• Ancient Spanish Monastery, 16711 West Dixie Highway (near Sunny Isles), +1 305 945-1461, [8]. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM (unless there is a wedding scheduled; call ahead or check the website for wedding dates). Originally built in Segovia, Spain in 1141, this monastery was originally supposed to be a part of William Randolph Hearst’s property in California. Partly because he ran out of money and partly because the United States would not allow the monastery to be built in California, the monastery remained in New York Harbor until 1954, when a couple of businessmen bought the property and assembled it in Miami. Parts of the monastery have not been assembled because the government removed the pieces from numbered boxes and then placed the wrong pieces in the wrong boxes. Today the monastery is a church as well as a popular marriage location. As seen on the History Channel show Weird U.S. Adult admission $5, senior and student admission (with valid ID) $2.50, child admission $2.

• Holocaust Memorial, center of Meridian Drive and Dade Boulevard, +1 305 538-1663, [9]. Daily 9AM-9PM. This memorial was created with the help of Miami Beach Holocaust survivors and sculptor Kenneth Treister in 1984; it was finally opened to the public in 1990. The most noticeable features of this memorial are its large arm with Holocaust victims trying to climb up the arm (it even has an Auschwitz tattoo similar to the ones issued at Auschwitz), its pool with a dedication to the “Jewish victims of the Holocaust” just outside the pool and sculptures of a mother and her children perishing to death surrounded by Anne Frank quotes. Behind the massive arm is the Garden of Meditation, dedicated to life, and a history of the Holocaust etched (with some covered-up errors) in granite. Surrounding the arm is a tunnel highlighted by an eternal flame. The tunnel has the names of the concentration camps sculpted inside of it and leads you to more sculptures surrounding the arm as well as names of victims of the Holocaust etched in granite and items such as Jewish candles placed by visitors honoring the memory of the dead. Free.

• Coral Castle, 28655 South Dixie Highway, (305) 248-6345, [10]. An odd complex of stone structures, built with enormously heavy stones, and allegedly by one man, without the help of modern equipment.

• Jewish Museum of Florida, 301 Washington Avenue, +1 305 672-5044 (fax +1 305 672-5933), [11]. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. Closed on Mondays and civil and Jewish holidays. This museum, located in a 1936 synagogue that hosted Miami’s first Jewish congregation, has a permanent exhibit detailing how Florida’s Jews arrived in Florida as well as their history in Florida and their customs. The museum also has videos to view while you’re inside the museum, temporary exhibits in the center of the synagogue and a gift shop. Adult admission $6, senior and student admission $5, family admission $12, children under six and members of the Jewish Museum of Florida free. Admission is also free on Saturdays.

• Bass Museum of Art, 212 Park Avenue, +1 305 673-7530 (fax +1 305 673-7062), [12]. Tu-W and F-Sa 10AM-5PM, Th 10AM-9PM, Su 11AM-5PM. This art museum, expanded by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, houses several European artworks from the 15th to the 20th century. Baroque and Northern European artworks are the highlights of the Bass Museum’s collection. The Bass Museum also hosts touring exhibitions and the New Information Workshop, a computer laboratory that allows visitors to create their own artwork. $12 adults, $10 students and seniors, children under 6 years of age free. Free admission the second Thursday of each month from 6PM-9PM.

• Wolfsonian-Florida International University, 1001 Washington Avenue, +1 305 531-1001 (fax +1 305 531-2133, e-mail pr@thewolf.fiu.edu, phone number for comments +1 305 535-2622), [13]. M-Tu and F-Sa 11AM-6PM, Th-11AM-9PM, Su 12PM-5PM. Back in the 1930s and 1940s this building was the headquarters of the Washington Storage Company, a facility where the rich could stash their valuables whenever they were out of town. Movie theater heir and Miami native Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. stored so much artwork here that he decided to buy the storage company and later give the building to Florida International University, hence the museum’s odd name. The Wolfsonian hosts a large modernist art collection on its upper three floors (the only floors, excluding the first floor, that are open to the public) that includes propaganda posters and postcards and Art Deco household items as well as touring exhibits. There is also a café, bookstore, fountain and a modernist-inspired artwork on the first floor. After paying admission, patrons enter the Wolfsonian with a sticker that has a picture of an artifact from the museum’s permanent collection. $5 ($3.50 seniors, students with ID and children 6-12).

• Venetian Pool, 2701 DeSoto Boulevard (in Coral Gables), +1 305 460-5306 (email info@VenetianPool.com, additional phone number +1 305 460-5357),

• Lummus Park Beach, between 6th and 14th streets along Ocean Drive. 5AM to 12AM daily. The beach where you’ll most likely see photo shoots and camera crews on certain days. Topless bathing is allowed here. A mostly homosexual crowd sunbathes around 12th Street. Also nearby is the wavy concrete path known as the Promenade, also a popular shooting locale as well as a favorite volleyball hangout for the locals. The bathrooms, located at around 11th Street, are in a stunning boat-shaped building but have rusty fixtures and are dirty.

• Haulover Beach Park, Sunny Isles (north of Bal Harbour). One of a handful of areas in Miami to surf and windsurf. Nude sunbathing is allowed here.

• Dolphin Stadium, 2269 Northwest 199th Street (in Miami Gardens), +1 305 623-6100 (fax +1 305 625-6403, e-mail DS@dolphinstadium.com, TTY +1 305 623-6266 ), [17]. This football stadium has been renamed several times in its history; some of its previous names include Dolphins Stadium and Pro Player Stadium. It is primarily known as the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Ironically FedEx Orange Bowl games are held here instead of the Orange Bowl on 11th Street. In another strange twist of fate the Miami Hurricanes are playing their home football games here starting in 2008 instead of…the Orange Bowl. MLB’s Florida Marlins also play baseball here. For tours of Dolphin Stadium, contact rheard@dolphinstadium.com or call +1 305 623-6286. Tour prices are $3 for children under 14, $5 for those 14 and older and $4 for senior citizens. Check website for individual phone numbers for tickets to Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins games and the Orange Bowl.

• Miami Orange Bowl, 1145 Northwest 11th Street, +1 305 643-7100, [18]. (fax 305-643-7115, ticket/event information number +1 305 643-7100) For several years this was the actual site of the collegiate Orange Bowl games as well as the home of the Miami Hurricanes. This historic football stadium is also currently hosting Florida International University football games until FIU Stadium construction is completed. No one knows what will happen to the Orange Bowl when the Hurricanes and the Golden Panthers move out. Check the Hurricanes’ official sports page [19] and the Golden Panthers’ official sports page [20] for tickets.

• American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Boulevard (near Bicentennial Park), + 1 786 777-1000 (box office number +1 786 777-1250), [21]. In addition to Miami Heat (an NBA team) games played here, this arena has hosted several awards shows in its past such as the MTV Video Music Awards (twice). Several concerts are also held here. Call box office for ticket information.

Miami may be known for its Latin cuisine, especially its Cuban cuisine, but there are other different kinds of restaurants to be found around the city. In addition to stand-alone restaurants offering up various cuisines from Chinese and Japanese and Middle Eastern and Italian (among other cuisines), there are cafés, steakhouses and restaurants operating from boutique hotels as well as chain restaurants such as TGI Fridays and Ben & Jerry’s.

Miami is known for having nightclubs double as restaurants throughout the city. Most of these restaurants, such as Tantra (which had one of their chefs recently appear on Top Chef: Miami), BED and the Pearl Restaurant and Champagne Lounge (attached to Nikki Beach), are located throughout South Beach. However, some of these restaurants/nightclubs like Grass Lounge can be found in the Design District (north of Downtown but south of North Miami).

If many of Miami’s premiere restaurants don’t fit into your daily budget, consider eating during Miami Restaurant Month (better known as Miami Spice [50]) in August and September. This year at 80 select restaurants lunch costs $22 and dinner is $35.