Location: South Beach
Top Things to do in South Beach
10 Things to Do in South Beach That You Shouldn't Miss
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States, located due east of Miami city proper between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses all of the barrier islands of Miami Beach south of Indian Creek.
Restaurants in South Beach
1. The Edge Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By ihatefakenames - San Antonio, TX
Three of us paid for glass blowing lessons and had soo much fun! I think our instructor was Amanda and she gave great advice in selecting colors to achieve the effects we wanted. We wound up with an audience watching...wear jeans and good solid shoes. Unfortunately, only 1 of our floats made it hoe in Texas intact.
2. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
From exploring tide pools teeming with life to witnessing Oregon's tallest lighthouse, there is something for every visitor at Yaquina Head. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area extends out from the Oregon coast, one mile into the Pacific Ocean. Standing 93 feet tall at the westernmost point of the basalt headland, the lighthouse has been a bright beacon of the night, guiding ships and their supplies along the west coast since the light was first lit on August 20, 1873. The offshore islands are a year-round refuge for harbor seals and a spring-summer home for thousands of nesting seabirds. Gray whales can be spotted during their annual migrations to Mexico (late fall-early winter) and Alaska (late winter-early spring). During the summer months some gray whales take the opportunity to feed in the shallow waters around the headland. Cobble Beach is compiled of millions of round basalt rocks that produce an applause-like sound as the waves roll in. When the tide is low a vibrant ocean floor is revealed—pools of colorful animals including orange sea stars, purple sea urchins, and giant green anemones. Rangers are at hand to answer questions and point out all of the amazing plants and animals that call the tide pools home. Visit the Interpretive Center and discover 140 years of lighthouse history and thousands of years of natural and cultural history. Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses, a non-profit organization, offers site-related books, maps, and postcards in their interpretive store. Whether you want to see raging winter storms batter the Oregon coast, learn about the role lighthouses played in the westward expansion of the United States, or watch peregrine falcons at play, visit Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and experience something wild.
Reviewed By Steve C - Toledo, Washington
Super cool spot with SPECTACULAR views! Super EASY access right off the main road, just outside of town. Amazing views and we were fortunate enough to see whales. Absolutely Beautiful!
3. Hatfield Marine Science Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 611 reviews
A series of informative exhibits at the Hatfield Marine Science Center gives visitors a glimpse of hot topics in contemporary marine science research.
Reviewed By SDCooks - Spearfish, South Dakota
We decided to check out the Hatfield Marine Science center on a cold, rainy February day. what a great place...for the entire family! The octopus was fascinating as it moved around the tank, the fresh water fish display and information was very interesting. Our almost 4 yr old granddaughter split her time between the sand box and the touch tanks. The sand box was engaging for adults, too...making mountains and valleys, making rain...not just fun for kiddos. The docent at the touch tank was patient and very pleasant, instructing on the correct way to touch the sea life in the tanks. She answered questions about the water (from the bay) and how the critters were fed. Display on tsunamis were also interesting. Most activities are interactive. Nice gift shop and the clerk there was helpful. Looks like there are new displays in the works. A well done educational facility. Donations are suggested ($5.00 per adult or $20.00 per family); the time we spent there was more than worth that. Easy access off Hwy 101 - good signage to point the way. Great for kids 3 and older and curious adults.
4. Mike Miller Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By half-Brit - Oregon Coast
The word 'park' in the name is a bit misleading. Mike Miller Park is a chunk of land that has nothing in common with a smooth, open, grassy city park!
We stopped by on a bright sunny day. There is a sign on Hwy 101, but if you miss it turn east on SE 50th Street, by the Ready-Mix concrete plant. It's in South Beach, about a mile south of the bridge.
The road is paved, and in a few hundred yards, you'll see a sign on the left. You don't see a 'park', just the start of the trail. We parked along the edge of the road - and that is the only area to park. There is no room for RVs towing anything and nowhere to easily turn a large RV around. Small motorhomes not towing are okay.
The footpath starts off to the north. It winds around through mixed conifer trees of varying ages and sizes, with some larger Sitka spruce. We thought the little pond was pleasant. The sign says the full circle will take about an hour, but I think that most people could walk it in about half that time. The section that we walked was level and very easy although farther on it may go up/down hill a bit.
This is a nice place to easily get out into 'nature' and relax, even though it's close to the college and other businesses. It was quiet and peaceful and we didn't see anybody else when we were there.
5. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Nineteenth-century lighthouse is one of a few on the Pacific coast that was built with the light-keeper's quarters in the same building.
Reviewed By Ali K - Ashland, Oregon
Very nice visitor center filled with information and fun for the kids as well. We didn't go into the lighthouse. It was sold out for tours. We walked the deck and enjoyed the views.
6. Hasting Coastal Woodworks
Overall Ratings
5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By HawaiianShirts - Salem, Oregon
Think you've done everything there is to do in Newport? If you haven't been to Hasting Coastal Woodworks, think again. My wife and I enjoyed a fun afternoon date taking a quick woodturning class from Tom--he runs the place--and learning how to work a lathe.
Upon our arrival, Tom invited us back into the shop and let us pick out some blocks of wood that he had prepared ahead of time. Then he showed us the basics of the lathe, how it worked, and how to safely operate it. After a quick demo, we switched on the machines and started carving.
It was fascinating to watch the block of plain wood take shape in front of me. I'd used a lathe only once before (in a shop class in 8th grade), so this may as well have been a new experience for me. My wife had never used a lathe at all. We both found it easy to learn and fun to do, and we're thinking of trying another class next time we're in town.
Tom was friendly and welcoming. He showed us how to do each step of the pen-making process, then stepped back and let us do the work. He only stepped in to offer suggestions or corrections when absolutely necessary, but he was ready and willing to answer questions through the whole process. We learned a lot from him.
About 90 minutes later (exactly what we were told to expect), we were able to take home wooden pens that we had made ourselves, and we're both very happy with how they turned out.
Hasting Coastal Woodworks also offers woodturning classes for making bottle stoppers and bowls. Prices are reasonable for the experience combined with the final product, and details are available on the company's website. I'd recommend calling at least a day in advance to book a class. In addition to the wood shop, there's a retail store where visitors can purchase other carved objects, all of a high quality. Classes and purchases can be paid for by cash or card.
The shop is about two blocks from the Aquarium Village on the south side of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. Getting there was easy; parking would have been easy if not for some road construction out front.
Bring clothes you don't mind getting a little sawdust on, but otherwise just come have a good time and learn a new art!
7. Yaquina Bay Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 368 reviews
Reviewed By brifd1 - Everett, Washington
An iconic bridge that connects Newport from the north to Waldport and the Oregon Coast Aquarium to the south, where Keiko, the killer whale star of the movie Free Willy lived for a couple of years. To the east, such as from Newport's Historic Bayfront, one gets a great view of sunsets over the bridge as well as the boat traffic entering and exiting the bay.
8. Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 828 reviews
Reviewed By Igivetlcinob - San Francisco, California
We stopped and took pictures from the lookout on top during high tide and it was amazing. During low tide we walked down the stairs to the beach and my husband went inside from an opening on the side. It is a natural wonder and worth stopping to check it out.
9. Newport's Historic Bayfront
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By brifd1 - Everett, Washington
I took a friend of mine here recently, not to see the stores, which are pretty much the usual fare, though coastal style, of touristy places...but rather the harbor seals, who perform daily. One doesn't have to know exactly where they are, all one has to do is open your window and listen (hint: it's at the eastern edge of the bayfront, about where fresh catches, e.g. crab, are being sold from the boats, another highlight). The seals bark from the dock as well as from the rock they claimed long ago, they don't need a cue! As for the rest, the bayfront is a short, flat, comfortable stroll, and for those who like to check out the stores, there's plenty of variety. Hint: the two Mo's restaurants along here are amongst if not the smallest of the ones I've seen. For a more spacious version: the one in Florence to the south lies along the river, while the one to the north on the south edge of Lincoln City is along the bay, both are much more comfortable. Hint 2: during the tourist season, parking rules were being strictly enforced the last time I was there during that time of year.
10. Oregon Coast Aquarium
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Newport, on the beautiful Oregon Coast. Our mission is to create unique and engaging experiences that connect you to the Oregon coast and inspire ocean conservation. The Aquarium is a living classroom for all learning styles and ages. As one of Oregon's top tourist attractions, the Aquarium is a vital educational resource for the state, with over 40,000 students visiting the Aquarium each year. The Aquarium strives to be a center of excellence for ocean literacy and plays an active role in conservation and animal rehabilitation efforts.
Reviewed By Hardly B - Port Angeles, Washington
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a complex of buildings, water features, and tanks, including a glass tube in which you walk through the underwater world. Outside sections allow viewing of sea life in the open air, with volunteers available to help explain what you are seeing. Inside sections provide views of sea life and displays to further add to your knowledge.
A visit here demands at least two hours, and there are sufficient displays to keep you busy for a half day if you take the time to understand what you're seeing, or include a fish feeding by a submerged diver.
Somehow, even in the summertime, the layout keeps people moving, avoiding the feeling of being trapped by the crowd.
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