The Art Deco of Ocean Drive

One night, we  took  the hotel car down to Ocean Drive to see all the beautiful Art Deco buildings all lit up in  their bright, fun colors. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, the whole area was completely packed, the sidewalks were bustling and all the restaurants  were filled. It was a  little  too crowded for our liking, so we didn't stay too long, but we made sure to see as much Art Deco architecture as we could.

We all thought the Leslie was one of the cutest 

We were shocked to stumble upon the  Versace mansion right in the middle of all the hustle, we thought it would be tucked away in a more secluded and private location. There’s always a crowd outside the gates of the Versace Mansion, the third most photographed home in America, after the White House and Graceland. Perhaps that’s due to its opulent, Mediterranean revivalist architecture. Perhaps it’s because of its association with one of the most famous fashion brands in the world. Or perhaps it’s related to its grisly history as the place where Andrew Cunanan murdered Gianni Versace.

The former home of the Italian fashion designer is now The Villa Casa Casuarina, a boutique hotel. Located at 1116 Ocean Drive on South Beach, the mansion was built in 1930 by architect Alden Freeman. Versace bought it in 1992. After his death – serial killer Andrew Cunanan shot him on the steps in July of 1997 – developer Peter Loftin bought the property and renovated it.

It was so fun to see so much Art Deco everywhere, some  hotels were done in pure Art Deco style, others just had elements here and there. Some were huge, classy and bright, others were small and more run down. But all of  them were fun to see, Art Deco is definitely best when viewed  through palm trees.

We passed by so many fun looking restaurants with outdoor dining spaces.

I'm so glad we made it down to Ocean Drive at least once, it was fun to see the heart of South Beach. But we were also very excited when we got back to our nice, quiet, sleepy hotel in Mid Beach, we are too old for the chaos of South Beach.

Wynwood Walls & The Art District

The next day we caught the Big Bus and rode it down  to the art district for lunch and to see the famed Wynwood Walls. The Wynwood Arts District, named one of America's best hipster neighborhoods by Forbes Magazine, is like no other area in Miami -- or anywhere for that matter. Developers transformed once lifeless warehouse buildings into a vibrant outdoor museum, featuring giant walls of graffiti-style murals.

Everywhere you look in this part of town is a work of art, even the sidewalks were considered available canvases.

We had planned to have lunch at the Wynwood Market Place before visiting the museum, but it didn't open until early evening, which was such a  bummer because we heard their food trucks are amazing. We will just have to come back!

We had noticed this gorgeous, fun looking restaurant as the  bus was letting us off in the area, so we decided  to go there for lunch instead. 

Eating out during a pandemic means getting a whole bottle of hand sanitizer on your table as you are seated, and scanning QR codes to  get the menu. #pandemiclife

We ordered Queso Fundido to share as an appetizer, it was amazing.

for my main, I ordered the Mole Negro, black mole prepared with an assortment of dried and fresh chiles, nuts, fruits, fresh herbs and spices and cacao, chicken, goat cheese, sesame seeds and house rice.

Laura got a sampler dish that looked beautiful.

After lunch, we  walked over to the museum, we passed by some gorgeous murals on our way.

The Wynwood Walls has brought the world’s greatest artists working in the graffiti and street art genre to Miami. “We have strived for a diverse representation of both American and international artists that encompasses everything from the old school graffiti artists to the newest work being created around the world. The project has truly evolved into what Jeffrey Deitch calls a Museum of the Streets,” Tony  (the creator of the museum) had summarized.

Since its inception in 2009, The Wynwood Walls program has seen over 50 artists representing 16 countries and have covered over 80,000 square feet of walls.

This stunning mural was created by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra, who started his painting career at age 12.

This gorgeous piece was painted by Chilean artist Dasic Fernandz.

We also got to visit the GGA Gallery. The GGA gallery, inside the Wynwood Walls, is a dynamic public space dedicated to over 100 of the world's greatest street artists.  The artists and individual works are carefully selected by Goldman Global Arts co-founder and gallery curator Peter Tunney. 

The gallery exhibits an everchanging roster of the group and solo shows from past and present artists of The Wynwood Walls, centered around providing viewers and collectors with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the global street art movement. 

This mural was painted by Norwegian artist Martin Whatson

This dreamlike mural was created by Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama

After taking our time, strolling through the museum and different galleries, we spent a little time in the gift shop. This book caught my eye, the many ways life has been forever altered by the pandemic fascinates me, and I often wonder what this part of history will look like after the passage of time. What will kids think when they look back at this time and see pictures of everyone wearing masks, social distancing markers on the ground, panels of plexiglass shielding registers at stores, the shortage of hand sanitizer, clorox wipes and toilet paper. It was a strange time that I have tried to document in my own way, so it was intriguing to see how others documented it in their works of  art.

I had never heard the term PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) before the pandemic, but now it is a household term.

I didn't want to take too many photos out of the book, but I thought every page was so interesting.

Speaking of documenting Covid times .... Spread Love Not Germs...

After our time  at Wynwood, we grabbed a couple of cool beverages, enjoyed the shade and eavesdropped on the drama of a couple that was loudly breaking up next to us, at the Panther Coffee shop while we waited for the bus. 

The view on the drive home.