Sun Life Stadium - Miami Dolphins vs. Buccaneers

Last week a friend of mine took my son and me down to Miami to see the Dolphins play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I don't expect that anybody cares about my favorite teams but I thought the experience was worth sharing.

Sun Life Stadium is located just south of Miami right off the Florida Turnpike.  It was built and named after Joe Robbie who founded the Dolphins in 1966.  After his death the stadium was renamed Pro Player and again Sun Life Stadium by the current owner Stephen M. Ross.  The stadium is not very old but there are talks to replace it for something more modern. I noticed it was exceptionally well-staffed and maintained but it could use some upgrades.

We sat on the Club Level which gave us three seats on the 35 yard line, access to bars and restaurants, and lots of room to move around.  It was very comfortable and the employees were very professional and polished.  Service was good and food was excellent but don't look for bargains here.  A beer costs $7.00 and a jersey from the gift shop goes for $155.00. Seats are actually reasonable going from $45.00 to $700.00.  You can buy tickets on line or, if you have money to spend, call for Club Seating and really treat yourself to a fun time.

We enjoyed the day and they do everything to make it fun for all.  Parking is painless and getting to where you need to go is easy.  This is a big stadium. The parking areas hold over 24,00 vehicles and the stadium holds over 76,000. Sun Life Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium hosting Florida Marlins baseball and world-class concerts like the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, and more.

Even though Miami lost the game it was the experience of a lifetime. The showmanship and excitement was fantastic.  Nothing went wrong and we will remember it forever.

Trump International Beach Resort - Miami

I know it's not exactly Central Florida but Trump International Beach Resort in Miami is worth talking about.  Located in Sunny Isles Beach, on Miami's south shore, this beautiful hotel has a stunning view of both the ocean and the Miami skyline.  20 plus stories with rooms and suites and all the amenities.

Trump has two towers and two pools.  There is outside food and beverage and you can rent tubes, boards and wave runners for the ocean.  Parking is valet only  for $28/day.  The restaurant is very good but we only ate there once since there are so many places to eat in Miami.  The service is what one would expect from anything with Donald Trump's name on it and the staff stands ready to make your stay pleasurable.

If you get on the mailing list they send you deals from time to time.  We've stayed there before and they seem to send us deals right about that same time every year so there must be some tracking.  You can get a room for as little as $199 a night but suites are much more.  It's a great place to stay if you want the Miami Beach experience as it's far away from the theme parks and closer to the "money people" if you want to hang out and feel rich!

If you fly into Miami it's about a 30 minute drive from the airport and about 3 hours from Orlando.  There's so much to see in Miami and the South Beach night life is world renowned.  Very family friendly so whether you come a a couple or with the kids Miami is always a vacation worth taking.