This past weekend, I met my husband in Miami, Florida for a no-kids weekend getaway. As much as we adore and indulge our kids, it was a much-needed escape from our daily routines - to relax without the worry of our kids' whereabouts, to have uninterrupted conversations that don't involve spelling words or speaking in code, and to enjoy meals that don't involve cutting up chicken fingers or apple sauce.
For couples looking for a long weekend getaway, Miami is a easy 3-hour flight from New Jersey. Miami offers all the features of a cosmopolitan city – excellent restaurants, night life and shopping – with the added bonus of warm weather and easy access to first-class beaches. My husband and I arrived Friday afternoon and left Sunday morning, which was just enough to unwind and sample what Miami has to offer.
For couples looking for a long weekend getaway, Miami is a easy 3-hour flight from New Jersey. Miami offers all the features of a cosmopolitan city – excellent restaurants, night life and shopping – with the added bonus of warm weather and easy access to first-class beaches. My husband and I arrived Friday afternoon and left Sunday morning, which was just enough to unwind and sample what Miami has to offer.
For easy access to the beaches, restaurants and nightlife, we stayed at the beautiful Shore Club by the Morgans Hotel Group, which is right in the center the South Beach. The Shore Club’s ambience was inviting and relaxed – with an all white Art Deco lobby, bohemian chic furniture and décor in its courtyard, and two elevated infinity pools surrounded by cabanas and custom tufted beds covered with hand-painted pillows and throws.
Other amenities we loved at The Shore Club was the inviting outdoor Garden Patio which featured swings, lanterns and lounge-y type couches and chairs. Wifi is complementary for guests so this was the perfect spot to catch up on social media, and check email if you must stay connected.
After a day of traveling, The Shore Club’s in-house bar and restaurants were much welcomed.Happy hour at Skybar is from 5PM-7PM and offers drink specials on cocktails, beer and wine. The lemon drop martini was excellent!
If you’re looking for a romantic fine dining experience, the highly acclaimed Japanese restaurant Nobu is conveniently located at The Shore Club. I would recommend making dinner reservations in advance as the place gets PACKED by 8:30PM. Plan to dine for about two hours to sample all they have to offer while enjoying your spouse’s company!
Before our main course, we ordered delectable rock oysters, bite-sized lobster and Wagnyu beef tacos, and the tastiest Japanese Wagnyu beef gyoza dumplings ever. For our dinner entrée, we shared a variety of sushi rolls, all of which were delicious and fresh. I would have had 2 additional rolls of the Soft Shell crab roll and the House Special roll, which features five different types of fish (including shrimp) if I had room for more. The restaurant lived up to its reputation for unique, fresh Japanese cuisine. The service was also outstanding. (Excuse the lack of pictures - everything was quickly devoured before I remembered to take some!)
Before our main course, we ordered delectable rock oysters, bite-sized lobster and Wagnyu beef tacos, and the tastiest Japanese Wagnyu beef gyoza dumplings ever. For our dinner entrée, we shared a variety of sushi rolls, all of which were delicious and fresh. I would have had 2 additional rolls of the Soft Shell crab roll and the House Special roll, which features five different types of fish (including shrimp) if I had room for more. The restaurant lived up to its reputation for unique, fresh Japanese cuisine. The service was also outstanding. (Excuse the lack of pictures - everything was quickly devoured before I remembered to take some!)
Private access to the beach walk and beach were also a nice perk of being a Shore Club guest. The beach walkway is paved and perfectly suited for walking, biking and running while enjoying the ocean views and sea salty fresh air. We enjoyed people watching as we walked south on Ocean Drive. For a refreshing treat, we drank coconut water straight from the coconut!
Perhaps the best part of the trip was losing track of time by the beach. We took advantage of the complimentary chairs and umbrellas provided by the hotel to enjoy the warm sun and read a book before taking a dip in the beautiful waters of Miami Beach.
For excellent local seafood, a trip to Joe’s Stone Crab is a must if you don’t mind the wait and your budget can handle it. Joe’s does not take reservations unless you are a group of 20 or more, and seating is on a first come, first served basis. We arrived at 6:30PM, and we were not seated until 9PM – it is THAT popular. I would STRONGLY recommend arriving early to make your reservation and plan on taking a walk to watch the sunset and grabbing some drinks or gelato across the street while you wait, which is exactly what hubby and I did. Joe’s is only open 8 months out of the year, so if you’re traveling in the off-peak season, be sure to check if they’re open before heading there.
The two and a half anticipation of dinner significantly raised my expectations. And we were not disappointed. We ordered a dozen rock oysters that were delicious perfection. But we quickly forgot about them when we tried the famous stone crabs. Out. Of. This. World. The stone crabs were meaty and tasty on its own without the creamy tartar sauce that came with our meal. As a side dish, we ordered lobster macaroni and cheese, which complimented the crabs.
All in all, we were extremely happy with our meal. If you choose not to have the stone crabs (WHAT?!), Joe’s menu offers a range of options from Alaskan King Crab legs to steaks. The wait was definitely worth the culinary experience at this dining institution.
Macaroni Kid always encourages us parents to “Take Care of Mama/Papa Bear.” This no-kids weekend getaway was the perfect break from daily routines to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company. And coming home refreshed to smiling, happy kids was priceless. I’m looking forward to our next trip together (Note to Hubby: hint, hint)!
