In Miami, there is no shortage of beaches or bougainvillea. These familiar colors erupt from the sea and the soil to keep our world interesting and full of life. If it’s a true tropical landscape that you desire though, you’ll have to head a few minutes southwest of downtown to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. This 83-acre garden houses one of the largest and most diverse collections of tropical plants in the United States. Founded in 1938 by Colonial Robert H. Montgomery, the garden is named after the noted botanist and plant explorer, David Fairchild. Dr. Fairchild is highly regarded for having directed the collection and importation of over 200,000 plant species into the United State during his tenure at the Department of Agriculture. Crops such as soybeans, mangoes, and pistachios were all initially imported by Dr. Fairchild as well as a number of varieties of cotton, rice, and…
Miracle Mile
In Miami the range of shopping districts is almost overwhelming. There’s the Design District full of shiny flaunted wealth, Wynwood with its bohemian artiness, and even South Beach where you can shop in a bikini. These all scream Miami, but for a more classic Miami experience head over to the Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Miracle Mile encompasses the blocks of Coral Way between Le Jeune and Douglas Roads. When it was originally conceived, this stretch of road and the blocks surrounding it were envisioned as the central shopping district of downtown Coral Gables. The tree-lined avenues and wide pedestrian sidewalks were meant to allow visitors to pleasantly walk the entire area. Today, Miracle Mile serves as a culinary and shopping destination of choice for both locals and visitors alike. In 2018, the city completed a multi-million dollar renovation which enhanced the pedestrian nature of the Mile. When…
Cuban Coffee
Miami is a great coffee town. And like other great coffee towns, drinking coffee has become ingrained in the very soul of the city. In Miami, the coffee, like the culture, is Cuban. It’s possible get a traditional American coffee, but if you want to really experience Miami, you need to get your Cuban coffee right. This post will tell you all you need to know about ordering coffee in Miami, but first we need to talk about where to get it. In Miami, you can get it just about anywhere, in restaurants, in homes and offices, and even banks (yes, it is not uncommon to have someone bring you a cafecito while waiting in line). One of the best places to grab a coffee though is at a ventanita. These little windows are all over town. Some might be a part of a larger restaurant, but many stand alone. …
The Historic Biltmore
Miami is a city of flash and excitement, but if you look closer you’ll see that there is a quiet and serene side to this beautiful city. Nestled just outside of downtown in Coral Gables you’ll find large tree-lined streets blooming with bougainvillea and splashed with fountains and large arched gates. At the center of this beautiful area sits one of the most iconic and luxurious hotels in America, the Biltmore Miami. Built in 1926 by Coral Gables developer George Merrick and Biltmore hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman, the hotel became an immediate success. It saw guests such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and Al Capone. The hotel even became a surrogate White House as Franklin Roosevelt set up offices here during his extended stays in Miami. The hotel itself is magnificent. It was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style and features a 315-foot…
Little Havana
No trip to Miami is complete without a drive down the famed Calle Ocho to Little Havana. Here you can live contentedly on a bounty of Cuban food, coffee, and cigars while salsa music streams from the open-air bars. Take a cultural or culinary tour or venture alone and explore the area’s vibrant treasures on your own time. If you are up for a little more excitement, come on the last Friday of the month for Viernes Cultural (“Cultural Fridays”) for free outdoor concerts, art exhibits, and tastings from some of the local restaurants.
The Venetian Pool
Nestled amongst the bougainvillea and banyan trees of Coral Gables lies one of Miami’s hidden treasures. The Venetian Pool, an 820,000-gallon spring-fed swimming pool, has drawn locals and visitors alike since it’s construction in 1923. Originally conceived as part of the Venetian Casino, the Venetian Pool was a central feature to George Merrick’s master plan for Coral Gables. The pool was constructed from a coral rock quarry that was the source of much of the beautiful coral found in the neighborhood’s homes. Built in the Mediterranean Revival style, the pool features loggias, porticos, and a beautiful bridge leading to small palm-tree island. Its main features, however, are its waterfalls and secluded grotto.
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Explore Nature In Orlando
One of my favorite things about Orlando is the amount of thought that has gone into creating a great experience for those who come to visit. The theme parks alone have thousands of people dedicated to designing and planning out every guest experience. From the rides to the road design and landscaping, it seems that just about everything has been planned out. Sometimes though, this hyper-designed world gets to be too much and you just need to spend some time out in nature. For this weekend adventure we wanted to take that step back to the natural world. We swim in the cool waters of a natural spring, explore a nature preserve, and go orange picking. We tried to keep everything on this trip within about a 30-minute drive of Orlando. Along the way we stopped at some great places to eat and collected some really wonderful stories. Orlando has…
Venice
If you are terrified of giant sharks don’t fret, there aren’t any here. You can find their teeth though. Millions of years ago giant megalodon sharks and their smaller relatives fed off the coast of what is now Venice, Florida. Over the years their teeth collected on the ocean floor and were eventually fossilized. Today they wash up on Venice’s beaches where anyone can pick them up. The first time that I heard about shark teeth in Venice I dropped everything to tell my kids all about it. We were all excited and decided that we would drive up for the weekend, but had no idea just how much fun it would be or how much else Venice had to offer. We’ve been back a number of times and we enjoy it more and more each time we go. On this weekend’s adventure we take you through a weekend in…
Naples
Sometimes, when the traffic and noise of Miami get to be overwhelming, we feel the need to get away. We could drive north to Orlando or try to find some peace south of town in the keys, but the place where we usually find ourselves is on the west coast, in Naples. Just a two-hour drive west of town, Naples stands in stark contrast to the chaos of Miami. Its wide streets and well-manicured landscaping are a pleasant relief from the overcrowded hustle of southeast Florida. It’s no wonder U.S. News and World Report named it as America’s top ranked community in terms of well being for each of the past three years. When planning a trip to Naples it’s easy to forget everything and just spend the day lounging on the beach. That’s a great option if you want to just tune out the world and relax, but…