Do people swim at the beaches in Miami during the Winter?

Q. I'm thinking of going to Miami in Mid-December, so I'm curious to know if people still swim during the winter. Being from the north, I don't have a problem with cooler temperatures, but I also don't want to be the only person in the water!

Also, any suggestions as to which beaches go to or what hotels to stay in? Thanks!!

A. cooler in Dec here is 75 so dont worry the water is fine, i see a lot of people in the water throughout the whole winter
stay away from ocean drive, i have had terrible experiences there, it is all facade inside the hotels are falling apart. i wont even go to ocean drive to eat. They have these cheesy bars and horrible rest. I suggest going to the new W, Loews, Delano, or raleigh in south beach on collins very nice places and to eat i suggest lincoln road or red steakhouse on washington ave.

What do you typically spend to attend an IRL Race?

Q. Just curious about what kind of expenditures are made in the name of IRL Fandom. I ponder my travel, hotel/motel costs, ticket prices and souvenir/memorabilia collecting all winter long, and wonder what others spend.

A. Last year, I went to seven (7) races.

The only race I flew to was Homestead-Miami.
* Ticket: $60
* Flight: $175 (got bumped off my original flight, so I got a voucher for a free one - BONUS PLAN)
* Hotel: $120 ($60 x 2-nights)
* Car: $50 w/ Tax ($20 / Day - Priceline)
* Gas / Food / etcs.: Figure $300 (I went to Key West the next day)

All other races I attended, I drove to:
* Mid-Ohio: 3 tanks of gas + Gen. Adm. Ticket @ $40. Program, souvineer, food $40
* Michigan: 2.5 tanks of gas + $40 Ticket. Program, food: $25
* Kentucky: 3 tanks of gas + $50 Ticket off eBay. Program, food, souvineer: $40
* Chicagoland: 1 tank of gas + $50 ticket off eBay (for 2 tix). Program, food, souvineer: $40
* Nashville: 4 tanks of gas + $60 ticket (went with parents overnight - they went shopping, I went to races). Program, food, souvineer: $40

Indianapolis is a different beast for me:
* $50 entry fee + 1 tank of gas - 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
* $100 Bronze Badge (access to Gasoline Alley - free admission to all days but race day)
* $65 tickets (x5) - G-Stand for race day (reimbursed for 4)
* $20 parking (church parking lot - good donation, I think, rather than seeing the $ go to beer)
* More IMS souvineers - figure $150. I have my office nothing but IMS stuff.
* Food: mostly brought my own. Conservative guess: $100
* 1/2 tank of gas per round-trip to IMS x at least 7-8 round-trips.
* Donald Davidson's "History of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway" course through IUPUI in April: $60 + 2 tanks of gas (4 round-trips to Speedway Hotel)


I'll let you do the math for all the races. A lot of gas used, but well worth the travelling. I had a blast at all of the tracks - 5 of which I attended my first race there (Mid-Ohio, Homestead, Chicagoland, Kentucky, & Nashville).

Is the Fontainbleu Hotel a good place to hang out?

Q. We're going to be in the Miami area for a few hours late on a Friday night (into early Saturday morning). We were thinking of spending a few hours hanging out at the Fontainbleu Hotel. Is this a good idea? Is everything INSANELY expensive there?

A. It is very expensive. But at the same time its very nice. It really depends on what you like to do and what your budget is. The service is great and the food is good.

Notable things to check out:

Gotham Steak House (Restuarant... I know, but there is a lounge on South beach called Meat Market)
Hakasan (Japanese Restuarant)
Liv (a nice chic club)

Another good hotel is the "W"

But I agree with the other guy... go to South Beach if you are on a budget.

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