TIP: Boat tours are the best way to view a lot of Miami in little time. We highly recommend the Island Queen Millionaire's Row tour, especially if you need a celebrity fix.

TIP: The Miami transportation system is not extensive, so if you want to get around the city and surrounding areas, we highly recommend renting a car or carpooling with someone. Let us know if you want to know who else is coming so you can share a car. Or find the best rental prices at www.cheaptickets.com (as of 8/21, a compact car costs $170/week from Fox Rent-a-Car at Miami International Airport).

TIP: Very little is for free in Miami. If you're on a budget, check out the places marked with (¢) that cost little to nothing to visit.

Coral Gables | Miami Beach | Coconut Grove
The Keys | The Everglades

Coral Gables

You'll get a good view of Coral Gables on your drive from the wedding to the salsa party. Coral Gables is easily one of the most enchanting areas of Miami. Read this excellent NY Times article about places to visit.

If you have a chance, visit Matheson Hammock Park (¢), where Redfish Grill is located. To the right, you see the atoll on Biscayne Bay where the ceremony and reception will be held. What you don't see is the HUGE park that is located near the atoll. Hike miles of trails through the 600-acre natural preserve.

For the nature lovers, try the 33-acre Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. You'll walk (or take the tram) through rainforest, tropical fruit garden, a desert oasis, butterfly garden, and much more. The Garden grows numerous rare tropical plants, including palms, cyads, and flowering trees and vines.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Merrick House and Gardens (¢) stands as a tribute to the history of South Florida. An example of early Coral Gables architecture, the house museum exists much as it did in the 1920s.

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Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove, or CocoWalk as it's called by the locals, is a fun shopping district just south of Miami. Lots of restaurants, bars, and boutiques, this is the place to go if you want nightlife outside Miami Beach. For those of you who need more than this, visit the places listed below.

Built in 1916, the Viscaya Museum and Gardens is a beautiful Italian Renaissance- and Baroque-style estate on Biscayne Bay. You could easily spend a couple hours just walking around the expansive botanical gardens.

Also located on Biscayne Bay, the five-acre Barnacle Historic State Park (¢) was built in 1891. The oldest house in its original location in Dade County, it was the home of Ralph Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s founders, who also founded the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and was a leading designer of sailing yachts.

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Miami Beach

Where to begin? Well, if you're like Jackie, a geography lesson is a great start. Miami Beach is not actually in Miami. It's east of the city on its own peninsula. And it's divided into two sections, North Beach and the ritzy South Beach. You're sure to see a celeb or two while in South Beach. Read this NY Times guide to 36 hours in South Beach.

South Beach is almost overwhelming with all the sights. We suggest parking along either Collins Ave or Washington Ave between 6th and 8th Streets and just start walking north. You can bathe topless (oo la la!) or watch the topless bathers, if you wish. You can shop along Lincoln Road. Or just walk. The whole of Miami Beach is a large Art Deco Historic District. Fantastic architecture that's definitely worth checking out. You can even take a tour sponsored by the Miami Design Preservation League.

Also, if you're like Jackie, you'll wonder where Little Havana and Little Haiti and all the other ethnic areas are in Miami.

Little Havana (La Pequeña Habana) is actually not so little--it's a long stretch in Miami Beach that runs north to south. A good area to check out is Calle Ocho (8th Street) between 12th and 27th Avenues. You'll find vibrant stores, old men playing dominos, fruiterias, and more.

And it seems like every corner has a little Cuban stand, which we highly recommend you stopping by for a snack of croquetas and cafe Cubano (ham croquettes and the extremely jolting Cuban coffee).

Although we've never visited Little Haiti (La Petite Haïti), we hear it's a good place to taste Creole culture. A Caribbean style marketplace and a replica of the Iron Market in Port-au-Prince mark this neighborhood as the center of Haitian culture in Miami. Located north of downtown Miami in an area once known as Lemon City, you'll find Little Haiti in between 85 and NE 36th Streets, between Biscayne Blvd and Miami Ave.

The southern part of Little Haiti is the Miami Design District, an 18-block section of art galleries, showrooms and restaurants located between NE 41st Street and NE 36th Streets.

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The Keys

Although not quite a part of the chain of Keys we usually think of ending with Key West, the Virginia Key and Key Biscayne are ideal places for kayaking and hiking around the Cape Florida lighthouse, known as Farito to the locals.

Swim with the dolphins at Miami Seaquarium, located on Virginia Key. According to the website, the Miami Seaquarium offers an "exciting two-hour program that offers an insightful glance at dolphin behavior – up-close. Uncover interesting facts about these extraordinary animals, then slip into one of our wetsuits and follow trainers into the water for a one-on-one interaction with a dolphin!"

A mostly residential area, you can hike, bike, and kayak on Key Biscayne's Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (¢). Trails lead around Farito. Personally our favorite beach in the Miami area, Key Biscayne provides a peaceful respite from the rest of the Miami buzz.

If you're interested in traveling south to visit the rest of the Keys, check out the official Florida Keys website, where you can find info on eco-tours, dive and snorkel charters, fishing, and more.

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Everglades

According to the National Park Services website, Everglades National Park (¢) "is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. The area boasts rare and endangered species, such as the American crocodile, Florida panther, and West Indian manatee." You can explore the 23 million-acre park (!) by water via boat, canoe, or kayak or by hiking or biking trails. The Everglades encompass part of Miami-Dade County, near where George's dad lives.

A little cheesy, slightly dangerous, but loads of fun, Everglades Safari offers find out more about eco-adventure tours in the Everglades. If you're more into "natural" eco-trips, Earth Learning may have an event for you.

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