For NYE 2019 Zac and I headed to Miami for the extended weekend. We were more than ready to get away from the cold and Florida has been on our list for a while.

We took a red eye flight and ended up spending our first day on the beach sleeping quite a bit – and turning into lobsters from it.

Because our Airbnb wasn’t available until that afternoon we were looking for a place to store our bags and I discovered an app that I will frequently use – it’s Bagbnb you can drop your bag off and know it will be safe for the full day. It is so easy and in the past my first/last days in a place can be a bit of a drag because I am pulling my luggage around (if we aren’t at a hotel that will hold them).

There was so much to do in Miami area we had to pick wisely. Here are five things I would recommend everyone do.

• Visit South Beach – we were staying very close to South Beach so we spent a lot of time here anyway. Ocean Drive is beautiful and the street across from the beach is full of restaurants. This is where we watched a 20 minute long firework show on NYE & saw a free concert our first night – so even if it’s not a holiday check out what’s going on there.

• Drive the Keys – or better yet boat the keys. This is one road trip that the drive really is the beauty. There are so many islands, beautiful water, and the best Key Lime Pie. Don’t spend much time in Key Largo – Key West and some of the smaller islands are more beautiful in my opinion. One day we want to come back rent a boat and visit some of the islands that aren’t accessible by road.

• Air Boat Tour of the Everglades – the Everglades are different than any other national park I have ever experienced. If you are used to mountains and dessert (as we are) the marsh is something entirely new. With a plethora of gators, beautiful birds, and the occasional panther it’s quite a place. I highly recommend an airboat tour, it’s a cool experience – cheaper than I expected and really the only way I think you can see the everglades other than walking paths.

• Dinner in Espanola – this little corner of Miami is filled with amazing Cuban and Mexican restaurants and was home to our best meal of the trip. Not only because the food is amazing, but also the atmosphere – the whole street is decorated to the nines and feels like a town in another country.

• Monkey Island – yes, one of my five must do’s we didn’t do but I am trumping the botanical garden (which was beautiful – but a long walk and pretty small) for something I would do in a heartbeat if we went back. It’s a zoo where people are in cages and the monkey’s roam free. I don’t think I need to say anymore. These pictures are the botanical garden.

Thanks for letting us kick off 2019 with you Miami.