#ThankYouMiami How-To: Maximizing 24-Hours in Miami (Winter Edition)

It's winter and you're in Miami porque it's obviously the best place to escape the cold. You've been to the museums, to the beach, and to all the other well-known Miami tourist attractions but you have one day left to experience the city and you want to see it through the eyes of a local. How do you make the most of it? Where do you go? What do you do? 

Well, you've come to the right place! We've put together our ideal one-day itinerary to help you maximize those 24 hours like a Miami-an.

Morning Yoga at Green Monkey

Miami life can take its toll so we like to center ourselves first thing in the morning to set our day off on the right foot. Our favorite classes are led by Amy and Paul at Green Monkey's Sunset Harbour "treehouse"—they also have a studio in Coral Gables—but you're in good hands with their entire crew.

Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch at Icebox Café

If you're in Sunset Harbour, Icebox Café is what you want. They make delicious food for every hour of the day pero we're partial to their avocado seed salad and their salmon burger. We usually split both with a friend so we don't have to miss out on one or the other. Oh, and definitely save room for dessert. Trust.

Coffee Break at Panther Coffee

When it comes to specialty coffee, Miami's very own Panther Coffee is killing the game. Did you know they were named one of the 25 best coffee shops in America by Epicurious? Their menu may seem complicated but the Panther staff can help you navigate it like a pro. If all else fails, you can't go wrong with a cold brew, an almond milk latte or a cortadito.

Afternoon at South Pointe Park

South Pointe Park is Miami Beach's southermost and, in our opinion, best park. With views of both the beach and Biscayne Bay, it's the perfect place to relax on the grass and enjoy Miami's stunning vistas. Here you can also rent a CitiBike, skateboard, run, or let your kids run around in the children play areas. South Pointe Park is our favorite place to while away the afternoon Miami-style.

Dinner at Joe's Stone Crab

During stone crab season (October 15 through May 15), Joe's Stone Crab is at the tippy top of the can't miss restaurants list. For the full Joe's experience, make a dinner reservation in advance, dress up and be ready to shell out quite a bit of cash. Alternately, keep it casual at Joe's Take-Away next door, where you call ahead or order at the register, wait for your number to be called, and take your take-away packed food home or eat it if you can grab a table. Pro tip: you can also order directly and eat-in at the bar.

Night Out at a Community Event

There is always something going on in Miami. If you're looking to mingle with the  locals, check out Eventbrite's Miami event page for the night's happenings. You're bound to come across a few options to suit your social needs, no matter your budget or your mood. (P.S. If you're planning an event in Miami, check out Eventbrite's event management page, which makes it super easy to promote and manage your event on the site!)

What does your perfect Miami day look like? Where would you go? What would you do? What would you eat? What would you see? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

Top 3 #ThankYouMiami Moments at the Madonna Concert in Miami

Racy, death-defying and fun. Those are the three words we have been using to describe last weekend's Madonna concert. (Not that anyone is shocked. We're talking about a woman who has an entire page on Marie Claire dedicated to her top 12 most scandalous controversies for Pete's sake.) But beyond initial impressions—and arguably what we liked best about the show—is that she added some special Miami touches that made one of the last U.S. stops in her Rebel Heart Tour extra special. These were the top 3 #ThankYouMiami moments of the night:

1. When Madonna sang "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". Like Madonna pointed out, few other stops on her U.S. would understand or appreciate the true sentiment behind the song. Cue the lighters (erm, the iPhone flashlights).

2. When, in between instigating shots of Jose Cuervo with her dancers and spanking one of the performers on stage, Madonna reminisced about crazy times of Miami past and shouted to Gloria Estefan in the crowd, "Girl, I've seen you naked. Don't even try." Relive this hilariously candid moment via the video below:

3. When DJ Khaled hopped on stage and did what DJ Khaled does. Enough said, just press play on the video below:

Were you at the Madonna concert this past weekend? What did you think? Which was your favorite performance? Did you have a chance to try the Madonna-inspired cocktails at Zuma beforehand?

#ThankYouMiami for Madonna-Inspired Cocktails at Zuma Miami

¡Ha llega'o el weekend a Miami! and we're brimming with excitement because tomorrow night we're headed to the American Airlines Arena to see the Queen of Pop live for the very first time. (Okay, okay, we were there when she performed one set with Avicii that one year she guest appeared at Ultra pero it doesn't count because that was "DJ Madonna", not "Madonna Madonna.) 

Before the concert, we're stopping at Zuma in Brickell to fuel up on deliciousness and drinks. Did you know Zuma has added two special Jose Cuervo Traditional Tequila cocktails to their menu this weekend for the occasion? This Saturday and Sunday concert-goers, like us, and Madonna and/or cocktail lovers can loosen up with two Madonna-inspired tequila drinks, only $14 each. From what we hear about Madonna concerts, we'll need it. Plus, we hear Madonna takes a shot of Jose Cuervo during her concerts so it's about getting in the right type of mood to sing, dance, and enjoy an incredible performance by a legend.

You can check out Zuma's two Madonna-inspired cocktails below. Which one do you want to try? We love drinks with a kick so we're excited to try the "Like A Virgin" first!

"Queen of Pop"

Jose Cuervo Traditional Tequila

Orange Blossom

Roses

Lime

Soda

"Like A Virgin"

Jose Cuervo Traditional Tequila

Fresh strawberries

Cranberry

Lemon Juice

Chili

Vanilla

#ThankYouMiami for Fashion - Feminine Floridays

Our #ThankYouMiami for Fashion column is back! In our latest article we share some photos we shot in Key Largo, where we spent the holiday weekend, and talk about the crazy weather we've been having in South Florida. Read the excerpt below and click on the photo for the full feature.

How are you keeping warm during today's temperature drop? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for a VIP Movie Theater in Miami

We're not movie theater people. There's something about cozying up in bed in our favorite sweats surrounded by pillows and a warm cozy blanket that outweighs the perks of seeing a movie on the big screen. The only time we'll go out to see a movie is at iPic Theaters in a Premium Plus seat because it includes our very own reserved, extra comfortable reclining seat, blankets, pillows, a bag of popcorn, and in-seat waiter service throughout the movie. It's as comfy as watching a movie at home but with delicious gourmet food and drinks at one push of a button. In fact, it's like having our own home movie theater with a chef, mixologist, and butler on standby (but at only $18 per ticket we don't have to worry about winning the Powerball jackpot to afford it).

#ThankYouMiami for 2015

First and foremost, happy new year! We wish you health, happiness and mucho cafecito to get you through the tough stuff in 2016. On our end, we already enjoyed our first ski run of the year and it's snowing again so we're on track for our best year yet. And, while we're ones to look forward—not backward—we're excited to kick off the year with a quick look back at our year-long Instagram photography project. (ICYMI, the first of every month we posted a photo of the same stretch of beach South of Fifth under the hashtag #OdeToMiami2015, all of which we've posted below.)