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by Dee Naquin Shafer
White sand beaches, warm aquamarine waters, 78-degree days—and ASHA. That is your scenario this fall at ASHA's annual Convention Nov. 16-18 in Miami Beach. Near to the Art Deco and South Beach districts, the Miami Beach Convention Center spans four city blocks. It's a short walk to one of America's most beautiful beaches.
Se habla espanol? If you want to practice your Spanish, this is the place. The Hispanic or Latino population stands at 65%, according to the 2000 Census.
An international city with seemingly endless attractions, Miami is long used to playing host. But its bounty can create dilemmas for visitors, such as narrowing down what to do in your free time away from sessions. The ASHA Leader will try to help. The question of where to eat is worth another whole article, but a selection of restaurants are in the sidebar, "Cheryl's Picks," on page 12.
Art and History
Where to go in Miami really depends on what you want to do. The Miami Art Museum (MAM) reflects a dedication to international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. You might even visit it the first day of the ASHA Convention, when MAM holds its "Third Thursday." This monthly happy hour from 5 to 8:30 p.m. features music by local DJs, cocktails, and a Starbucks Coffee bar.
Learn how Miami changed from a mangrove-covered sandbar in 1910 into a world-famous resort city at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida in downtown Miami. You can enter a replica of an Art Deco hotel lobby, sign in at the reception desk, and sit on period furniture.
Vizcaya (pronounced Vihz-sky-ah), a National Historic Landmark, was built by James Deering, an agricultural industrialist who spent winters there in the early 1900s. The European-inspired estate includes a main house filled with art and furnishings, 10 acres of gardens on Biscayne Bay, a forest made up of the native tree called hardwood hammock, and an historic village that is being restored. The museum is in the Coconut Grove neighborhood.
"The Grove" offers more, of course. While visiting Vizcaya, stop off for lunch or dinner at a variety of restaurants. It is a popular destination for tourists and locals, who come for the leisure-time options, including CocoWalk Mall and a number of festivals and waterfront parks.
Nature Paths
Boat tours are an easy way to see the city. Some tours offer spa treatment, including massage, yoga, and gourmet meals. Others cruise the Miami waterways, stopping off at waterfront restaurants and bars, while allowing passengers a peek at celebrity mansions.
Perhaps nature attracts you. The Miami Seaquarium offers shows, exhibits and educational presentations in a beautifully landscaped park overlooking Biscayne Bay. Daily admission includes marine-life shows and exhibits on 38 acres. Bus transportation to the Seaquarium is available from hotels throughout the Miami metropolitan area.
Tropical birds have the run of Parrot Jungle Island, an island park off MacArthur Causeway. Approximately 1,100 macaws, parrots, and other winged residents join giant reptiles and exotic primates. The 18 landscaped acres showcase some 500 species of plants and flowers. Shows include "Reptile Giants," with snakes, alligators, and crocodiles, and "Wild Encounters," featuring apes, tigers, and more.
Shopping and People-Watching
A different sort of wildlife is on display at South Beach or SoBe. Located in the Art Deco District, its brightly colored boutique hotels line the beach. Ocean Drive is the place to be with its fashionable restaurants and sidewalk cafés. Walking and bicycle tours give visitors a look at more than 400 registered historic buildings, and Ocean, Washington, and Fifth offer multiple shopping opportunities.
The Design District is a combination of design outlets, art galleries, home decor stores, antique shops, restaurants, and clubs. Stores devoted to design and architecture occupy warehouse-like fronts in an area between North Miami Avenue and North Second Avenue.
Coral Gables, originally developed by George Merrick in 1925, is so picturesque that it's been nicknamed "The City Beautiful." Streets like De Soto Boulevard are adorned with fountains, and the luxurious Biltmore Hotel, which Merrick helped establish, is a landmark. The neighborhood offers some of Miami's most exclusive retail venues at the Miracle Mile.
Located near NE 2nd Ave., Little Haiti is the center of Miami's Haitian culture, and the aroma of Caribbean cooking and the rhythms of compas music fill its streets. This could be the place to find out about traditional voodoo practices. Arts and crafts are for sale in many independent shops.
A visit to Miami isn't complete without visiting Little Havana-or trying some Cuban food. The main street, Calle Ocho (or Southwest Eighth Street), is the place to indulge in empanadas, media noche, or café con leche. Try an authentic Cuban restaurant, like Casa Lario on W. Flagler Ave. (You can also stay close to the Convention Center and visit Yucca's on Lincoln Road.)
Miami is known for its music. Get a sampling at Florida International University's annual fall music festival, which offers classical, jazz, big band, Caribbean, and Latin American music in addition to special performances for children. The event runs through Nov. 30.
Undoubtedly, ASHA has a few sports fans. The Miami Dolphins will be playing Minnesota at home on Nov. 19. As for the Miami Heat, check in August for that schedule.
Building Bridges
There's more to Miami, of course-like the ASHA Convention.
The 2006 theme is "Building Bridges Through Communication," in keeping with all those bridges around Miami and the city's multicultural nature. Convention co-chair Lynn Flahive said the convention theme focuses on how different professions can work together in improving communication skills.
The Convention has been designed to recognize the multidisciplinary nature of service delivery and will highlight advances in other fields such as genetics, physics, and linguistics. For more details on the Convention, see the March 21 issue of The ASHA Leader, "2006 Convention Builds Bridges."
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