We quickly discovered Berries when we first moved to Coconut Grove.  Just at the end of our street, Berries specializes in brick oven pizza and paninis as well as a range of american classics.

They have a full bar and a solid selection of draft beers including Rogue Dead Guy Ale - Amber's favorite, and Dogfish 60 Minute Ale as well as Dale's Pale Ale, both favorites of Toby.

If you get Kane as your server, say hi from us, and ask for a beer recommendation.

Le Bouchon is the place Amber and Toby go to celebrate pretty much anything.  A classic French restaurant, their Boeuf Bourignon, Onion Soup and garlicky Escargots come well recommended.

A cozy place in the heart of The Grove, you'll enjoy the ambiance as well as the complimentary champagne when you get there or while you wait.

If anything's not to your liking, don't hesitate to tell the incredibly friendly waiters.   Reservations are recommended.

If you've never had Cuban food before, then you have to try one of Miami and South Florida's most popular cuisines, and La Carreta is a perfect example if you're looking for an authentic taste.

Make sure you bring a healthy appetite though, the amount of food is extraordinary and you may want to end up sharing a plate.

If you're looking for a suggestion, try the Ropa Vieja with a side of plantains.

Not recommended for vegetarians

When breakfast is on the menu, Amber and Toby seldom go anywhere other than GreenStreet.  Located on the corner of Commodore and Main Highway in The Grove, GreenStreet provides the perfect breakfast location.

Why not order a Bellini to go with your pancakes or jerked scrambled eggs, and spend some quality time people watching from your sidewalk table.

The decor is pretty dated, but if you're looking for good Indian food then you can do worse than the House of India.  Right next to Miracle Mile in downtown Coral Gables, this Indian restaurant provides a solid selection of Indian favorites, both for the vegetarian and the meat eater.

Moon Thai not only has Thai food, but also a large selection of Japanese as well.  This brightly decorated, casual restaurant is a favorite of Miami University students as well as Toby and Amber.

If you're looking to pay a little less, or just pick up some lunch, then their sister restaurant Stir Moon on the corner might also be an option.

The beer at Titanic Brewery can be a bit hit and miss, but if you're looking for classic pub food then it's hard to go past this place at the southern end of the University of Miami campus.

The Lincoln Road Mall in South Beach is a great place to people watch, and the Van Dyke Cafe is a great place to sit and do this.

Whether you just want to check out the local pretty people, the tourists, or even the odd-balls like the guy with the boa constrictor or that woman who pushes her dog around in a covered stroller.

Order yourself a hummus platter, some iced tea and sit back and enjoy the show.

If you're like Toby, and you're always looking for a new beer to try, then The Yard House in the Village of Merrick shopping complex is hard to go past.

The crowd is a little on the trendy side and reservations are definitely a must for the dinner hour, or you can try your luck like we did at the bar.

With over 100 beers to choose from, it's hard to make a recommendation.  We never got past the appetizers either, but they were pretty good.

Right across from the GreenStreet Cafe in The Grove, sits The Barnacle Historic State Park.  A thin slice of history and natural habitat,

The Barnacle provides access to the shoreline of Biscayne Bay after a short jaunt through native seaside woodlands, interspersed with exotics such as wild coffee plants.

For a couple of dollars you can walk the grounds, tour the house, or simple sit on the steps of the boathouse and look out to the bay.

Towering above Coral Gables is the Biltmore Hotel.  Built in the 1920s, this classic hotel is one of those Miami landmarks that you may have seen before on television or in pictures.

The hotel grounds include a full 18 hole golf course, a huge pool and 10 tennis courts, along with spa and several restaurants.

You may choose simply to drive by rather than pay upwards of $275 per night for a room.

About 45 minutes north of Miami up the Florida Turnpike is Butterfly World, home to several enclosures featuring not only a number of colorful Butterfly species, but also a variety of birds and plants.

The Butterflies will quite happily land on you if you sit or stand still long enough, as will the Lorikeets - a parrot from Australia - if you are willing to shell out an extra dollar for some nectar.

The passion flowers will likely be gone in November, but if you're in town during the Spring or Summer you'll get to see numerous varieties of Amber's favorite flower in full bloom.

Our home in Miami up until this year, Coconut Grove is a lush tropical suburb on Biscayne Bay, just south of downtown Miami.

The Grove, as it's known to the locals, is home to an eclectic mix of low-income rental apartments and multi-million dollar mansions.

Whether you simply want to take a stroll down to the Marina and grab a cool drink at Monty's or Scotty's Landing, or take in a movie at the newly renovated theaters in Coco Walk, this is a fun place to spend a day.

If you want to see alligators and bird life in the wild, then the Everglades National Park is a must.  With over one and a half million acres under protection, this is Florida's largest park area.

For those who want to make a day of it, pack a lunch and take plenty of drinks and head right down to Flamingo, about a 45 minute drive from the southern entrance in Homestead.  If you hang around the marina there, you may even see the American Crocodile.

If you've got less time on your hands, then go straight to the Anhinga Trail, just a couple of minutes from the entrance.

An easy trail, this boardwalk and causeway path will allow you to see numerous alligators, herons and egrets and perhaps even some of the local turtles and reptile life.

If airboat rides and/or cycling is more your style, then head to the northern entrance along Alligator Alley and rent a bike to do the five mile loop.

This huge 83 acre botanical garden is perhaps the most impressive park of it's kind in Miami.  Encompassing plants from all over the world, the garden takes advantage of Miami's warm climate to showcase a broad range of plants from around the world.

Spend a day walking the grounds, or grab one of the tram tours complete with commentary.  Keep an eye out for one of the many green iguanas and other lizards that call the park home.

This zoo primarily focuses on parrots, but also has lemurs, orangutans, kangaroos and giant tortoises on display.  Pretty pricey for a day trip, but can be fun for the kids.

If you want to hit the beach, but aren't in the mood to deal with South Beach, then Crandon Park on Key Biscayne offers you a more modest alternative.

Crandon Park offers acres of parkland, a golf course, as well as white sand beaches that face the Atlantic.  Included in the park area is a boardwalk nature walk through the native woodlands of the shore area.

Or you may simply decide to cruise into downtown Key Biscayne and check out how some of the wealthiest inhabitants of Miami live.

Situated on Biscayne Bay and just north of Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Matheson Hammock offers visitors a chance to explore the costal mangroves, or scan the shoreline looking for Ruddy Turnstones and other shorebirds.

The park includes a shallow lagoon and sandy beach suitable for swimming and children.  There's also the Red Fish Grill with a pricey, though tasty menu if you get a little peckish.

If you wondered what type of entertainment you might find in a zoo or aquarium in the 1950s or 60s, then the Seaquarium is the place for you.  Their kitschy shows include dolphins, sea lions and a killer whale.  You can get also try to see how many people you can cram into a photo booth, create a souvenir penny, or get have a freshly pressed wax figurine made at one of many locations.

When people think of Miami, they generally have images of the Art Deco buildings on Ocean Drive.   If you want to check it our for yourself, head over the Mac Arthur causeway (I-395 exit of of I-95), past the cruise ship terminals and into South Beach.  Turn left at the end, and you'll be heading north on Ocean Drive.

Check out the numerous cafes, restaurants and night spots as well as the cars, people and sights of Miami's most famous district.

If you're looking for a parking spot, make sure you head inland and look for a building.  There's not much on the street in this part of town.

While you're over there, you may want to check out the Lincoln Road Mall just north of 16th Street.

This public pool is worth seeing even if you're not inclined to take a dip in the waters.  Created out of the remains of an old coral quarry, this facility looks more akin to something you'd see in southern Europe than the United States.

While you're in the neighborhood, you might also take time to drive around some of the local streets to take in the Spanish and Mediterranean style architecture, as well as numerous massive Banyan trees common in this part of town.

Before much of the southern part of Miami was built, it was covered by plantations.  The owners of these plantations lived in large, expansive mansions, few of which remain today.

Vizcaya is one of the few that are still standing, and just south of downtown Miami, it's well worth a visit, if only to see the gardens and the impressive waterfront.