47 June 26 – July 2, 2025 NEW TIMES miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES B E S T º F M I A M I ® 2 0 2 5 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLE WOMEN Barry’s Bootcamp 3 Miami locations, including: 3250 NE First Ave., Suite 105 Miami 33137 786-725-5791 barrys.com There’s just something sexy about Barry’s Bootcamp, and the clientele is no different. Maybe it’s the signature red lighting that highlights all the toned bodies or maybe it’s the adrenaline rush of completing a nearly impossible workout. The half running, half strength-training classes are stomping grounds for some of Miami’s most fit and available women. Word to the wise, though, wait to shoot your shot until after the work- out. No one wants to be hit on while trying to break their last personal best on the treadmill. Worst case scenario if it doesn’t go your way? You’ll leave a little bit fitter than when you came in. BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE (NON-RESTAURANT) Arcade Odyssey 12045 SW 117th Ave. Miami 33186 305-253-2722 arcadeodyssey.com What better way to gauge compatibility with a potential mate than to challenge them to an intense game of air hockey? Located in the Pine Lake Shopping Center, Arcade Odyssey is just the place to test your date. If you have nothing to talk about, you can explore more than 200 games at this barcade, including rare and classic consoles that’ll have your in- ner child drooling with delight. Once you earn “perfects” in Dance Dance Revolution, you can refuel with craft beers or tipsy teas, bubble tea, and Japanese snacks. Owner Rick Medina has been collecting for about 35 years and has created plenty of conversation pieces to propel your date to the next level, from the neon lights to the pop culture decor. BEST PLACE TO TAKE THE KIDS Miami Children’s Museum 980 MacArthur Cswy. Miami 33132 305-373-5437 miamichildrensmuseum.org Kids love kids’ museums. It’s a fact. And they really love our very own Miami Children’s Museum, which is up there in quality with the buzziest children’s museums in the coun- try. Since moving from its Bakery Centre loca- tion in South Miami to its current spot on Jungle Island in 2003, the two-story museum has welcomed more than 5 million guests. It has both popular traveling exhibitions and regular interactive ones that children go wild over. The museum’s Take Care With Peanuts marked 75 years of Charles Shulz’s gang and was even written up in The New York Times. Let the kids loose and put them to work in the construction zone and vet’s office, and then make them buy you groceries and give you healthcare at the collabs with Publix and Baptist Health. The museum also offers camps, classes, arts and crafts, and sensory- friendly hours for peak inclusivity. BEST CAMPGROUND John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park 102601 Overseas Hwy. Key Largo 33037 305-676-3777 bit.ly/pennekamp-park When it comes to camping in South Florida, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the G.O.A.T. Set in scenic Key Largo, this genera- tionally beloved park has 42 reservable camp- sites outfitted with full hookups, grills, picnic tables, and enough space to roll in with an RV up to 40 feet long. Prefer sleeping under the stars? There’s a primitive group camp for that, perfect for scout troops or late-night ghost stories. Beyond the tent flap, Pen- nekamp’s confines offer endless adventure: snorkel tours, glass-bottom boat rides, paddle trails through mangroves and some of the best reef diving in the U.S. Boaters can even dock or moor for the night and call the ocean their doorstep. A laid-back weekend escape or a nature-packed family outing, Pennekamp always has tropical beauty, next-level camp- ing, and it’s all within a 60-mile drive of downtown. BEST PLACE TO SNORKEL Shipwreck Park Fisher Family Pier 222 N. Pompano Beach Blvd. Pompano Beach 33062 shipwreckparkpompano.org Pompano Beach is known as the Wreck Capital of Florida, precisely because of Shipwreck Park, an underwater art exhibition about a mile from the Fisher Family Pier. It’s an established snorkeling site that continues to grow. In 2016, a 324-foot New York City sludge tanker vessel renamed Lady Luck, was sunk as an artificial reef, surrounded by 16 other wrecks teeming with marine life. In 2023, a 500-pound steel sculpture, Mechan H20, which was on display for a year near the Fisher Family Pier, went to its final resting place on the stern of the Lady Luck. “He” became an Instagram star for all the selfies he appeared in after joining other art pieces on board, including three “card sharks,” an octopus playing pool, a mermaid cocktail waitress, and a treasure chest. Take your own selfie with Mechan H20 and the others underwater for a follower boost. The best way to get to them is to hook up with one of the many local charter and boat tours. Then let the adventure and selfies begin! BEST PLACE TO KAYAK Matheson Hammock Park 9610 Old Cutler Rd. Coral Gables 33156 305-665-5475 miamidade.gov/parks/matheson- hammock.asp Just south of Coral Gables, Matheson Ham- mock Park is a splendidly chill way to paddle the day away in the blazing Miami sun. Aban- don the land and hop on your own or a rented kayak and row through Biscayne Bay for a lei- surely afternoon. With a simple push, you’re on the cool blue water. Palm trees surround and million-dollar homes dot the bay. The city’s hustle is in the distance, with horns and fear-for-your-living-life driving mere memo- ries. There may be some melancholy when reapproaching land, but you remember that you live in Miami and Matheson Hammock Park will be there tomorrow. BEST ROCK CLIMBING The Edge Rock Gym Miami 13972 SW 139th Ct. Miami 33186 305-233-6623 theedgerockgymmiami.com With recently opened sleek, modern climbing gyms around North Miami, it’s easy to think that rock climbing is the new sport in only one part of town. But in the heart of West Kendall, a tried-and-true climbing spot exists. The Edge Rock Gym has been beefing up people’s fingers and forearms for nearly three decades with its inclined walls and roof climbing. Forget about steep initiation fees and finger-breaking monthly membership, the Edge Rock Gym of- fers reasonable prices on day passes and mem- berships so you can climb to your heart’s content. There’s a full gym upstairs and new climbing walls to perfect your footwork. Does the Edge Rock Climbing offer saunas and juice bars? No, but neither does El Capitan. Instead, The climbing gym offers a unique community to build friendships and crush plastic rocks. BEST TRAIL Anhinga Trail at Everglades National Park Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center 40001 State Hwy. 9336 Homestead 33034 305-242-7700 nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/ anhinga-trail.htm No field trip to the Everglades was complete without a jaunt down the paved Anhinga Trail. This classic trot starts at Royal Palm Visitor Center and branches off to a walk- able wooden boardwalk. The whole trail up and back is less than a mile, but in that mile, you’ll see a dramatic array of wildlife: plenty of turtles, an occasional snake, herons, ibis, egrets, and, of course, the eponymous an- hinga, also known as the snakebird. Many other species of fish, birds, and even the rare otter have been spotted. The big draw is the alligators lazily lounging in the sun. The An- hinga Trail has no tree cover, so wear your shades and sunscreen and head out early. The neighboring Gumbo Limbo Trail, how- ever, has an additional half-mile paved trail completely in the shade to keep you explor- ing all day. BEST WALK Miami Beach Boardwalk 500 Ocean Dr. Miami Beach 33139 miamibeachboardwalk.com Even though the idea of “getting your steps in” is obnoxious, it’s still an action that’s vi- tal for your health. And, sure, you could saunter around your neighborhood or hop on the treadmill at the gym, but where’s the romance in that? A jaunt along the Miami Beach Boardwalk knocks all other walks out of the running. You’ve got a gorgeous back- drop of waves, sky, and sand, as well as all that Art Deco architecture (while it still stands). There’s a paved sidewalk so you can take it easy on your paws — and top-grade people-watching, too. Take in the salty ocean air and track your progress by the street markers embedded in the path. The boardwalk spans the full length of Miami Beach, from Surfside all the way to South Pointe Park, providing a total of nine miles to hoof it in style. BEST JOG Running with Raven on South Beach Fifth Street Lifeguard Stand Miami Beach 33139 ravenrun.net Every day for the past 50-plus years, Robert “Raven” Kraft has jogged the sands of South Beach. Whether in extreme heat, thunderstorm, or hurricane, he’s out there getting in his steps. At some point, his daily jog became a communal event with people joining him at the Fifth Street Lifeguard Station at 5:30 in the afternoon (4:30 during Daylight Savings) for a combination of camaraderie and physical fitness. The jog swings back and forth between the South Pointe Pier and the Lincoln Road entrance of the beach until Raven completes his five miles. If you want to get credit for a full Raven Run, which earns you a flattering nickname from the legend himself, you’ll have to go overtime and complete a full eight miles. Then on your next Raven Run, you’ll get that nickname called out during roll call in Raven’s distinctive drawl before you set out on another jog that’s the only of its kind on this planet.
