[2 Sentences or Less]

I recently spent 4 days in Miami Beach. Here are the top six things you should know about Miami, especially if you’ve never been!

1. Expect valet parking – If you want to park anywhere near your hotel - or maybe your restaurant - you should expect to valet park your car. Let’s face it, it’s a beach. Parking space is at a premium!
2. U-Turns are mandatory – The main streets all run along the beach, so sometimes the only way to get across the street - or to get where you’re going - is to make a U-turn. At first it was a little surprising, but once I got used to it, I was whipping it around just like the natives.
3. Spin Doctors and Security Guards – Every store on the beach has their own D.J. to spin up the hip sounds, and a security guard to ensure you don’t get carried away and dance out with merchandise.
4. Tips aren’t optional – 15-18% is automatically added at almost every restaurant. If you aren’t paying attention, you can be extremely generous.
5. Honk to say something – Primary communication on the streets of Miami beach is in the form of a car “honk.” I have no idea if it was road rage or blacktop bliss, but there was a constant tapping of automobile horns.
6. Payless Shoe Stores – I don’t understand it completely, but there was a Payless Shoe Store on every block! There were more Payless in Miami then I saw Starbucks - now that’s saying something.

Miami happens to be the center for Florida-Deco architecture. So, here are some great examples that my wife took as we strolled along South Beach: