On Sept. 1 in Rochester, New York, temperatures dropped into the 50s and 60s, and we were not ready to let go of summer! Luckily, thanks to OUT magazine and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, we were given an opportunity to spend our Labor Day weekend in Miami Beach! We both had never been so we didn't know what to expect, but we are always up for an adventure.
With 48 hours to spend in Miami Beach we had to make the most with our time. Upon arrival Saturday afternoon we checked into Gale South Beach. The hotel is right in the middle of the action in Miami Beach, and we were happy to see such a lively city feel so close to the beach.
After we checked in we decided we needed a little relax time, so we headed up to the rooftop pool. The Gale offers a spectacular view up and down Collins Avenue. In the distance we could watch all the beach activity while we relaxed in the pool.
Later that night, we spruced up and set out to find dinner. It didn't take long to find Moreno's Cuba with the most adorable courtyard out front of its restaurant and live music to enjoy. We sat down and enjoyed a pitcher of guava sangria. No drop was left behind! For dinner we ate the imperial rice and lechon; both dishes far surpassed our expectations and highly impressed this Puerto Rican couple. Our waitress was fantastic and we were best friends by the end of the evening.
On Sunday we decided it was time to relax and hit the beach. Gale South Beach offers guests two chairs and towel service, so it made going to the beach relaxing and effortless. After a day of relaxation and shopping along Lincoln Avenue we headed to Quality Meats for dinner for kale and manchego salad followed by the most delicious 8oz. filet mignon. For dessert we had the bread pudding topped with toasted marshmallows--yum!
After dinner we decided we needed to check out the LGBT nightlife. We made a stop at SCORE where we were able to get our dance on. Everyone suggested we also visit the legendary Twist nightclub. While the club appears small on the outside, Twist is huge inside with seven different rooms to move between on two different floors. There's music for just about everyone to enjoy and an outdoor courtyard. We had to get up early for our flight home so we did the very not Miami thing to do and went to bed by 2 a.m.
With endless ways to relax and play we found Miami Beach to be a perfect weekend getaway.
