Miami has become one of the hottest vacation destinations in the USA. But what draws so many people and what should the vacationer not miss when on a trip to the sultry city?

The city of Miami’s fantastic architecture is spectacular. Everywhere you go there are curvy forms, zigzag patterns and the most amazing and vibrant colors. The city has the largest concentration of early twentieth century resort architecture in the world. The Art Deco District is on the National Register of Historical Places and has over 800 buildings. Not all of the buildings are in pristine condition however, but for the most part the buildings in the Art Deco District are real gems.

If you hit the beaches of Miami, chances are you will encounter plenty of supermodel wannabes (and quite often some actual supermodels too). The beaches are as gorgeous as the girls, and the sand is as white as their bleached teeth.

Miami by night is a wild sight. Cuban Salsa, Jamaican Reggae and Dominican Bachata all mingle together with hip hop and even disco at the many clubs that all often stay open all night, and stay busy all night too.

The Miami arts and culture scene has become very sophisticated over the past few years too. The new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts is home to both the Miami City Ballet and the Florida Grand Opera. Miami also has the MDD, also known as the Miami Design District, which is full of art galleries and shops selling all kinds of interesting wares.

Once a year, in December, the art world descends upon Miami for the Art Basel show (fashioned after the world famous Art Basel event in Switzerland. Miami’s Art Basel draws over 200 leading art dealers, who exhibit works by some 1,500 artists.

As you make your way around Miami, there are certain neighborhoods that will make you feel like you left the USA entirely. Huge influxes of immigrants from South America, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Haiti has made Miami one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.

But Miami has a long history, and a fascinating discovery made in 1998 proved just how long that history actually is.

Archeologists were making a routine dig at the mouth of the Miami River, checking for anything of historical interest before a new condominium project went into construction. They discovered a series of basins cut deep in to the soft limestone bedrock which made a perfect circle if viewed from above. The circle turned out to contain carvings and other artifacts that they carbon dated back to AD 100. The direction of the circle’s axis makes some think that this was a temple or meeting house of the Tequesta, the first people who ever came and made the area which is now Miami home.