The Timeless Beauty of Miami Beach

Time to 'fess up ... during our many years of traveling around Florida, we have never visited its most famous coastal city. Stories of crime, congestion, and urban decay didn't put Miami high on our "gotta see it" travel list. But recently, we have been hearing about the many positive improvements that are occurring in this spring break mecca.  So on our way back north from Key West, we decided that it was time to venture into the quintessential land made famous by undercover cops Crockett and Tubbs. And what we quickly discovered is that the crime-ridden South Beach area portrayed in the 1980s TV show, Miami Vice, has been transformed into a prestigious seaside playground.

Driving through Miami's traffic in order to reach this barrier island proved to be a little challenging ... but once we found our parking spot a block from the beach, we were ready to soak in some delightful Florida sunshine as well as some classy beach vibes. As long as we were willing to "re-feed" the electronic parking meter every three hours between 9 am and midnight, we had also found a primo camping spot for the next 24 hours. 

Time to discover the ...

Timeless Beauty of Miami Beach.

The unique style of Miami's South Beach began in the 1920s and 1930s when Art Deco's geometrically shaped, pastel-colored architecture transformed this strip of beach into a vacation paradise. 

It quickly became a favorite hangout for the rich and famous.

Unfortunately, the South Beach area saw a decline in the 1970s and 1980s with the rise of drug cartels in the area. It's this facet of Miami, portrayed in the movie "Scarface" and in the TV show "Miami Vice" that Americans became most familiar with. The once-glamorous hotels and restaurants along Ocean Drive fell into disrepair, and crime in the area was rampant. This is the Miami Beach that we were told to avoid when we went on our first cruise out of the Miami port in 1989.

Love that perm! And how about Doug with hair???

The publicity surrounding the South Beach murder of famous fashion designer Giovanni Versace in 1997 actually helped initiate the push to improve South Beach's image. Today, this area has once again evolved into a "fun in the sun" tourist destination. Versace's mansion is now a famous restaurant and, more importantly, a symbol of how a city can rise up from tragedy to triumph.

Today, a tree-lined, multi-purpose path stretches on for miles and entices pedestrians and bicyclists 

to visit the numerous upscale Ocean Drive businesses,

and/or relax on the inviting stretches of white sandy beach ... along with thousands of your closest friends if it happens to be spring break time.

Miami Beach's famous Art Deco structures have been given a splendid "face lift"

as newly renovated hotels and restaurants invite tourists to indulge in a bit of up-scale luxury.

Thoroughfares like Lincoln Road Mall have been closed to vehicular traffic and now welcome pedestrians to shop and dine under the beautiful Miami moon.

Miami Beach's revitalization, like this beautiful sunrise,

... ensures that this city's timeless beauty will be enjoyed for many years to come.

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