Work brought me back to Miami recently.
The state and local tax group at my firm had its yearly retreat in South Beach (of all places!) It was a sweaty experience, but I made a weekend of it and visited a lot of my old college haunts.
Condos and palms in Miami.
The dog was a hit at Palace Bar in South Beach.
Party goers in Miami Beach.
The FIU-Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach.
Brunch at Miami Beach’s Palace bar.
The gay scene in Miami Beach was kind of sad.
Miami Beach wasn’t known to have a ton of gay spots even when I was in college, and not much has changed. Twist and Palace Bar are still around, but Score is straight most nights. The Gaythering is a fun newish spot, yet somewhat isolated from the other bars.
I met several new friends that weekend and they all confirmed that the 35-mile trek to Wilton Manors is still worth it. The dismal South Beach scene made grateful for the options in Washington D.C. and Dallas.
However, I was thrilled to see that drag icons T.P. Lords and Noel Leon are still at it:
Miami Beach drag queen Noel Leon.
Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive.
Condos on Biscayne Bay in Miami.
South Beach Miami party goers.
A woman posing on a car in front of a South Beach Starbucks.
Work breakfast in Miami Beach.
Miami Beach near Ocean Drive.
Miami Beach is a strange place to have a work retreat.
A lot of people were on spring break, so the streets were full of drunk tourists in thongs. People were arrested in the lobbies of both hotels that we stayed in, and there was an unusual amount of exotic pets. Specifically, I saw a guy walking around with a giant snake on his shoulders and another guy had a pet squirrel (with a little shirt!)
Despite the crowds on the street, I was able to always get spots at drag brunch and didn’t run into any real issues. I also got to see Mama Jansen throughout the weekend, so the trip was a success! The next trip may have to be in Broward County however. 🌴
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