Signature City Miami

This was my 21st program and and the third program that I have taken since my wife’s passing. One of the reasons that I like these programs is the social and educational value of seeing new places with new people. Bill from Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Miami Beach! White sand, warm water, smiling people!

This was a very interesting program and gave a good overview of and insight into the Miami-Dade metropolis. It included art, history, architecture and culture. Great variety of restaurants. Our tour director Jose was excellent, as were the local guides. Definitely recommend.

Miami is a very exciting and vibrant city with great art and architecture! This program is excellent!

Enjoyed learning about Miami's art and architecture, history and diverse cultures in this excellent program.

The trip was inspirational and exceeded expectation. I plan to return to Miami next winter. Thank you, Jose, for organizing an amazing program!

My introduction to Miami was such a surprise. I had no idea of the explosive growth (1,000 people move in every day), nor the history of the indigenous peoples 7,000 years ago! The itinerary was thoughtfully planned out, with daily tours of iconic neighborhoods that shaped the multicultural fabric of the city -- industrial magnates flocked to Coral Gables and Coconut Grove in the early 1900's with the introduction of the railroad; artists and creative entrepreneurs zeroed in on the Wynwood neighborhood after the riots in the 1970's and have lined the streets with colorful murals; South Beach with its Art Deco buildings and music scene; and Little Havana's Calle Ocho where Cuban exiles settled starting in the early 1900's and grew after 1959 when Castro took over Cuba. Jose Diaz did a fabulous job keeping us organized and on time, but more importantly contributed to our understanding of the social, political, entrepreneurial and artistic dynamics that are moving Miami fast-forward into a 22C international mecca. His upbeat personality entertained us, and his dance moves drove the group to the floor in our Salsa lesson! Several of us are eager to join him in Cuba next year. Stay tuned!

The variety of learning experiences was perfect for gaining insight into the history, culture and diversity of Miami. Our group leader, Jose, is a living example of the Miami experience and his enthusiasm for it was contagious. On this trip you will walk, dance, eat and enjoy all that is Miami and you will be richer for it!

This is a great five day tour. I learned so much about Miami and its different neighborhoods and cultural forces. Good food and very interesting walking destinations.

Jose is an incredibly talented tour guide for the Signature City Miami experience. The experience in Miami was insightful.

NA

Part of the attraction of the Miami - Signature City trip was that I knew so little about Miami. Now, I have a much better sense of the city - its history, its neighborhoods, and the allure of its winter weather! Our group leader Emerson Fales was great - knowledgeable, enthusiastic, engaging, and supportive. He shared his knowledge and love for Miami, providing a substantial amount of information about the city’s neighborhoods, its attractions, and Miami’s past and present. As always with the Road Scholar trips, the lecturers and guides were informative, entertaining, and passionate. (Ralph de la Portilla was exceptional!). The educational quality and the diversity of activities is the strength of the program. I especially enjoyed the museums (Vizcaya, Wynwood Walls, History Miami, and Wolfsonian), the tours (Miami River boat trip, South Beach Art Deco district, and Little Havana neighborhood) and the salsa dance lessons! A fabulous program!

Great program to learn about the richness of Miami. There were lots of different kinds of activities, seeing the different neighborhoods in Miami and learning about the history and people. It was great having a Whole Foods right next to the hotel, and to feel safe wherever we went. Emerson did a great job taking care of everything we needed. This is the best program I’ve been on!

This is my second Roads Scholar experience. It was fun and active. And a great value.

Evaluation and Review by Marilyn Schwartz: This is an utterly delightful and most informative trip about the City of Miami and its surrounding area. Led by a caring, informed and enthusiastic leader, Jose Diaz, varied neighborhoods are explored, diverse cuisines are sampled in very good restaurants and in samplings along the way, knowledgeable lectures and guides are provided with the most noteworthy being Ralph de la Portilla who joins a couple of times, and worthwhile excursions are included from artworks to cruising the Miami River and in-between. A Signature City trip not to be missed!

Fabulous trip. Our guide Jose Diaz kept us moving along at a good pace and shared his love of the city. We learned tons about the past, present and future of Miami. The itinerary provided a good mix of lectures and field trips. Great value for the money.

My husband and I had a wonderful trip in Miami - Art Deco, Little Havana, street art, Flamenco, history, walking tours, river cruise, and international restaurants. Our group leader, Jose, was the best! Highly recommend for a winter getaway.

If you have not been to Miami-Dade County recently, this trip will likely open your eyes to a Miami that is vastly different from the Miami that you may have known from the past - even the recent past.

Outstanding program on the history, culture and art of Miami. Our group leader, Jose Diaz, was very engaging and knowledgeable. This was my fifth program with Road Scholar and I recommend it whether you've visited Miami previously, never been or are looking to attend a program closer to home in Florida. All participants are required to be vaccinated for Covid-19 and I never had any concerns about my health while on the program. The hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Miami Downtown/Brickell, is in downtown Miami withing walking distance or public transport of many of our activities and restaurants. My room in the hotel was very spacious and I had a comfortable stay. There is a Whole Foods across the street and a CVS pharmacy one block from the hotel. Five stars for this program!

Excellent tour in a small amount of time. I really feel that I now have an understanding of the Miami of today.

Looking to learn as you mature? Road Scholars offers an excellent opportunity to do so with like-wise interesse adults. Never stop learning.

Enjoyed the probram

We saw the many faces of Miami: the pioneers who founded Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, the magnificence of the Fairchild Tropical Gardens, the Perez and de la Cruz modern art museums, the Cuban exiles who made new lives in Little Havana, the Key Biscayne Nature Center, the Art Deco District, Lynwood Walls and Flamenco Dancers. Our tour leader, Alberto, was delightful and able to adapt to traveling snafus, and fostering a great group coherence. The Boat trip on the Miami River on our own dedicated boat was a great way to see the important sites of Miami from a different perspective. Finishing with a performance by the owners of a Flamenco dance troop, we felt we learned a lot about the melting pot of cultures that is Miami.

Well-Intentioned But Left Much to Be Desired. This trip recently switched base location (from Coconut Grove to Coral Gables) and they are definitely still working the kinks out. The hotel was fine, though breakfast variety was very limited (same menu of eggs/bacon/sausage/potatoes/fruit/bagels every day; no cereal, oatmeal, yogurt or regular bread). While the Cuban lunches were good, the remaining food left much to be desired, especially the evenings out at local restaurants (The Globe and an ale house), where food was mediocre and service was extremely slow. This was made much worse by the size of the group; at 31 participants there should have been two tour guides but there was only one, so everything had to be done as a big group and we spent a lot of time waiting for people to use the restroom. Sights were interesting, but tour of Little Havana was very much on the surface only, and in the most touristed area. The trip to the Barnacle House was awful - the guide actually led us through the first floor of a dark house full of piles of furniture covered with plastic sheeting and a variety of rugs and other tripping hazards, saying "we can't turn on the lights because we are testing the fire suppression system and don't want to risk a spark by using a light switch." RS needs to take this off the itinerary;I suggest they replace it with Viscaya instead. On the plus side, our guide, Jose, was very personable, clearly loves Miami, and genuinely wanted to make everyone happy, and one of the lecturers, Guillermo Grenier, was fabulous.

We have been on several RS trips and my ratings have always been 5 out of 5 stars. For Miami I would rate it a 3.9. For the first time we had one presenter who was not prepared and evening meals that did not reflect local cuisine. The art museums collections were very modern or "interpretative" which is not my cup of tea and did not feel they represented Miami. Our guide, Jose, was excellent, organized and helpful. If you go - and I think it's a worthwhile trip - I would suggest you inquire about details of day excursions and seek options for some if you're not interested. We did have a great time exploring South Beach and the Art Deco, Vizcaya, Coral Gables, Miami River and Coconut Grove as well as Little Havana. Lunches were excellent and did reflect Cuban taste. Speakers overall were excellent as usual.