Miami Marlins play at the beautiful Loan Depot Park. Loan Depot Park is surrounded by Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, on the former site of the Orange Bowl. Adding a sense of history to the ballpark’s grounds, the letters from the Orange Bowl’s exterior signage are planted in the concrete around the stadium’s gates. Even though the Orange Bowl may be gone, the memories remain.

What’s a Miami Marlins baseball game like? Going to a Miami Marlins game is the most welcoming experience any baseball fan could have. The stadium food is fantastic. The game-time activities are engaging. Further, the overall stadium experience is altogether exceptional. It’s professional baseball with a friendly Miami welcome.

In Miami, there’s nothing like a memorable dinner experience. Where else can Miami-area visitors enjoy nightlife more than at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Davie, Florida? Known as the iconic “Guitar Hotel,” the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is a world-class resort with world-class gaming, entertainment, dining, and shopping. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers guests a selection of 2,500 of the most popular slots, nearly 200 table games, and a new 45-table poker room. Colorful design elements and contemporary architectural details enhance the expanded layout. Gaming can make any guest hungry. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino features an array of restaurants for all guests’ taste buds and appetites. From a hearty steak dinner at Council Oaks Steaks & Seafood, to Japanese at Kuro, to Korean at Bae, to rocking out hunger at the Hard Rock Café, to indulging in a never-ending food selection at the Fresh Harvest Buffet, no night at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino is complete without a meal. Guests are not to miss out on Thursday at the Fresh Harvest Buffet. Every Thursday is Lobster Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. With so much to choose from, guests are encouraged to make their visit or stay nothing less than legendary.

Haulover Beach | Photo by MDV Edwards/Shutterstock

In the Miami area, should a visitor save the best for last? You can’t miss the beaches! But there may be a question on the minds of all South Florida visitors: “Aren’t the beaches crowded during the summer months?” No, they are not. In May, the college students have all returned home. June through August, the beaches are not as crowded as expected. The young crowd is sparse. Summertime is the low season. During the summer, finding the perfect spot to set up the beach blanket and pertinent beach gear is a walk in the park. Between September and April, it’s a whole other story. The college students return to the area, along with the “snow birds.” During those months, it pays to get to the beach at the right time in the morning; otherwise, finding the right place to set up the beach gear will be an uphill battle.

You might even want to accentuate an adventurous stay in the Miami area with a trip to Haulover Beach—but first-timers should prepare themselves for a hint of culture shock. Haulover Beach is Miami Beach’s clothing-optional beach. Unlike Sandy Hook’s Gunnison Beach on the New Jersey Shore, Blacks Beach in San Diego, or Little Beach on the island of Maui, Haulover Beach presents itself as a step above. Lounge chairs are available for rent at $20 each, and beach umbrella rentals are $30 each. Beachgoers are welcome to bring everything else. Further, Haulover Beach features a beach volleyball area with up to eight courts. Beachgoers, whether locals or out-of-towners, are invited to get in on the game and let the sunscreen do the rest. Whether during the high or low season, Haulover Beach offers the chance to leave life’s stresses behind and let Mother Nature have the upper hand, reminding us that “less is more” and that the bare essentials are all that’s necessary.

Haulover Beach | Photo by David Kriso

South Florida is the home to the Magic City of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, the Venice of America. It’s home to the upscale Miami suburb of Hollywood—the Diamond of the Gold Coast. Whichever realm of South Florida catches the visitor’s eye, there is no shortage of fun and excitement. Visitors can skim the waters of the Everglades on an airboat and get up close to alligators of all sizes. Nature lovers can find themselves surrounded by nature’s treasures at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. There are multiple opportunities for professional sports excitement with the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, and Miami Marlins. When it comes to nightlife, the beach walk in Hollywood Beach and the nonstop entertainment at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino do not disappoint. Last but not least, when it comes to the perfect beach day, beachgoers are guaranteed to get their “all-over” at Haulover Beach. All in all, the area is a cornucopia of nonstop fun, excitement, and untamed adventure. The ocean, body, and the mystique of the night come together as one to make South Florida the most magical place on the Atlantic Coast.

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Head to VisitFlorida.com and MiamiandBeaches.com to start planning your trip.