Sea Change Okinawa: One day in Miami

So just over a week ago I went to the USA for work. This was my second trip to the US, and I visited Chicago, rural Illinois and Miami, Florida. Miami was my last stop on the trip, and I was lucky enough to have a whole day at the end before my (looooong) night flight back to Japan. Because I only had one day I decided to spend it in South Beach, as it promised to be a combination of the beach, shopping and art deco heaven.

The Albion hotel in South Beach, Miami, is lovely on the outside, awesome lobby, but rooms with paper-thin walls.

The Albion Hotel - Where I stayed in Miami

Let me tell you, Miami really didn't disappoint. I couldn't stop taking photos of all the amazing art deco buildings, and the skies were so incredibly blue. I can see why people flock here for some warm weather holiday. I also loved the fact that basically EVERYONE was speaking Spanish. I honestly barely heard anyone speaking English at all while I was there. It was like being in another country.

Oh.....and I saw a hipster riding a bike with his pet lemur on his shoulders.....

I spent my one day wandering around the art deco district, taking way too many photos, shopping on Lincold Rd Mall, and finally getting to eat Shake Shack, which was super delicious! I have no idea what they put in those burgers (MSG?) but they are good!

My only regret was that I didn't make it to the Saturday brunch at Palace (seriously, how amazing does this place look?), which promised non-stop drag shows and all you can drink margaritas. I felt a bit weird going on my own, and also thought that margaritas weren't really a good idea on the day I was flying out..... US airport TSA is no joke guys! Pretty sure they wouldn't look kindly on a drunk passenger.

Because I was on the work budget, my hotel budget was limited, so I chose to stay at the Albion Hotel, which, location-wise, is fantastic and it was also art deco, which was another tick for me. The one (kind of major) downfall for me was the fact that the walls were paper thin. I could hear everything (and I mean everything) going on in the rooms around me! You win some, you lose some, right?

If you ever find yourself with limited time in Miami, I definitely recommend heading straight to South Beach. Sure, it's full of tourists, but it is gorgeous, lively and has great shopping!