#ThankYouMiami for Miami Beach - Photo Contest

Do you love Miami Beach as much as we do? Then today's your lucky day! The Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA) is holding a "Favorite Things about Miami Beach" Photo Contest and they want you to share your favorite places on Miami Beach for a chance to win amazing prizes!

Do you love to relax by a Miami Beach hotel pool on the sunny days?  Does it make you happy to indulge in a delicious Miami Beach restaurant? Is there a hidden Miami Beach gem that makes you smile? Take an original high resolution photo of your Miami Beach favorite, upload it to the MBVCA Facebook contest page, and email it to photocontestmiamibeach@miamibeachvca.com by 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2014 to enter. 

The top ten photos with the most likes will be chosen as semi-finalists. Prizes include:

• First place: $500 gift card
• Second place: $250 gift card
• Third place: An Apple iPad Mini

Only ten entires may be submitted per person. Open to legal U.S. residents 18 and older. For more information, please visit the MBVCA Photo Contest Page.

Here are some of our favorite Miami Beach snapshots from the #ThankYouMiami instagram page to help you get inspired:

#ThankYouMiami for Fashion - True Hair Miami

If you follow #ThankYouMiami on Instagram, you know we are low-maintenance types - as in no make-up and loose locks. We love to sleep so our morning routine involves our bed, not a beauty regimen. That said, we love to get pampered and prettified. Most recently, we challenged the True Hair Miami team to make us look fabulous but give us a natural, effortless look. Gustavo, their hair stylist, and Vanessa, their make-up artist, rose to the challenge beautifully. Read the excerpt from our latest #ThankYouMiami for Fashion column below and click on the photo to see the full feature.

Have you visited True Hair Miami Salon? What do you think? What are your go-to beauty or hair products? Do you have a long beauty routine? Who do you trust to get you ready for an event or special occasion? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for New Experiences - A Day at the Races

Miami life is constantly begging for our attention. There is so much to do at any given moment that our social calendars can border on a "Honey Do" list. It is ironic, then, that Miami-ans can still suffer from occasional boredom. A boredom caused partially by an overwhelming amount of social stimuli and partially by a monotonous routine. Today, we help you sort through the social white noise and fight boredom by sharing with you an experience that breaks our norm: horse racing.

We do not consider ourselves horse people or gamblers, but we are fans of new experiences. So, without any prior knowledge of the sport, we joined America's Best Racing for a day at Gulfstream Park's thoroughbred race track. Our biggest surprise was learning that there is a large horse racing community in Miami that gathers from Thursday through Sunday at Gulfstream Park. But don't be intimidated by the regulars - most are welcoming of new fans. Plus, thanks to America's Best Racing, we picked up 5 tips so you can also join in on the fun:

#ThankYouMiami for Fashion - A Jetsetter's Guide to Chic Travel

The #ThankYouMiami team is gearing up for four months of travel around the U.S. so we are ruffling through our closet picking out the clothes that will make it into our suitcases and that will get us through roadtrips, plane trips, and everywhere in between. Dressing for travel can and should be chic, so we put together one outfit that exemplifies everything we look for in a travel outfit to inspire you. Read the excerpt from our latest #ThankYouMiami for Fashion column below and click on the photo to see the full feature.

Will you be traveling before the holidays? Where will you be going? If not, where would you like to go? What are your go-tos for a travel outfit? How do you achieve a comfortable and versatile look? What are you favorite trends of the moment? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!

#ThankYouMiami for Dining Experiences - La Boca House

In Miami, meals are better defined as dining experiences. Eating is as much about delicious food as it is about enjoying great music, a killer vibe, and good company. Last night's media tasting at La Boca House in Brickell was overflowing with all four. We look forward to eating our way through La Boca House's full menu after their September 12th grand opening!

We started the evening by making new friends with other attendees over a cold mason jar of Floridian, a craft brew from south Florida brewing company Funky Buddha. When the lights dimmed, our newly formed media family gathered around the table for eight dishes inspired by so many cultures and ingredients it kept us on our toes all night. The lively chatter at the table oscilliated between compliments on the superb musical selection to in-depth discussions about local social issues. La Boca House's ambiance made the experience of dining with strangers easy and enjoyable - like sharing a meal with old friends. We shared our Miami stories, fawned over the food, and laughed our way out of awkward moments.

At the end of the night, pleasantly satisfied, we reluctantly rolled each other out of the restaurant. Lucky for you, we did not leave without documenting our favorite dishes and drinks for all of posterity! Check them out below. A huge thank you to La Boca House's amazing staff and to our new Miami friends for a night well spent!

#ThankYouMiami Must-Have: Tuna Nachos. Tortilla chips fried to order covered in layers of fresh tuna, house guac, seaweed salad, black olives, capers, ginger slices, and a dollop of sour cream.

Coconut-And-Lime Beef and Chicken Skewers. Grilled tender beef and chicken marinated in coconut milk and lime juice, skewered with okra, and served with our house BBQ-Ketchup sauce.

#ThankYouMiami Must-Have: Miami Mac Don Bowl. Stove top avocado mac and cheese with house-made pepper jack cheese sauce and cilantro.

Red Tagliolinni. Red tagliolinni pasta in a cream sauce, topped with smoked salmon, lime, and caviar.

The House Burger and Blue Cheese Fries. 8 oz. of grilled Kobe beef with brie cheese, cucumber, pepper, caramelized onions, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, and truffle mayonnaise.

Lamb Shank. Oven-cooked lamb shank in a red wine sauce and a bed of creamy saffron risotto.

Triple Shot. Your choice of a shot glass of Hennessy, Grand Marnier, and Carmel Liquor served with moist marble cake, topped with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream.

#ThankYouMiami Must-Have: Caramelized Crepe. Thin crepe over a layer of caramelized and flambée rum bananas and green apples, topped with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream.

What is your favorite neighborhood to visit for a great meal? What is your favorite Brickell restaurant? Which dish from La Boca House are you most excited to try? Leave a comment below or send us a tweet @ThankYouMiami!