If you really want to soak in the Miami environment, have brunch or dinner at Michael Schwartz’s Amara at Paraiso. Here Eliot and I are with good friends, Steve Greenberg of the Today Show and Robert Armada of Columbia University. Good news for the smart people of Miami who are always looking for new ways to bring joy into their lives. Composer and meditation expert, Murray Hidary, has created a fully immersive underwater music. Did you know there’s a luxury train that runs between Miami and West Palm Beach? And there’s a new spiritual and cultural center to offer everyone a new modern way to reach your inner soul. Here’s to Miami life. And please invite your friends to signup for our newsletter.

An Underwater Music Experience

Good news for the smart people of Miami who are always looking for new ways to bring joy into their lives. Composer and meditation expert, Murray Hidary, has created a fully immersive underwater music experience that will surely put a smile on your face because you are trying something new that is not only relaxing but very progressive.

Hooray for those who love to experience new adventures. People who participated in this ritual before now claim they have more harmony, clarity and peace in their lives. It certainly made my friends, Steve Greenberg and Robert Armada, feel calm, rejuvenated    and very happy after they participated in a session at the at Carillon Hotel in Miami Beach. The immersive concert allowed them to float weightlessly in the water as Hidary’s real-time compositions were amplified through high-end underwater speakers from Lubell Labs.

“We would definitely do it again,” said Greenberg. “It was fun to try something different. I enjoyed the experience. Armada added, “Meditating in a group feels very comforting. Everyone has the same goals. You feel very inspired.”

The promotional material for the experience explains for that MindTravelers guests can float close to the surface using pool noodles or can swim and dance underwater as the music plays.” Each session is approximately $75. If you don’t want to go into the water, you can sit in a lounge chair and while Hidary serenades you. The Carillon Hotel & Spa, 6899 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. Get details and tickets.

A Dramatic View of The Magic City 

If you really want to soak in the Miami environment, have brunch or dinner at Michael Schwartz’s Amara at Paraiso. We go there all the time with our friends, Steve Greenberg of the Today Show and Robert Armada of Columbia University. The two live in both New York and Miami. Every monthly visit to Miami, the four of us (them and Eliot and I), dine at Amara because it’s beautifully set on Biscayne Bay. Located in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, the 4,500-square-foot dining room has indoor and outdoor seating, all with a waterfront view. You feel like you are on a luxurious yacht just cruising the coastline in the Magic City.

Photos by Eliot Hess.

Chef Michael Schwartz has some of the best restaurants in town. The James Beard Award-winning chef, best known for his Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, calls Amara at Paraiso a “love letter to Miami.” The menu includes Latin American-influenced dishes cooked using a wood grill and a Josper charcoal oven. Standouts include crispy octopus with braised yuca and a parrillada of short rib, chorizo, sweet breads, and steak. Definitely get an order of the Yuca Cheese Puffs for the table. They are little balls of soft, warm yuca filled with pockets of Parmesan cheese. For some reason, the appetizer makes everyone feel like they are an insider at the restaurant because they are so popular.

Every time we frequent Amara we always take time to walk on the coast line of the bay because it’s so picturesque. You can see a wide angle shot of the beginning of South Beach all the way up to where the billionaire’s have their waterfront estates. The bay is filled with all kinds of boats that are so much fun to watch. We usually take lots of selfies of our group because the background is so enchanting. Checkout my windblown hair in one of the photos.  I look like I’m wearing a feather hat. I love it because it could be mistaken for a piece of art. Not really, haha.  Get the details.

Brightline – A Little Known Secret

For some reason, many folks who live in South Florida, or are visiting for the first time, know very little about the Brightline. It’s one of the “brightest” revelations about Miami that will actually make you feel like an “adventurer.” The Brightline is a privately run luxurious train that runs between Miami and West Palm Beach. The high speed travel time is approximatelyone hour. That’s record time.

It’s owned by Florida East Coast Railway. An extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport is expected to open in 2023. The Brightline has completely changed the complexion of Miami. Now we can visit family and friends up and down the East Coast of Florida without the hassle of traffic on the I95. The train stations in each of the cities, and the train itself, are luxurious all the way. Everyone is treated like you are a premium customer from the minute you book your ticket to the second you get to your destination. Brightline even has private Teslas and/or charming buses that will pick you up at home to get you to the train conveniently and on time. The same service is available at the other end. Just book the car/bus transportation ahead of time. The trains feature onboard service carts filed with newspapers, drinks and snacks. They also offer Wi-Fi and checked baggage service. Each station has a variety of restaurants so your trip can start or end with a solid meal in total comfort.

We were one of the first passengers to try the Brightline a few years ago. What amazed us most was the convenience. Most road trips are filled with anxiety because of the heavy traffic, crazy drivers who cut you off every chance they get and the unsightly accidents you pass along the way. The Brightline is so pleasant that you are almost sorry the ride is over. It’s also so fast that Palm Beach is now an easy day trip. We have done that many times so now our social lives can include many of our family and friends who live north. South Florida has become one big family. 

Kodesh House – A Universal Way to Worship

Miami is filled with many modern spiritual and cultural centers. Unity on the Bay has been an inclusive community for years, serving as a catalyst for spiritual awakening, evolution, and action. Folks who were looking for a more universal way to worship and to love all mankind became long time members.

Now we have Kodesh House,  just started by Rabbi Marc Philippe and his wife (Rabbetzin) Valerie. They hosted a wonderful. Purim celebration last night in their backyard. Over 50 people attended because the gathering was very spiritual. The Rabbi and Valerie have started a spiritual and cultural center to offer everyone a new modern way to reach your inner soul. Marc Philippe sings and plays instruments like a rock star.