Things to Do in Carol City

Your night starts at 9 p.m. at the renowned D. Rodriguez Cuba restaurant, where your Cuban cuisine and vodka drinks will be prepaid for pre-partying. Each person gets to choose two tapas or one appetizer plus one entree from the special menu while enjoying a two-hour open bar for vodka drinks (such as martinis and cosmopolitans)—which is ample time to form a liquid nucleolus that will anchor the rest of the evening in a wave-like orbital whose position and momentum can never be simultaneously known. While you sip, pad your stomach with a delicious lining. Start with your two tasty tapas or appetizer, such as plaintain-crusted mahi mahi, ham croquetas, or a crunchy Cuban salad. For the main course, pick one of three entrees: arroz con pollo (chicken thighs with yellow rice and veggies topped with chicken breast), chuleta empanada (breaded pork), or mahi mahi fricassee. Tax and gratuity are already included for the cost of dinner, so you can skip the calculations and get straight into phase two of your evening.

Miami BeachSports shoots thrill-seekers into the wild blue yonder with adrenaline-filled trips at the stern of Yamaha WaveRunners. Aquatic cowboys wrangle the sea-slapping crafts, churning up wake and waking up the Krakens that live along the oceanfront boardwalk. Guests take in seldom-seen vistas while screaming along the waves, looking back at the strip of beach between Fontainebleau Hotel and Four Points by Sheraton Miami Beach where Miami BeachSports is located. Once back on shore, guests can rent the shop’s chaise lounges or oversize umbrellas for beachside relaxation.

During a beginning to intermediate metal-working crash course, students will learn how to properly wield a variety of hand tools, shape solder with a torch, and handle hammers to shape copper into an elegant ring. Expert metal-manipulators douse absorbent pupils with their abundant knowledge of piercing, stone setting, and finishing before setting them free to coerce metal on their own. Jewelry Creations Workshop's staff of friendly silversmiths are skilled at teaching the precision, attention to detail, and creativity required to craft fingerbling so sparkling it attracts hummingbirds. All materials and tools will be provided, including the copper needed to make your ring.

The one-day ticket to the Sixth Annual Florida International Wine Challenge gets you an unlimited sampling of more than 500 worldly wines. Sample a variety of sips, such as the merlot of Napa Valley, syrah of Portugal, and malbec of Argentina, while participating in contests, raffles, and taste-testing activities. If you decide to fill your stomach with solids after the wine tastings, you can make dinner reservations at The Palms Hotel & Spa's Essensia Restaurant & Lounge and choose any two free bottles of wine from the tasting with no corkage fee to complement your meal. Tropical-reveling guests will appreciate the tranquility of The Palms Hotel & Spa, a luxurious resort with a sensational view of the oceanfront.

AquaShop is in the business of defying physics; inside, water flows uphill. The FlowRider wave machine—an attraction usually reserved for theme parks or cruise ships—projects a frothy current blasted up a slanted ramp, emulating a wave for surfers, wakeboarders, and ambitious belly floppers to catch anytime, regardless of tide conditions. Before visiting, guests can check out the fun from the company’s live camera view, which shows off sweet rides and spectacular wipeouts during all business hours.

Water isn’t the only element AquaShop harnesses. The emporium of all things extreme hosts shred sessions on its Big Wave mechanical surfboard and encourages visitors to fire foam balls back and forth in the Cannon Ball Blaster arena. The in-house Thrill Zone features a padded obstacle course with a climbing wall, a slide, and a secret portal that grants one wish from Kelly Slater’s magic bald head.

A white sail propels a 50-foot sailing catamaran out into Biscayne Bay. The wind-powered watercraft belongs to Playtime Watersports, whose captains narrate ocean sailing tours or host private and corporate events as sunsets paint the sky. Elsewhere on the bay, wave runners and pontoon boats—two of Playtime Watersports' other rental watercraft options—churn up water as they drag race with thrill-seeking dolphins.

Despite its name, Playtime Watersports doesn't limit itself to on-water revelry. The staff hosts corporate outings such as Beach Olympics, with events including beach volleyball, sand sculpting, and scavenger hunts.