Jets road trip 2011: Miami

The Jets will play at Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, on New Year's Day. What better excuse for a Jets fan to head down south and escape the cold, ring in 2012 like a rock star and, oh yeah, watch your team end the regular season against their AFC East rival?

Here are a few things you need to do while you're in town. 

1. PEOPLE WATCH

Want a front row seat to Miami Beach? Lined with restaurants and bars directly across from the sand, Ocean Drive is Miami's runway. Grab lunch at one of the curbside tables (meals are overpriced but almost all are discounted midday), take advantage of this city's allegiance to day drinking and hold on tight to your giant margarita because you're in for a wild ride. The tables, food displays and hostesses leave little room for passersby, so you'll be up close and personal with the good, the bad and the very, very ugly. (Who invented the "mankini" anyway?)

Prefer to observe with your feet in the sand? Head over to Wet Willie's (760 Ocean Drive) for a classic Miami frozen cocktail to go, and avoid the luxury cars on your 10-second walk to the beach. If you thought you got an eye-full on dry land, just wait until you see what's going on in the crystal blue water.

Want to see as much of Miami as you can in the shortest amount of time? Rent a bright red scooter at one of the many beachside rental spots and speed off through the streets and over the bridges, racing by the speedboats and jet skis in the palm tree-lined canals.

2. EAT

Step out of the craziness of Miami Beach and relax on Espanola Way (off of Washington Avenue between 14th and 15th streets). The quaint little stretch, home to flower-filled terraces on European-inspired buildings, will make you feel like you traveled much farther from home. Sit beneath an umbrella at Hosteria Romana (429 Espanola Way) as the sun goes down and enjoy a plate of homemade pasta with a side of live Italian music and hospitality.

To see Miami's classy side, walk a block over to Lincoln Road (reserved for pedestrian traffic starting at Washington Avenue between 16th and 17th streets) and browse the stores, galleries, restaurants, ice cream shops and cafes. (If you're driving, the parking garage on 17th Street west of Washington Avenue will cost you just $1 per hour.)

Have a French pastry for breakfast at Paul (450 Lincoln Road, paulusa.com), a café that is as popular in Paris as it is in Miami. Cool off for lunch or dinner with a crisp Mediterranean salad and a glass of lemonade at Pasha's (900 Lincoln Road, pashas.com), saving room for an ice cream sundae and a free chocolate sample at Ghirardelli (801 Lincoln Road). Walk it off and take in the breathtaking photography of Peter Lik (701 Lincoln Road) or the fun designs of famous pop artist Romero Britto (818 Lincoln Road). If you have people with you just for the trip and not the game, send them back to Lincoln Road on Sunday for a treasure hunt at the outdoor antique and collectible market.

Looking for an authentic Cuban meal while in Miami? Visitors and residents alike flock to legendary Versailles (3555 SW 8th St., versaillescuban.com) for Cuban sandwiches, roast pork, ropa vieja and other classics from Miami's neighboring island. 

3. CELEBRATE 

There's a reason celebrities choose to spend New Year's Eve in Miami. If you're willing to blow your savings on a big night out, LIV Nightclub at the Fontainebleau Hotel (4441 Collins Ave., livnightclub.com) is the ultimate party spot. The lines get out of control, so unless you're throwing down thousands on a VIP table, it pays to get on a promoter's list and get there early.

For a daytime party, check out Plunge at the Gansevoort Hotel (2377 Collins Ave., gansevoortmiamibeach.com) for Miami luxury at its finest. The drinks are expensive, but you'll forget all about that as you lounge in a bed beneath your poolside cabana overlooking the ocean.

If you prefer a more low-key celebration, watch waterside fireworks to celebrate the New Year on Miami Beach or at Bayfront Park, where there is also an outdoor concert. If you don't mind crowds, go to Downtown Miami for the traditional drop of the Big Orange, a 35-foot neon orange that will hang above the Hotel InterContinental Miami until the clock strikes midnight.

Spend the day in Coconut Grove on Dec. 31 and witness the 30th annual King Mango Strut, the self-proclaimed "weirdest parade in the universe." Kids will compete in a pageant before the parade to win a spot on the first float and live concerts will follow. The parade begins at the corner of Commodore Plaza and Main Highway and will continue down Grand Avenue. While in "The Grove," grab a Miami Vice or a Painkiller and hit the raw bar at Monty's (2550 South Bayshore Dr., montyssobe.com), where you can watch the yachts come by while sitting beneath a tiki hut.

4. EXPLORE THE OUTSKIRTS

Miami Beach and Coconut Grove are the most visited spots in the area, but Brickell is the working professional's choice for more refined bars and restaurants by night and great views by day. Walk down Rickenbacker Causeway and along the bridge to Key Biscayne, enjoying a breathtaking view of the Miami skyline until you get to Crandon Park, the quieter option for a day at the beach. Barbecue there or pack a picnic and take a nap in the shade of a low hanging palm tree.

Browse Bayside Marketplace (401 Biscayne Blvd., baysidemarketplace.com) in the evening for waterfront shopping, and take an hour and 15-minute ride on the Bayside Blaster speedboat through Biscayne Bay past Star Island, an exclusive island that is home to Miami's rich and famous. Fado Irish Pub (900 S. Miami Ave., fadoirishpub.com) is Brickell's nightspot of the moment, with a busy dance floor on Saturday nights and trivia on Tuesdays. SuViche (49 SW 11th St., suviche.com), a Japanese-Latin fusion restaurant is popular for sushi, and El Vato (1010 S. Miami Ave., elvatobar.com) is where Mexican food and tequila lovers gather.

If you're the off-the-beaten-path wandering type or have an interest in art, Downtown Miami's Wynwood Art District is an area in the process of being transformed by more than 70 art galleries. See the artists at their best on the second Saturday of every month at the Wynwood Art Walk, or tour the collections and eccentric home design stores on your own.

5. ENTERTAIN THE KIDS

Take a ride to Everglades National Park in Homestead for an unforgettable adventure, where you will glide over the water on an airboat, get up close with alligators and learn about South Florida's unique wildlife. If you're really daring, you can even hold a baby gator or snack on alligator nuggets at the café.

The Miami Seaquarium (4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, miamiseaquarium.com) is a marine wonderland. Kids can swim with dolphins, get splashed at a killer whale show, learn about Florida's endangered manatees and watch a shark feeding. Adult admission is $36.95; $26.95 for children.

Jungle Island (1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, jungleisland.com) is an exotic retreat right in the heart of Miami. Kids will go crazy for Peanut and Pumpkin, the jungle's female fraternal twin orangutans and Tale of the Tiger, an uncaged show with exotic cats from all over the world. Jungle Island also has its own private beach, "La Playa", with Carribean music and drinks for you and waterslides and inflatable play stations for the kids. Adult admission is $32.95; $24.95 for children.