Today the Qlik Fix! goes travel blogging. From April 22 to 25, QlikTech’s annual Global Partner Summit Qonnections will take place at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. Unfortunately I will not be there this year due to other plans, but I have attended the previous events and was also present last year.
Besides meeting up with old friends, making new ones and attending some excellent sessions, one of the nice perks of these events is the ability to do a little sightseeing on the side. With that in mind I decided to compile my list of things to see and do in Miami.
To see
Ocean Drive / Art Deco District : Miami features some gorgeous architecture, especially in the Art Deco district. As most of the buildings are beautifully lighted with neon at night, an evening stroll around Ocean Drive is also highly recommended.
The Everglades : You’ll need to rent a car to go there, but an air boat tour around the Everglades is a cool experience. Watch out for the alligators!
Key Biscayne Lighthouse : You’ll also need a car to get here, but the Key Biscayne lighthouse is a picturesque place to visit and also has a very nice beach.
Duck Tours South Beach (1661 James Avenue, near Lincoln Road): If you don’t want to rent a car (or walk a lot), Duck Tours is a very entertaining way to see South Beach, the harbor and some (supposedly) celebrity houses. Cruising down Ocean Drive in a truck/boat hybrid while the stereo pumps C&C Music Factory’s “Everybody Dance Now”, what more could you ask for? 😉
From the movies/TV
Fontainebleau Resort and Spa : Yes, the location of Qonnections has appeared in many movies and TV shows. It’s the place where Goldfinger cheats at cards, where Tony Montana chills at the pool in Scarface and Whitney Houston performs her concert in The Bodyguard.
Love Hate Tattoo : located on 1360 Washington Avenue, this is the tattoo shop featured in the Miami Ink TV show. Just in case you want to get that QlikView tattoo 😉
Johnny Rockets : on 728 Ocean Drive, the location where the infamous chainsaw scene (NSFW, unless you work for a drug cartel) from Scarface took place.
Shopping
Lincoln Road Mall : located in South Beach Lincoln Road Mall is a pedestrian-only promenade that offers loads of interesting stores. And yes, it also has an Apple store.
Aventura Mall : if you like shopping, then this is a place where you can easily spend an entire day. Every major chain is represented in this shopping center.
The beach
Of course, you cannot go to Miami Beach and not visit the beach! For those that do not like sand, there is also a boardwalk that runs along the beach and is quite nice for a casual stroll.
Nightlife
With the packed agenda it’s not really possible (or more to the point; advisable) to stay up very late and enjoy the nightlife. That said, if you want to grab a few drinks along Ocean Drive, look out for these places:
Mango’s Tropical Cafe (900 Ocean Drive) : Live latin music and dancers, a little tacky and definitely a tourist trap, but fun to visit at least once during your stay.
Clevelander (1020 Ocean Drive): Decent dance music and a poolside bar.
All the locations mentioned above are plotted in the map below (though I do need to figure out how to put titles on the markers, to be updated later):
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And that’s it for my Miami travel tips. If there’s anything I missed (quite likely), feel free to add it in the comments section below. For those of you attending Qonnections this year, I wish you all an excellent conference and safe travels!
Update 2012/04/25: Just learned that Qonnections 2013 will be held at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. See you there!