Helpful Tips Day of Your Walking Tour

MEETING PLACE
First we meet at an Art Deco building in the heart of the District. The address is provided at the time of the reservation.

DRESS CODE
Since we are walking into some Art Deco buildings including luxury hotels and a restaurant, no beachwear is permitted. If you are wearing a bathing suit you must wear non- transparent shirt and shorts or skirt to cover up.

SAVE YOUR ENERGY, Avoid the heat
If you spend a day at the beach, the summer sun is hot and drains your energy levels that I recommend freshening up at your hotel or use the outdoor shower heads on the park on the west side of the beach sand dune. Public restrooms on the beach are available for changing clothes. Also drink plenty of water during the day!

WHERE TO PARK
If you are driving, give yourself extra time to find parking along Collins Avenue or nearby side streets and pay at meter. There are also City of Miami Beach garages which charge the same $1.25/hour. CAUTION: not all garages pertain to the city and some are private and charge much more. City of Miami Beach parking facilities at:

12th Street Garage: West of Washington Avenue on 12th Street.
13th Street Garage: Just East of Collins Avenue on 13th Street.
 7th Street Garage: Between Washington & Collins on 7th Street

Please know we usually begin the tour around 10th street and end either at 10th street, full circle, or 4 - 5 blocks north.

If you do not want to walk far,  most hotels where we meet offer valet parking for $20 for several hours.

FREE TAXI
If you are walking a distance to meet me, I recommend taxi (yellow  cab). There is also a new FREE TAXI service called SWOOP. It's an electric car with covered roof but open air sides. However, they don't necessarily take appointments or are punctual. But you can give them a try. Program their phone number into your cell phone: 305-409-6636. Yes it's free but kindly tip the driver a couple of dollars.

Bring comfortable walking shoes and chilled bottled of water although we do stop in one deli (a famous Art Deco building) that sells refreshments.

DINNER PLANS
If you are planning to have dinner indoors at mid-upscale restaurant after the twilight tour, ladies may want to bring a pair of stylish sandals or shoes as flip flops are not always permitted nor tennis shoes. I normally carry mine in little tote or gift bag with handles. It's best to ask about the dress code when making your reservation. If you plan to dine at one of the many outdoor restaurants along Ocean Drive, then there is no dress code.

Most indoor, upscale restaurants open for dinner at 6pm or 7pm. If you're planning dinner before an evening tour, keep in mind many restaurants will be sparse since most people eat later in summertime. Restaurants start to get busy at 9pm in South Beach.

RESTAURANT DEALS
Finally, there's a wonderful website called SouthFlorida Dines that offers 50% off gift certificates for popular and new restaurants throughout South Florida. For restaurants in South Beach, go to search box and enter zip code: 33139 for South Beach. This is a great program and I highly recommend it!

Do not hesitate to email us with any questions!

We look forward to introducing you to the history of Miami Beach!
Christine & team!
artdecotours@yahoo.com