What to do in Miami when visiting for our pain management symposium

Our Directions in Veterinary Medicine (DIVM) symposium is coming to Miami, Florida for a 2-day conference on focused pain management continuing education sessions. For those visiting for the first time, or anyone who needs some recommendations, here are some cool places to check out while in town.

Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami (also known as The Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens) is the largest zoo in Florida and the fifth largest in the United States. It is the only sub-tropical zoo in the continental US, allowing it to care for a wide variety of animals from Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas. With the climate unique to South Florida, several different animal species can be seen, unlike other zoos across the country. Located at 12400 SW 152 Street, Zoo Miami occupies almost 750 acres, 4 miles of walkways, and is home to more than 3,000 animals, including over 500 different species. Zoo Miami is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a part of several global wildlife and environmental conservation initiatives.

Design District

“For those of you that are interested in fashion, there’s the Design District,” Mario Cabrera, DVM, CVA, told dvm360®. The Design District is known for its modern architecture, upscale interior design stores, and art galleries, especially The Institute of Contemporary Art. The area also has several luxury fashion and jewelry boutiques, as well as celebrity-chef owned restaurants. Public art is on display outside, including the Fly’s Eye Dome, a geodesic dome designed by inventor Buckminster Fuller. For anyone interested in seeing more art, a bit further south from the Design District, is the Wynwood Walls—a huge display of outdoor art covering building walls.

Wynwood Walls in Miami, Florida. (4kclips / stock.adobe.com)

South Beach

Miami might be most known for its beaches, but according to Dr Cabrera, it is not one to miss. If you enjoy the beach, South Beach has clear-blue water and white sand, and even more celebrity-chef owned restaurants. Cabrera himself enjoys boating and fishing in the Miami waters.

Food

“The fact that we're going to have access to amazing Cuban coffee is really what I'm looking forward to in Miami. That's what's big down there. Cuban coffee and Cuban pastries. Everyone has to one point get a Cuban sandwich with the [special] bread and then you have the ham, and you have to have mustard on each side. You have the pickles and then the slow roasted pork and then they put it all together and they smoosh it in this bread and it is so delicious and amazing. And so not only are you going to get great, great educational content, but the food scene in Miami is pretty top notch,” said Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTA (Anesthesia & Analgesia). Miami is also known for its seafood, since being so close to the water, especially its crabs.