When you imagine a trip to Miami, you probably picture a getaway weekend for two, a Saturday night of abandon, and a return home with a Tara Reid anecdote. The truth is, this city's bikini-ready, velvet-rope image is just one side of the coin. In the past few years, it's been getting very comfortable with its other identities—as a kid-friendly beach town dotted with playgrounds and nature preserves, and as the up-and-coming design capital that hosts the winter Art Basel festival. Even South Beach, home of the neon G-string, is filled with madcap street performers and families dining alfresco during the day. There's a lot of ground to cover here, but if you rent a car, it's only about 10 minutes from downtown to South Beach or Key Biscayne, offshore neighborhoods that are connected to the mainland by causeways. For a truly international experience, head to Little Havana, where a walk on Calle Ocho can feel like a day trip to Cuba.
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