A tiny but wealthy town, Bal Harbour Village lies in between Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the northern tip of Miami Beach. Bal Harbour's section of this barrier island in between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay includes ten acres of public Atlantic beachfront, complete with a walking/jogging trail.

Impeccably landscaped and pristinely cared for, Bal Harbour Village is small enough to be easily navigated on foot.

I have to admit, Bal Harbour is a town with a lot of my favorite things packed in one square mile. Starting with...

Shopping
Bal Harbour Village is best known for its shopping. The Bal Harbour Shops hold the title of number one in the United States for sales per square foot -- over four times what the average suburban mall does. And no wonder. The entire lower level is full of shops I love to look in but can't afford -- Prada, Chanel, Ferragamo, Cartier.

I'm still thinking about the outfit that got away -- the dress at Roberto Cavelli on sale for $2500, suede thigh-high stiletto-heeled boots sold separately. This was the kind of dress Beyonce might wear to the Golden Globes. Since I'm not likely to be invited to the Golden Globes, I probably don't need it. But I sure enjoyed trying it on.

The mall is anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Second floor is more my speed with Bana Republic, Ann Taylor and even a Gap.

Gourmet Food
I'm still dreaming about a lunch I had at Carpaccio. It was al fresco, like many pleasures in Bal Harbour.

We sat right next to -- well, I won't name drop, but he used to be a quarterback for the 49ers. The place is known for its homemade pastas, but I opted for the namesake dish. I chose the Salmon Carpaccio, served with shaved Parmesan and sliced Portobellos. The salmon was sliced so thinly, it fell apart when the fork hit it and melted in my mouth. Mmmmmm.