3 Things to Do in Miami That Don't Involve Eating or Drinking (From a Local Photographer)

Every Miami guide eventually funnels you to the same two places: a restaurant or a bar. Lovely, but what about the rest of the day? That question kicked off my Instagram interview series, where I ask locals to share their favorite things to do around South Florida that involve zero eating and zero drinking.

The short answer from this episode: photographer and art show curator David Gary Lloyd keeps it simple with three picks: vintage shopping at Turn Back the Clock on Bird Road, rollerblading the Granada Golf Course loop in Coral Gables (or the South Beach boardwalk), and indie cinema nights at O Cinema and the Coral Gables Art Cinema.

Watch Episode 1 of the Local Series

This is the episode that started it all. I sat down with @davidgarylloyd and asked him for three things he actually does around Coral Gables and Miami when he is not at a table or a bar. His answers are the perfect blueprint for a low-key day out.

Follow @coralgableslove on Instagram to catch every episode, and save this one for your next sober or screen-free Sunday.

Meet David Gary Lloyd

David is a Miami photographer and art show curator, which means he spends his life looking closely at this city: its light, its people, and its corners most of us walk right past. The photo above is from one of his shows, and that curatorial eye is exactly why I wanted him as my first guest. His three picks cover a vintage treasure hunt, a workout with banyan shade, and a night at the movies.

1. Vintage Shopping at Turn Back the Clock (Bird Road)

David's first stop is Turn Back the Clock, the vintage shop on Bird Road that is basically a museum where everything is for sale: fashion by the decade, art, memorabilia, and displays that change every time I visit. It is the kind of store where an hour disappears and you leave with a story, not just a bag.

Local note: I loved this pick so much that I went and interviewed the shop's owner next. That conversation became episode 2 of the series, with his own three alcohol-free picks, so consider this your two-for-one.

2. Rollerblading the Granada Golf Course Loop (or South Beach)

The Granada Golf Course in Coral Gables opened in 1923 and is the oldest operating nine-hole course in Florida, but David's version does not require clubs. The tree-lined loop around the course runs about 2.3 miles, shaded by banyans older than the city, and it is where the neighborhood walks, jogs, bikes, and skates. Prefer an ocean view with your cardio? Swap in the South Beach boardwalk and blade along the Atlantic instead.

Local note: go early morning or golden hour. The banyan shade helps, but this is still Miami, and the loop shares space with cars at the crossings, so keep your head up.

3. Indie Cinema Nights at O Cinema and Gables Art Cinema

David's third pick is my favorite: Miami's independent cinema scene. O Cinema is a nonprofit art house at 1130 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach's Art Deco District, programming first-run indies, documentaries, and community events. And the Coral Gables Art Cinema at 260 Aragon Avenue is a 141-seat gem screening American independent, foreign, and classic films seven days a week, right in the middle of downtown Coral Gables.

Local note: both theaters are the rare Miami night out where the plan costs about the price of a cocktail and you leave with something to talk about.

The Low-Key Miami Day, Mapped

String David's picks into one perfect no-reservations day:

1. Morning: rollerblade or walk the Granada Golf Course loop while the banyan shade is at its best.
2. Afternoon: treasure hunt through Turn Back the Clock on Bird Road.
3. Evening: catch whatever is playing at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, or drive the causeway for a night showing at O Cinema South Beach.

FAQ: Miami Without a Menu

What can you do in Miami that does not involve eating or drinking?

Plenty: vintage and thrift shopping on Bird Road, rollerblading the Granada Golf Course loop or the South Beach boardwalk, indie movie nights at O Cinema and the Coral Gables Art Cinema, street art walks in Little Havana, and more in my Activities section.

Where can you rollerblade in Miami?

Two local favorites: the shaded 2.3 mile loop around the Granada Golf Course in Coral Gables, and the South Beach boardwalk along the Atlantic. Both are free and skateable year round.

What independent movie theaters does Miami have?

O Cinema, a nonprofit art house at 1130 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, and the Coral Gables Art Cinema, a 141-seat theater at 260 Aragon Avenue showing independent, foreign, and classic films seven days a week.

Is the Granada Golf Course loop open to non-golfers?

Yes. The perimeter path around the 1923 course is a beloved public loop where locals walk, run, bike, and skate, no tee time required.

Keep Exploring

Ready for round two? Watch episode 2 with the owner of Turn Back the Clock Shop, meet Didi, the muralist behind Little Havana's best walls, or take my free self-guided Little Havana walking tour. And tell me your favorite no-food, no-drinks Miami plan on Instagram: the series is just getting started.