Miami Beach
Miami Beach — the name alone conjures up powerful images, from the sun dappled gods and goddesses of 20s era promotional materials to the swinging mid-century cocktail culture to the modern reemergence as an international center of nightlife, fashion and culture. With its pastel Art Deco architecture and 24 hour culture, Miami Beach is a singular city, a place that wears its flair and diversity like Liz Hurley wears Versace. Complex and cosmopolitan, Miami Beach has long welcomed groups oppressed in other areas — it boasts the nation's second largest concentration of Jews, and significant Latin American, Caribbean and European populations. Gays and lesbians have played a significant role in the city's dramatic revitalization, and have established a thriving permanent population that rivals San Francisco and Greenwich Village in the national consciousness. Miami Beach today is among the world's most notable gay and lesbian travel destinations, home to storied nightclubs, hotels, and parties. In addition, who can forget the beach, 10 miles of gold sand and blue water that easily rivals its Caribbean counterparts. Gays and lesbians congregate at swinging 12th Street Beach, but are welcome everywhere in this freewheeling, open-minded oasis.

Miami Beach's lush, tropical environment evokes a fantasy world peopled with models and celebrities. But on this stage, everyone can enjoy the same alluring lifestyle. At night the non-stop action moves to sizzling clubs, bars, and restaurants. In addition, when sun and surf do not suffice, enjoy shopping, sightseeing, and sampling exotic food in trendy restaurants in always-fascinating Miami Beach.

Miami Beach is blessed with diverse cultural institutions. The new Cultural Campus houses the Bass Museum of Art with a permanent collection of European art, the public library and the Miami City Ballet Headquarters. On Washington Avenue, you'll find the Spanish Baroque façade of The Wolfsonian/FIU with a collection of more than 70,000 objects inside. The Stanford L. Ziff Jewish Museum of Florida is found in a beautifully restored Art Deco synagogue and the Holocaust Memorial is built around a stark sculptured hand pointing skyward.

Boutiques and specialty shops put a designer spin on shopping in Miami Beach. On Collins Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Ocean Drive, you'll find a wide range of boutiques and stores selling clothes on the cutting edge of fashion. Lincoln Road Mall, a pedestrian-only enclave of tropical vegetation and Morris Lapidus designed street features, is home to high-style stores, art galleries, clubs and restaurants that attract residents and visitors until late at night. Lincoln Road's Outdoor Antique and Collectibles Market compliments a smaller flea market among the funky stores on nearby Española Way. The tropical climate makes dining al fresco a must, and Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road are lined with hip sidewalk cafes. Gays and straights, tourist and locals, mingle effortless in this 24 hour parade, where seeing and being seen has been elevated to an art form.

For a night out, Miami Beach is the place to be. Full of a plethora of sizzling clubs and nightspots, as well as a huge variety of dining and entertainment options, there's something for every taste. A strong cultural scene strives in Miami Beach; music of every genre finds its way to Miami Beach, as well as film festivals, art shows and dance programs.