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South Beach: History and Culture of America’s Art Deco Playground

Program Number: 20393RJ
Start and End Dates:
2/10/2013 - 2/15/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Miami, Florida
Price starting at: $1,099.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: History & Culture
Meals: 10; 5 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 2 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

A vibrant neighborhood in the heart of Miami, South Beach has endured many transformations through the years, from hurricane-ravaged region to architectural wonderland to today’s beautifully preserved urban oasis and international playground. Delve into the amazing history of this world-famous Florida hotspot and enjoy behind-the-scenes access to South Beach venues like the New World Symphony and the Wolfsonian/FIU.




Highlights

• Sample the fare at famous eateries like The News Cafe and the legendary Joe's Stone Crab Takeaway.
• Take in the glitz and glamour of the 1920s on an exploration of South Beach's Art Deco Historic District.
• Visit The Jewish Museum of Florida, heralded as the "jewel of South Beach."



Activity Particulars

Walking up to two miles on city streets and sidewalks; some standing at museums; some use of public transportation.




Date Specific Information

2-10-2013

Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.



Coordinated by Road Scholar.




Miami

One of America’s most dynamic, multicultural major cities, Miami attracts visitors from around the world to its cultural, recreational and historical attractions. Miami sits in the southeast corner of Florida amid the Miami River, Biscayne Bay, the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean.
Accommodations
Oceanfront Art Deco hotel with private access to beach, pool, and spa.
Meals and Lodgings
   South Seas Hotel
  Miami 5 nights
 South Seas Hotel
Type: Hotel
  Description: Nestled in south beach, the oceanfront South Seas Hotel in Miami Beach is a boutique hideaway in an A-list location. The hotels décor is a mix of style and understatement blending mid-century Miami Beach modernism with an array of contemporary features. Tropical bougainvillea frame a sweeping entranceway and vintage photographs cataloguing Miami’s social history, are featured throughout the building. With the quaint boutique shops of Lincoln Road Mall and Ocean Drive, outdoor café’s, and top notch restaurants, the South Seas places you in the center of it all.
  Contact info: 1751 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139 USA
phone: 800-345-2678
web: www.southseashotel.com
  Room amenities: The rooms offer relaxing seating, a sizable work area, two full long beds, art deco inspired furnishings, 240 thread count duvet covers and linens, flat panel LCD TVs, I-pod docking station, digital clocks, E.O. Pure Essential Oil toiletries, waffle robes, in-room safes, iron & ironing boards, hairdryers, electronic voice mail complimentary wireless high-speed internet access
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Special Rate May Apply Please contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available
  Check in time: 3:00 PM
  Additional nights after: Special Rate May Apply Please contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available
  Check out time: 11:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
3:00 pm You will be staying at South Seas Hotel that night.
  End of Program:
12:00 pm You will be staying at South Seas Hotel the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
Valet parking at $29.00 per day Other options: (Municipal Garages) 21st St and Collins Ave. $15.00 per day, 17th St Garage $20.00 per day, 18th St & Meridian Ave. $15.00 per day
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Miami
  Nearest airport:  Miami International Airport
  From End of Program
  Location: Miami
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

From Miami International Airport to South Seas Hotel

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation
Bus

   

Bus #150 from airport. Bus stop Collins Ave @ 18th St in front of the hotel
 

From Miami International Airport to South Seas Hotel

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
Super shuttle
phone: 305-871-2000
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$20.00-$23.00 pp
Prices are subject to change.
 

From Miami International Airport to South Seas Hotel

 

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi

   

approx. $32.00
 
Driving Directions
  From Miami International Airport to South Seas Hotel North on 42nd St to Fl-112. Head West toward Miami Beach on Fl-112. Continue onto W 41st St. Turn right onto Indian Creek Drive, turn right onto Collins Ave. Hotel is on your right. Distance approx. 12 miles, travel time approx. 20 minutes depending on traffic
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Check-in, Program Registration & Orientation, Welcome Dinner
(Sunday, February 10)
   
 Arrive To: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 3:00pm to 5:00 pm.
 Afternoon: REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby to register with the program staff, pick up your arrival packet containing your name tag and up-to-date schedule, and other important information.
 Dinner: Pilikia, inside the hotel, is a poolside Polynesian-style cafe featuring casual American fare with international influences. Enjoy a plated three-course dinner with choice of entree (one of which will be vegetarian), side dishes, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverages.
 Evening: ORIENTATION: We'll have an informative overview of the program plus an opportunity to meet your fellow participants during an introductory get-acquainted session. We'll review the updated schedule, cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. (If you arrive late, please pick up your packet at the hotel front desk.)
   
Accommodations: South Seas Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: South Beach History
(Monday, February 11)
   
 Breakfast: At Hotel
 Morning: Lecture: Early Miami Beach History
 Lunch: At a local restaurant
 Afternoon: Walking Excursion of South of 5th Street: Today's excursion takes us on a walk along the shoreline of the southern tip of South Beach. Learn about the entrepreneurial vision that created the Miami Beach Marina; listen to the dramatic story of the Government Cut and how it transformed Miami and the Biscayne Bay. Explore beautiful South Pointe Park, taking time to walk out on the jetties. Walk to the Browns Hotel, the first hotel built in South Beach. Then circle back around to Joe's Stone Crab, one of South Florida's most legendary landmark eateries. Finally, we will move up mid-district to see Miami Beach's recently-restored historic city hall.
 Dinner: On your own to explore the local fare
   
Accommodations: South Seas Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Art Deco Day
(Tuesday, February 12)
   
 Breakfast: At Hotel
 Morning: Lecture: Art Deco
 Lunch: Lunch at the famous News Café on Ocean Drive
 Afternoon: Art Deco Walking Field Trip: Encounter the Art Deco tour that captures the glitz and glamour of the roaring twenties and thirties in our nation’s only Art Deco Historic District. This is your chance to experience the thrill of a city that defiantly danced 'til dawn through the prohibition, the depression, major hurricanes, and two World Wars. Here the Playboy/flapper lifestyle was the only way to live, and as the warm breezes tempted you to free yourself of the confines of more formal clothes, the incoming tide would hint of the clandestine import that you'd be sipping at a swinging speakeasy late into the night. Recall the larger than life personalities and world famous events that re-shaped society, architecture, and even the island itself. We’ll walk the halls and lobbies of hotels on Ocean Drive, and delight at the imaginative and playful art deco lifeguard stands lining the beach like pastel-colored toy soldiers. Chart the evolution of architectural styles while unique and evocative Art Deco landmarks serve as our signposts to an era that looked forward to the future and celebrated progress, innovation, adventure, and freedom.
 Dinner: On your own to explore the local fare
   
Accommodations: South Seas Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: South Beach Renaissance
(Wednesday, February 13)
   
 Breakfast: At Hotel
 Morning: Lecture: The 80’s – Scarface and Miami Vice Era
 Lunch: The Café @ Books and Books
 Afternoon: Walking Excursion to Lincoln Road Area:On this afternoon's walking outing, we will be exploring cultural and historic treasures on and around celebrated, pedestrian-friendly Lincoln Road. Check out the Frank Gehry-designed New World Symphony building, South Beach’s newest architectural masterpiece. See the restored Colony Theater, a movie palace from the 1930's lovingly reassembled by restoration architect Richard Heisenbottle; visit the haunting, poignant Holocaust Memorial, the first memorial to holocaust victims created in America. Finally, we will journey next door to the Holocaust Memorial to the island city's sanctuary of serenity, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.
 Dinner: On your own to explore local fare
   
Accommodations: South Seas Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: South Beach Institutions
(Thursday, February 14)
   
 Breakfast: At Hotel
 Morning: Lecture: Modern Revival followed by Walking Field Trip to the Bass Museum & Miami City Ballet. This morning, we head to South Beach’s cultural district to enjoy the Bass Museum of Art and the Miami City Ballet. The Bass Museum houses over 3,000 works including: European painting and sculpture from the 15th century to present; Seventh to 20th century textiles, tapestries and ecclesiastical vestments and artifacts; 20th and 21st century North American, Latin American, Asian and Caribbean art; photographs, prints, and drawings; and modern and contemporary architecture and design with emphasis on the pre and postwar design history of Miami Beach. The Miami City Ballet in its stunning modern building is the culmination of the decades-long work of legendary ballet dancer Edward Villella to create a world-class ballet company for Greater Miami. These two important institutions join Miami Beach's Main Library facing a beautifully landscaped park which stretches to the ocean and features several giant, exotic Baobab trees.
 Lunch: On your own to explore local fare
 Afternoon: Española Way, the Jewish Museum & Wolfsonian The final excursion of our program will take us to scenic Espanola Way, the bohemian street where Miami Vice captured the imagery of 1980’s Miami. Resembling a small Spanish village, Espanola Way is home to a youth hostel, art galleries and enticing sidewalk cafes. The fun doesn’t stop here, we move on to the Jewish Museum of Florida, an award-winning museum occupying two restored adjacent synagogues. Finally, we head to the Wolfsonian/FIU. Here, the lifetime assemblage of master collector Mitchell ‘Micky’ Wolfson occupies many floors of a fortress-like building that once served as a hurricane-proof storage facility for wealthy northern “snowbirds.” The Wolfsonian/FIU contains the largest collection of art deco era items in the world. (4 hours)
 Dinner: Traditional Miami Dinner at the hotel.
   
Accommodations: South Seas Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Program Wrap-Up
(Friday, February 15)
   
 Breakfast: At Hotel
 Morning: Program Wrap-Up
   
Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Time Opportunities
  
  Miami Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is one of the world's preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees, tropical fruit trees, vines, and succulents. Opened in 1938, the 83-acre garden is among the region's most popular visitor attractions and offers tours along with a variety of programs in environmental education, conservation and horticulture. An international leader in tropical plant conservation, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden plays an important part in preserving the biodiversity of the tropical environment. For additional information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org/
  History Miami Museum
Accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) in 1979, The History Miami Museum is one of the largest private, regional history museums in the state. It offers exhibitions that appeal to a wide audience interested in the South Florida and the Caribbean community, while at the same time engaging residents and tourists alike. For additional information, visit www.historymiami.org/
  Miami Art Museum
Miami Art Museum, a modern and contemporary art museum located in downtown Miami, FL, is dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries with an emphasis on the cultures of the Atlantic Rim—the Americas, Europe and Africa—from which the vast majority of Miami residents hail. Miami Art Museum (MAM) serves one of the most diverse and fast-growing regions of the country, where a confluence of North and Latin American cultures adds vibrancy and texture to the civic landscape. MAM embraces its role as a cultural anchor and touchstone in a city that welcomes countless ethnic and age groups, lifestyles and ideas For additional information, visit www.miamiartmuseum.org/
  Miami Museum of Science
The Miami Museum of Science features exhibits relating to science and technology, as well as a wonderful planetarium and wildlife center. For additional information, visit www.miamisci.org/
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


South Beach Deco: Step By Step


Author: Iris Chase


Description: An expansive and in-depth guide to the Art Deco architecture of South Beach, Florida. This book also explores the culture of daily and nightly life in South Beach.



Saving South Beach (Florida History and Culture)


Author: M. Barron Stofik




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