Florida: Miami

Welcome to Miami! (Bienvenido a Miami.) Miami was the last part of our epic trip to Florida, and we arrived in style in our oh-so-cliched shiny red Mustang convertible. The drive up from Key West is beautiful, and I couldn't get over how skinny the Florida Keys are. Strips of land really, either side of the Overseas Highway, with both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico shimmering in the sunshine.

We only stopped off at Islamorada for lunch at Mango Mike's Cafe (great spot), but you could make a day of your drive by stopping off at some of the islands, or even exploring the Everrglades National Park once you've cleared the Keys. (We passed on that. I was pretty happy that I'd avoided seeing some alligators this holiday!) Whatever you decide to do on your drive, put on your sunscreen, start your playlist, and enjoy the wind in your hair.

In Miami we stayed on Miami Beach at the Grand Beach Hotel for two nights, though we only had one full day in the city. As valet parking tends to be pricey at hotels in Miami (at least it seems it for us Brits), we handed the Mustang back in. (It cost about £65 to hire it for the day, including petrol - cheaper than two flights.) Uber, though, is super cheap, and we used it to take us to restaurants in the evenings and to visit Wynwood Walls.

Wynwood Walls is a shrine to graffiti and street art in an area that was once the warehouse and manufacturing district of Greater Miami. It's quite something, and the art has spread beyond the walled area where the concept originally took off. You'll find work from artists from all around the world - some drawing on modern pop culture, others slightly more abstract or arty!

It's a pretty cool area, and wonderfully colourful, so worth stopping off at if you're in Miami - even if it's just for an hour. We went around lunchtime and had the best meal at Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, home of THE MOST AMAZING shrimp tacos. Honestly, they were INCREDIBLE, and I am very sad that I don't live in Miami because I could eat those ALL THE TIME. Just thinking about them... I can taste that zing in my mouth!

The best dinner we had in Miami was at Indomania, an Indonesian-Dutch restaurant. It was wonderful to have some tasty food that wasn't BBQ, American, seafood or Italian at this point of the holiday! If you fancy something a bit different, try the rijsttafel menu. Yum!

As well as exploring Wynwood, we spent time relaxing by the hotel pools and on the beach, marvelling at how put together and stylish people from Miami are. Miami Beach/South Beach is stunning, so head to the ocean and feel that toasty sand underneath your toes. One thing I would avoid, however, is going for drinks on Ocean Drive... unless you want to pay LOTS for a crappy cocktail, that is.

There's definitely more to Miami than we were able to gleam in the short amount of time we were there - like, we didn't get to see any of downtown Miami - but I'm glad we got to have a taste! Now, when can I go on holiday again, please? x