The mention of Miami conjures up a plethora of contrasting images, even to those familiar with this busy southern metropolis. Once dubbed "God's Waiting Room" because of its popularity as a retirement location, the city is now called America's Casablanca because of its multi-ethnic population.

Miami has been transformed especially by an influx of Cubans fleeing from Castro's revolution. But Miami is now also known as the home of South Beach and its sleek Art Deco District; and as a place where both Jews and gays have created neighboring cultural niches.

With each passing tide, the city of Miami seems to recreate and redefine itself, losing some of its earlier charms perhaps, but always gaining a new, distinct flavor. Little Havana, once a haven for Cuban immigrants, is now also home to Nicaraguans, Hondurans, and other Latin Americans. Little Haiti--nonexistent just a few years ago--is a Caribbean-flavored enclave featuring a bookstore selling French and Creole books, an iron market, and botanicas carrying items used in voodoo ceremonies. Meanwhile, the bohemian successfully mixes with the chic in lush Coconut Grove, home to residents of Bahamian, French, and Latin American origin. And famed Miami Beach, behind its Art Deco facade, hides a uniquely Miamian mix of Jewish, Cuban, Haitian, and Anglo cultures.

Sitting at a crossroads between the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America, this Capital of the Americas continues to seduce visitors with its balmy climate, endless beaches, sensuous nightlife, and colorful population that embodies the sentiment "Viva America!"