One of my best girlfriends went to medical school near Miami. It become a bit of habit to visit her once the weather in my state turned cold. Snow storm? Perfect. Just hop on a jet and escape for a few days like the other snowbirds.

There's nothing quite like visiting a Floridian mid-winter. The weather is absolutely perfect, poolside grilling is a regular affair, restaurant patios are brimming with people. It's Florida at its best. But locals think it's intolerably cold. I am no stranger to hot climates. (50s? 60s? It can seem chilly depending on how the sun hits. But mid-to-upper 70s is just not cold. Sorry.)

To my Miami friends it was the middle of winter. I saw people on the beach in parkas (I'm not kidding), couples bundled in sweaters and long pants, children in coats. Had I entered another world? An alternate universe? It was perfect outside. I made a mental note to myself one morning as I jogged along the beach: always fly south for the winter. Regardless of how offensive my open toed shoes seem to those in their fur coats.
In the process of my trips, I developed a bit of a fascination with Miami. The beach culture, the nightlife, the Art Deco design, South Beach. And sadly I never made it down there as much as I should have. Funny how you long for something you never quite had. Miami certainly had that affect on me. I always wondered what it would have been like to live there and really dive into the culture that is South Beach. It's an entirely different world. Would I eventually pull out my fur jacket come January? Given enough time in the tropical heat, probably.

These days I wouldn't dream of moving to Miami, but it's been too long since I vacationed there. As I did a bit of digging I stumbled upon a marvelous find: The Shore Club. Smack dab in the heart of Miami's pulsing nightlife district, it's a luxury hotel that doubles as the center of the strip come nightfall.

70 suites, 307 stunning rooms, a cluster of bungalows, villas, extravagant penthouses, famed NOBU restaurant, the iconic Skybar and standard 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets... Aye! It's no wonder this is often described as one of the best hotels in Miami. I'm tempted to pack my bags as I write this, but I realize this would be quite the treat come winter.
But really, it's not the club scene pulling me this morning. It's the lure of the completely luxe spa. Get a load of this:

Bienvenido a Miami! I should tell you that rooftop pools are one of my longtime guilty pleasures. And Florida boasts some of the best rooftop swimming pools I've crashed. (Yes...I've been known to invite myself to a swanky pool or two with or without an invite. What? Who's going to tell a girl in a bikini no? The answer to that is simple: no one.)

Now that my longtime BFF is a full fledged doc, she's no longer living a quick drive from South Beach. My winter escape is now a thing of the past. This December, I suspect I'll feel that annual snowbird craving that can only be quenched by the beach. And when I do, you can bet the Shore Club (and that coveted rooftop pool) will hear me come knocking - even if the locals are all huddled inside by the fire in their UGGS and chinchillas.