After Nine Visits to Miami, I Tried Renting Here Instead

Plus: If the latest DHS shutdown will affect air travel, navigating Bilt 2.0, and exploring the Australian Outback.

At the tail end of 2014, I posted an Instagram photo of a white sand beach while in Miami, Florida. An acquaintance of mine from college commented, “Wow, I’m so jealous.” And because we had mutual friends, I teasingly threw out, “You should join next time.”

Fast-forward two weeks, a flight deal from Newark to Miami popped up. I tagged him and a bunch of …