A vintage convertible -- the quintessential Cuban ride

For most Americans, whether to go to Cuba is a matter of legality. Does their trip qualify? The events of 50 years ago that led to the U.S. embargo are a distant history.

In Miami, where are I live, whether to visit Cuba is a moral and community question. Families remain torn apart, and the wounds of lost lives, homes, businesses still feel fresh to so many.

If you do go, my advice is to travel mindfully. Wander about; wave and smile. Take a cycle taxi or one of the motorized Coco taxis, and talk with your driver. Eat in private restaurants, called paladars. Stay in a casa particular — a local home, where you’ll see how Cubans live and put income directly in their pockets.

Yet even here, attitudes are shifting. With so much in flux in both the U.S. and Cuba, this spring was my time to go.

You can read about my trip and see photos and videos in my story for the Miami Herald.