Tom On day 3 of our USA trip, it was a day before KLOVE Cruise 2024 and this day allowed us to have more time to overcome any remaining jet-lag , in preparation for the upcoming cruise! We got up at about 6am and caught a little bit of “My Lottery Dream Home” on HGTV before leaving at about 9am…
USA Trip 2024 Day 3 – Walking Along Coral Gables Miracle Mile Miami
We headed towards the Coral Gables Miracle Mile – a stretch of restaurants and shops that had its origins in the 1950s…
“Immediately after WW2, the “Father of Miracle Mile” George K Zain and his wife City Commissioner Rebyl Zain conceived, developed and implemented the concept of a Miracle Mile for the section of Coral Way between Douglas Road and Le Jeune Road. The street was officially named Miracle Mile in 1955 by resolution of the Coral Gables City Commission.
In 1949, Albert H Friedman of Ro’al Apparel Shop that he owned with his wife Rose, with “Jimmy” Baldi of J. Baldi Salon and Carroll Seghers of Carroll’s Jewelers established the Miracle Mile Merchants Association, often holding meetings in the rear of Ro’al at 348 Miracle Mile. The Association honored Mr Friedman in 1980 for outstanding achievements in the establishment and promotion of Miracle Mile by officially declaring him “Mr Miracle Mile”. In 2005, the Coral Gables City Commission named the Downtown District in honor of George and Rebyl Zain and Albert H Friedman.
Coral Gables Miracle Mile is composed of small boutiques in the heart of the Central Business District and is one of the few remaining developments of its type that has maintained its original purpose and significance in the continental United States.”
When we arrived at the edge of the Miracle Mile, near to the Coral Gables City Hall, we were surprised to find a farmer’s market ongoing at Merrick Park. Turns out that during spring time, a farmer’s market would be held on Saturdays in this area. We then u-turned towards Barnes and Nobles where we found some pretty good deals such as board games (Monopoly, Dune, Wizard of Oz) for $5 each! Unfortunately, as it was just the start of our trip and we were not able to purchase these board games – else we would have to lug them for the remaining 2 weeks. **Fast forward 2 weeks, when we returned, the board games were not available anymore 😅**
We also to Ross (Dress for Less) where we bought a pair of Reebok sneakers ($30) and a CK Be cologne ($19). Thereafter, we continued our walk to Little Havana.
USA Trip 2024 Day 3 – Little Havana Miami
It took us about an hour to walk from Coral Gables to Little Havana Miami. We knew we had arrived when we came upon this large mural of “Little Havana”. However, the location of this mural is at the not-so-happening end of Little Havana and we still had to stroll a good 15 minutes before reaching the main area where the shops and restaurants were. Along the way, we stopped by The Taco Stand where we had one of the best tacos we had during this trip…
We ordered the Al Pastor Burrito and Asada Taco ($20USD with fountain drink). Turns out, both were so good! Beating G y G hands down. The pork in the Al Pastor was so juicy (and oily) with excellent marination of the spices. The Asada had excellent guacamole which was so fresh! Beef was flavourful, well-seasoned with a smokey BBQ aroma. Yummy!
Strolling further down, we came to the lively part of Little Havana where there are more restaurants, cafes and Cuban cigars/coffee joints. After soaking in the atmosphere, we finally settled in at Havana Classic to try out some Cuban coffee.
Inside Havana Classic, we could overhear tour guides teaching tourists about cigars and how to enjoy it – including how to cut, light and smoke a Cuban cigar. As there were a few people smoking inside, we could smell the cigars throughout the cafe as we sipped upon the Cuban Coffee ($3.5) and Coffee con Leche ($6.5). An authentic experience that reminded us of our time in Cuba…
During our walk back to Hotel Ponce De Leon, we decided to visit Sanguich for probably one of the best Cuban sandwiches in Miami. Actually, you probably can’t find the Miami-styled “Cuban sandwiches” in Cuba. But if you want an excellent “Cuban sandwich” in Miami, Sanguich is the place to go. Judging by the queue, we knew we were on to something.
We ordered the Cubano ($13.49 – pork spiced ham swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on cuban bread) and the Con Lechon ($11.99 – pork pickled mojo, onions, garlic, cilantro, aioli) to go. The order took about 20 minutes and even by the time we returned to consume it in our hotel room, the bread was still crisp. As for the fillings, both were stuffed full of ingredients as well. The Con Lechon was well marinated and the garlic cilantro aioli infused robust flavours. The Cuban on the other hand, had textures from the pickles and mustard that cuts through what seemed more like jamon because of the fatty bits. Excellent sandwiches overall. Definitely worth the wait!
If you enjoyed our content, “Like” us on Facebook Today!
The walk back from Little Havana back to Hotel Ponce De Leon took about an hour and we reached back our hotel at about 5:30pm. For our last stretch, we did a detour via East Ponce De Leon Blvd which had some pretty nice buildings for sight-seeing enroute. Stay tuned as we share our 5D4N KLOVE Cruise onboard the Divina in the next few posts!
Related Posts from KLOVE Cruise 2024 USA Trip
2024 KLOVE Cruise USA Travel Itinerary Day 1: Flight from Singapore to Miami via Doha
2024 KLOVE Cruise USA Travel Itinerary Day 2: Flight from Doha to Miami Ponce De Leon Hotel
2024 KLOVE Cruise USA Travel Itinerary Day 3: Immersing in the Cuban culture at Little Havana Miami
2024 KLOVE Cruise USA Travel Itinerary Day 8: Disembarkation and Drive to Jacksonville…
2024 KLOVE Cruise USA Travel Itinerary Day 9: Checking out the Food and Craft Beers in Jacksonville!
2024 KLOVE Cruise USA Travel Itinerary Day 17: Returning Back from Miami to Singapore
Miami
Hotel Ponce De Leon Miami Review: Where to Stay for Cruisers departing from Port of Miami?
Sanguich Little Havana Review: Amazing “Cuban Sandwiches” in Little Havana Miami!
Havana Classic Cigar Little Havana Miami Review: Be Educated in Cuban Cigars and Coffees!
Jacksonville
Crispy’s Springfield Review: Fresh Pizzas in the heart of Jacksonville!
Springfield Scoops Review: Rich, Creamy scoops of ice cream in Springfield Jacksonville!
Hyperion Brewing Company Jacksonville: Cozy venue with an outdoor beer garden…
Our Experience at Aardwolf Brewing Company Jacksonville…
We went to Bold City Brewery in Jacksonville: Here’s what we found out…(A Review)
Engine 15 Brewery Review: Continuing our Craft Beer Journey in Jacksonville…
Artessence Coffee Shop Review: A Casual Venue in Jacksonville to Chill, Chat and Appreciate Art…
Ruby Beach Brewing Review: Craft Beers & Thai Food Takeaway in Jacksonville Florida!
Charleston
Discover Charleston South Carolina: Top 5 Experiences You Can’t Miss!
Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum Review: Visit the USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier!
McLeod Plantation Charleston Review: Learning the truth about lives of slaves on the plantations…
Magnolia Plantation Charleston Review: For beautiful gardens and wildlife!
Old Slave Mart Museum Charleston Review: Tracing the Origins of American Slavery…
Gillie’s Seafood Charleston Review: Soul Food served up at Grandma’s…
Charlotte
Billy Graham Library Review: The Simple Message of The Gospel…
Bojangles Review: Really Salty Fried Chicken but Rather Good Legendary Iced Tea…
Legion Brewing Charlotte Review: Great Craft Beers at Plaza Midwood
Whiskey Warehouse Charlotte Review: Affordable Daily Specials in a Cozy Sports Bar Atmosphere
Atlanta
Exploring Atlanta, Georgia: A Guide to the Top 5 Must-See Attractions
The Darwin Hotel Review: A Beautiful Boutique Hotel in Atlanta…
Georgia Aquarium Review: A Beautiful Encounter with Sea Creatures Await!
Fernbank Museum of Natural History Review: Science, Nature and Fun does make history here!
Mary Mac’s Tea Room Review: For Authentic Southern Comfort Food in Atlanta!
Minero Review: Excellent Mexican Food at Ponce City Market Atlanta
From Charlotte to Atlanta: Our first visit to Chick-fil-A…
Orlando
Park Royal Orlando Review: Newly renovated rooms with a heated pool!
Spicy Girl (辣妹子) Review: What We Had during Lunar New Year in Orlando USA
Airport Lounges
Turkish Airlines Lounge Miami with Priority Pass: Squeezy little lounge during peak hours…
Al Maha Lounge Doha International Airport Review: Try Out Some Local Middle Eastern Delights Here…
Others
Ole Times Country Buffet Review: Southern Food and BBQ Buffet at an affordable price…
