As part of my 25th birthday celebration - along with my other friends' birthdays that fell around the same time - I decided to treat myself to a little weekend getaway to Miami! We left early morning on a Friday and left Monday evening, so you can already tell it was a PACKED weekend with many events.
My friends and I stayed at an Airbnb located in Miami Beach, just a 15 minute walk to all the main bars and the beach. This was my first time ever not staying in a hotel, so the experience was definitely different than what I am used to. Normally when I travel, I don't expect to cook or to have to do any sort of chores but this time I had to. It was not bad at all, but... let's just say that the apartment was no longer looking like the above pictures.
Our first event of the trip was bar hopping. We went to the famous Ocean Drive and began our night at Mango's. This bar had live music and dancing in one area, a dance floor in the back with a DJ, a restaurant area, and a second floor as well! I highly recommend this spot, one of my favorites! Afterwards, we went to the Clevelander Hotel which was super cool since the aesthetic was that of an Oasis with the dance floor overlooking a pool.
Saturday morning we all woke up early, despite a heavy night of partying, and we made our way to the beach! It has been a year since I had been to a beach, so my excitement was barely containable. We set up our towels, applied our sunscreen and tanning lotions, and immediately went into the water. This was the perfect cure to any hangover that any of us had, we just let our bodies float in the cool water and enjoyed each other's company.
For lunch, we went to Wynwood Kitchen & Bar which is an incredibly popular area due to the location - Wynwood Walls and Art District. At this restaurant, you can either eat inside or outside. Whichever you choose, you will be surrounded by beautiful works of art! At this restaurant, I recommend getting a side of roasted mushrooms and the tropical salad. Oh and be sure to try their signature drinks, you won't regret it!
After lunch we made our way to the famous Wynwood Walls, which left me absolutely speechless! This entire area was COVERED in absolutely beautiful murals, I wish I could have taken pictures of all of them... but I guess you'll just have to book a flight and head over there ;). I am sure these pictures can do some justice to what the art district is all about.
Like any good young adult in Miami, we ended our day by going out to a club. One of my friends was able to hook us up with a club promoter so we wouldn't have to pay too much to get into the club. The place we went to is called Rockewell, and it is one of the most famous clubs in the area. When it gets later in the night and the club is packed, you'll get a show. And by that I mean, beautiful girls will get on stage and in a cage and dance in super provocative outfits. This place is definitely for the faint of heart.
On Sunday, we kept the party going by going to Hyde Beach SLS. This place is essentially a GIANT pool party with bottle service. If this place looks familiar, then I suggest seeing Ricky Martin's music video for Vente Pa' 'Ca - the hotel was featured there! We spent the entire day at SLS that we even made new friends, and we also got to witness many special party rituals that the servers would do for special parties of people.
Our final night was our intimate all-white affair between friends. We dressed to impress and went to have dinner at American Social Brickwell. Once again, we asked to sit outside and got placed near the DJ booth. We each ordered our food and also a hookah for the table. By the end of the night we were all standing around the table smoking the hookah and dancing to the amazing playlist the DJ had playing!
On our final day, Monday, we decided to take it easy by having one last day at the beach. Being that it was a Monday, the beach was emptier than it was during the weekend and the water was actually clearer! We decided to end our trip the perfect way. This weekend with my group of friends was everything I could have asked for and more. We made many memories and have stories that will only stay within our group. I would also like to give a big thank you to my friend, Victoria, for everything she did for us during this trip. You outdid yourself, we could have not had the experiences we did if it had not been for you. And to the rest of my friends, I love you all and I am excited for our next adventure!
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