What's there to "see" while killing time in Miami/FLL?

[MamaParrotHead]

Now we're considering booking a limo (not much more than paying for a post cruise excursion and we get to do whatever we want) post cruise.

 

What's there to do and see for 4-5 hours in Miami and Fort Lauderdale? I think we want to swing through South Beach, just to snap some pics and look around. But other than that, I'm stumped.

 

HELP!

[lmondrop]

Shopping, eating, people watching, tanning and drinking...that about sums up Miami for you :D

 

Ft. lauderdale I think has more stuff to do than Miami.

[judyzoo]

Are you looking for places to just drive through? Or do you want to stop somewhere? Are you going to be in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale?

 

In Miami you could go out to Key Biscayne, visit the lighthouse, wander the trails, see the beach, get a bite to eat, visit the Seaquarium, and more. Or visit Vizcaya. Or, further south, Fairchild Tropical Garden. Or the Indian museum around Ft. Lauderdale. You may not have time for an airboat ride in the Everglades. Drive through Coconut Grove and visit the Barnacle. Visit Greynolds Park in North Miami Beach. Visit Miami Metrozoo and the Gold Coast Railroad. Pinecrest Gardens is less ambitious but a nice place to walk around. The Museum of Science and Planetarium.

 

Let us know what type of thing you’re looking for and maybe I can offer some other suggestions.

[MamaParrotHead]

I'm thinking we'll probably be kind of pooped from our trip and not really feel like doing much "wandering" or anything real active. I'd really like to do some basic sightseeing...get out for a few minutes, snap some pictures, enjoy a scenic ride, spot some celebrities homes, take a short walk on some cool beaches, that kind of thing.

 

We're going to have maybe 4-5 hours to kill.

 

Thanks so much!:)

[JSR]

We too are thinking of hiring a limo for 3-4 hours. We will be pooped and also have 2 -11 year old girls with us.

 

We would like to do some driving and some eating and maybe an activity. We have been to the Seaquarium on Key Biscayne. We have been to South Beach a bunch of times.

 

We disembark in Miami and fly out of Ft Lauderdale so we could do either or both places.

 

Thanks for letting us piggy back on your thread.

[judyzoo]

Here are my thoughts on doing something easy and relaxing, just to see some of the flavor of the Miami area without doing anything terribly ambitious. You could just have the limo drive you through, or stop if something sounds interesting to you. I’m suggesting going south from the Port of Miami, so, at least for JSR, you’d have to watch your time to allow sufficient time to get up to Ft. Lauderdale for your flight. MamaParrotHead, you might have more time but I don’t know your itinerary. This is probably all more than you’ll have time for, but it’s something to select from. Most of this takes you along Biscayne Bay.

 

Go south on Biscayne Blvd, then south on Brickell Ave where you’ll see the Miami financial center’s high rise buildings, then an area of old buildings and trees.

From there, go out to Key Biscayne, which will give you a nice view of the Miami skyline and the ships in port. You’ll pass the Seaquarium, and if you go out to the end of the Key (only maybe 2 miles or so) to Cape Florida you can take a short walk to the beach, the lighthouse, a nature trail. There are also a couple of small, rustic places to grab a bite to eat (if you’re still hungry after all that cruise food), one on the beach.

 

Leave Key Biscayne, continue south along South Bayshore Drive (which is kind of picturesque) into Coconut Grove -- an artsy place, where you could eat at one of the waterside restaurants or at one of many sidewalk cafes; a good place to people watch (and pet watch -- many people take their dogs when they eat here). Lots of boutiques, too. There’s also a bayside park that you’ll get to before you get to the center of Coconut Grove, which you might want to stop at. And, for a sightseeing attraction that won’t take much time or effort, visit the Barnacle, an old and interesting house with a great view of the bay.

 

For a scenic route, you could continue through Coconut Grove and down Old Cutler Road, where there are huge trees and also huge old houses. If you don’t have time for that, have your driver give you a short tour through Coral Gables, heading back north. Kind of a pretty town.

 

On the other hand, if you want to go north instead of south, all I can think of at the moment is that you could drive along A1A, possibly stop at Haulover Beach and some other sites as you head north. I’m sure there are other places up there, but I’m not very familiar with them.

 

Hope this gives you some ideas that you can use.

[Bequia]

Flying out of FLL.....I'd get out of Miami and hang out in Ft Lauderdale. A bit more relaxing being five minutes from your airport then 45 minutes. Stroll along Las Olas for some fine shopping and a bite to eat or kill a few hours on the water taxi seeing the home of the rich and famous. Kick up at the beach in Hollywood or at the John Lloyd State Park. A visit to the Museum of Science and Discovery with it's 3D Imax theater, catch a show at the Broward Center for Performing Arts, is doable as well. From Ft Lauderdale your 30 minutes from the Everglades, if you've never been on an airboat ride don't miss it. ;)

[AnnJohn]

Any ideas on where to get limo service from?