Florida

While summers are predictably quite hot, visitors who come during winter and early spring are in for a treat: excellent weather (with minimal threat of hurricanes), a packed calendar of outdoor events (Yankees spring training, anyone?), and plenty of options for active exploration.

There’s something undeniably magnetic about Miami after the sun goes down, when the balmy air and neon lights create an atmosphere removed from reality. Whether it’s the clave pulsating from salsa clubs or the crowds strolling down Ocean Drive, the nighttime energy in Miami is palpable. Come along as we meander through Miami at its quintessential best, from tropical sunset to happy hour sunrise.

Forget Yelp reviews, travel guides, or tracking down that random colleague’s Instagram post. We have your notes right here—on where to go and what to order when traveling—from some of the South’s most acclaimed chefs, unlocking the secrets of their hometowns.

The Island's biggest draws, by far, are the plentiful opportunities it affords guests to reconnect with nature—opportunities that Amelia Island is invested in sustaining well into the future. 

On that starry evening with a bright full moon, I wore a powder-blue outfit I’d made myself, a peasant-style skirt with a top that fell off my shoulders. John sported a suit and tie. As we pulled into Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, the lights and cars and overhang felt like a Hollywood red carpet scene to me. This was my first time to valet park.

Governed by the maxim “we make baseball fun,” the Savannah Bananas have sold out every game since their founding in 2016. Following their own eccentric brand of play, dubbed “Banana Ball,” the team eschews anything that could make the sport feel sluggish.

As 30A continues to grow, so does its culinary scene. We explored the 12 Florida Panhandle neighborhoods linked by 24-mile County Road 30A, where we discovered ample options for each meal of the day—plus plenty of happy-hour hideaways.

As much as we love the South's quintessential clapboard churches and stately mansions, our appreciation of Southern architecture extends beyond the classics. We‘ve combed the region for noteworthy structures, from historical masterpieces like Thomas Jefferson‘s Palladian Monticello to modern marvels like the breezy, zero-energy McDonald‘s Florida flagship (yes, McDonald’s).

As the boat meanders through the bay, my guide and captain debate locations to check for manatees. They rattle off familiar ones we might run into—Greased Lightning, Penny Pockmark—named and remembered by the map of scars across their backs. Finally, we stop in a small cove flanked by docks and residential houses. I lower myself into the drink, and my teeth instantly begin to chatter. As I duck under the surface, I see more than two dozen manatees gather by a small spring and graze on seagrass, elephantine mermaids without a care in the world.

Just a quick drive across the bridge from Miami Beach, the neighborhood of Little Havana possesses the lively, colorful atmosphere emblematic of the city—and of Cuba.