Discover Miami’s Cultural and Alternative Scene

Thu, 12/22/2011 - 00:38 — Anonymous Miami is one of the most sought after
destinations in America. With a vibrant party and shopping scene, it is the
ideal location if you're looking to soak up the sun and indulge in a
stylish and glamour filled trip. However, cheap flights to Miami will also
allow you to explore the city's alternative side. This will provide an
entirely different angle to this luxury city, and you'll return home having
discovered something new about one of Florida's most popular holiday
locations. If you love food and drink, Miami has more to offer than glitzy
wine bars, fine restaurants and the traditional 24 hour American diner. South
Beach offers a great range of beachside restaurants to enjoy, and you'll
find grilled sea bass and popcorn shrimp at Barton G. Segafredo is ideal if
you want salads, desserts and sandwiches, and you can relax to lounge music
at the destination all day long. Meanwhile, if you're tired of the chic
cocktail scene, then a South Beach microbrewery is perfect. International and
home-made beers are served at popular venue, Abbey, and it's the ideal spot
if you want to socialise and play some darts. Miami has an eclectic mix of
cultures, with many of its residents having origins in Cuba. For a refreshing
trip away from the glitzy and glamorous side of the city, Little Havana
offers history and retail. Located around the area of Calle Ocho, you'll
find that Cubans fleeing from Fidel Castro's regime in 1959 found a new
home in Miami, creating an area with Cuban shops, restaurants and
Mediterranean styled homes. With Latin music humming in the air, and the
faint smell of Cuban cigars, Little Havana is an exciting and unexpected
attraction. Miami is known for its party scene, and by visiting the city in
early March, you'll be able to experience the annual carnival. With
international foods, concerts, beauty pageants, sports and a Latin jazz
festival, there is a real attraction for visiting Miami at this time of year.
On the finale of the ten day festival, the largest block party in the world
takes place in Calle Ocho, offering you the chance to dance to 30 stages of
Caribbean, merengue and salsa music. Miami's Children's Museum is a great
place to visit if you want to let your hair down for a day. Fun loving
visitors flock to this attraction because of its interactive displays, which
include a television studio, an exhibition of teddy-bears and a mosaic tiled
sandcastle. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens is another stunning spot to explore.
Located on the Biscayne Bay, the Italian Renaissance inspired architecture
provides a surprising fairytale-like paradise to explore. A decadent interior
can be found inside the beautiful building, and you'll find decorative
works ranging from the 16th to 19th centuries. European antiques, all with
original fittings, are numerous, and you may feel like you've slipped back
to a long lost golden age. There is much to do in Miami other than the iconic
shopping and partying that it is known for. Scratch the surface, and you'll
discover a historic and cultural city that you may have never realised was
there.