When I learned I had to attend a tradeshow in South Beach, Miami--"SoBe" to the hip--my first thought was "been there, done that," followed quickly by, "Oh no, will I have to join my compadres and partake in one of those trendy Margaronas (that's a huge frozen margarita topped with two upside-down bottles of Corona beer) at one of those outrageous bars on traffic-jammed Ocean Drive?"

Then I decided to just go with it--to totally immerse myself in the city--and I am so glad I did!

I started with a half-day South Beach Architecture Anew tour with American Excursionist. The tour is described as follows: "Discover normally off-limits sites from South Beach's iconic Art Deco legacy and learn about its architectural heyday before experiencing firsthand the renaissance of new architecture, design, and food that is reinvigorating Miami's iconic beach playground through access to chefs, architects, designers, and hoteliers."

January/February 2015