Miami has a wide range of possible attractions, including ones you might expect, such as beaches, and ones you might not, such as excellent museums of contemporary art. The food scene is excellent, with a great selection in the Coconut Grove area, where the conference hotels are located, and elsewhere. Surprisingly, Miami also has attractions with medieval connections, including the cloister of a twelfth-century Spanish Cistercian monastery.

Things Medieval in Miami

Though Miami is not exactly noted for its medieval heritage, there are a few places of interest here for medievalists if you have an extra afternoon or day.

University of Miami Lowe Art Museum. This museum is across the street from the Lakeside complex where the conference will be held and contains five items from the Cloisters branch of the Metropolitan Museum and some late medieval/early renaissance Italian paintings from the Kress Collection. It also has exhibits of items from a range of global cultures as well at rotating special exhibits. It is a small but excellent university museum. Admission is free but one has to make an appointment in advance.

Vizcaya Museums and Gardens. This is a 1916 Italianate villa built on Biscayne bay by James Deering that contains many items he purchased over the years in European travels. Noteworthy for medievalists is a c. 1450 Admiral Carpet made by Mudejares for an elite Christian family. Vizcaya is a short complimentary ride from the Marriott and one Metrorail stop or a short drive from the Hampton Inn.

Monastery of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (AKA Ancient Spanish Monastery or Spanish Monastery). This consists of the cloisters of a twelfth-century Cistercian monastery originally built near Segovia but purchased by William Randolph Hearst and brought to North America. Through a complicated chain of events, the cloisters ended up in North Miami. Unfortunately, it is over twenty miles from the hotels and university and not easy to get to. You will need a car or expensive rideshare to get there. Opening times are sporadic and apparently are normally posted at the beginning of the month.

Outdoors Activities

For those at the Marriott, a walk along the bayfront of Biscayne Bay is steps away from the hotel and there are a couple of small parks nearby right on the water. From the Hilton Inn, the walk to the bay is about twenty or twenty-five minutes. Some of the residential areas of Coconut Grove are nice to walk or bike in with occasional glimpses of peacocks, macaws, or parrots that have gone native.

The Beaches. The beaches of Key Biscayne are not too far a drive from Coconut Grove. Miami Beach is a little bit further, though traffic can make it a much longer drive. Besides the beaches, parts of Miami Beach are noted for their beautiful Art Deco architecture.

Fairchild Tropical Gardens, a wonderful botanical garden, is about five miles from the hotels.

Everglades National Park. During the weekend, one can drive to either the Homestead or Shark Valley entrances of Everglades National Park in less than an hour. During the evening rush hour on weekdays, count on three times that. The Homestead entrance is a gateway to a large number of short trails in a variety of micro ecosystems. The Shark Valley entrance features tram rides into the heart of the Everglades proper (which is a very broad, very shallow river flowing through wet grasslands). Wildlife viewing opportunities near both entrances are excellent.

Indoor things

If you like contemporary art, the Pérez museum in downtown Miami has wonderful rotating exhibits. There are also a number of private museums in Miami featuring impressive displays of contemporary art.