Our next stop took us to the vibrant, high-energy city of Miami! While there is no shortage of things to do in this city, we had one very specific mission: skip the massive excursions and sneak out to South Beach for a classic, lazy beach day.

Escaping to South Beach

Getting away from the port and onto the warm sand of South Beach felt like a mini-heist. There’s something so satisfying about bypassing the crowded tour buses and just hopping in a cab straight to the ocean.

We set up camp on the sand, watched the waves, and soaked up the classic Miami energy. I will say: it was extra hot that day. The kind of heavy, humid Florida heat where the ocean breeze is your absolute best friend. But honestly? We didn’t mind a bit. Slipping into the warm water made the heat totally worth it.

A Nod to a Comedy Classic

As we walked along the famous Ocean Drive, looking at the candy-colored buildings and listening to the music spilling out of the cafes, I couldn’t shake a serious sense of cinematic nostalgia.

The whole scene immediately made me think of the brilliant 1996 comedy The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

And it turns out my movie radar was spot-on!

Fun Fact: The iconic Carlyle Hotel (which served as the exterior of the “Birdcage” club and apartment in the film) was sitting just five blocks away from where we were enjoying our beach day.

Walking past those exact Art Deco facades, you can practically hear the music and see the flamboyant, wonderful chaos of the movie coming to life. It added such a fun, nostalgic layer to our afternoon.

It was hot, sandy, beautifully retro, and the perfect way to spend a few hours in Miami.