Miami Beach and Environs

[scifan57]

Miccosukee Indian Village & Airboat Tours - Part 1

When staying along the coastal areas of Florida, we like to always take one or several trips to nature areas or the Everglades for an air boat ride (see first quote), just to get away from the cities and see what the state may have been like before commercial development and the tremendous population expansion of the 20th century. This time we took a trip to the Miccosukee Indian Village (see 2nd quote) which included a boat ride - see first few pics - the map shows the location, just 45 mins from Miami Beach.

The boat ride (pics of our boat and stop at a structure w/ boardwalks to view the Everglades 'up close' - the ride was rather short and we did not see as much wild life as usual, only a couple of alligators and some snowy egrets. Once back and docked, our bus went across the street to the actual village which will be the discussion of the next post; however, read about 'alligators' in the last pic, an important animal in the culture of the Miccosukee Native Americans (kind of like their version of the bison to the Plains Indians). Dave




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Miccosukee Indian Village & Airboat Tours - Part 2

A visit to the Miccosukee Indian Village includes a tour to various 'stations' where aspects of their culture are shown and discussed (e.g. the wood carver below; also 'clan religion', food, making of baskets & cloth, etc.). A small museum is available - there are PLENTY of alligators to see (as shown below) and photo ops (a couple of Susan); BUT, the highlight was a 20 minute show by one of their 'alligator trainers/wrestlers' (the last six images) - alligators were caught live by sitting on their backs and tying their jaws w/ rope - usually a 'one-man' process as shown. If desired and for an additional cost, a picture of you or loved one sitting on a large alligator or holding a baby one is an option. A small gift shop has a lot of interesting items - we bought a few t-shirts.

Bottom line - if you are visiting Florida, definitely try to get out into the much less 'citified' locations. Dave
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Thanks for a wonderful story. It's too bad we can't go back in time to see the area as it was before it became so commercialized.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for a wonderful story. It's too bad we can't go back in time to see the area as it was before it became so commercialized.

Well, like I said if you are visiting one of the coastal cities (east or west coast) or Orlando centrally, then access to the state parks (like Myakka River State Park which I describe in one of my other travelogues - brought along the t-shirt below for my Ritz room wear @ night) is highly recommended; just a few of many that come to mind are Silver Springs in Ocala just north of Orlando, Darling National Refuge on Sanibel Island near Ft. Myers, and Everglades City south of Naples for air boat rides and 'swamp critter' food - could go on and our fellow member Bob added some more in my Ft. Lauderdale travelogue - so 'Old Florida' can still be appreciated, but one needs to leave the cities (I assume many visitors do not?). Dave
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[giradman]

Vizcaya & Wynwood Neighborhood - Part 1

On our last full day in Miami, we visited Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in the morning and ate lunch @ their excellent cafe; then in the afternoon, a couple of hours in the Wynwood Neighborhood of Miami; will probably take a number of posts - had a great day and at night again dined at the Lure Fishbar (per previous post).

The Viscaya Museum & Gardens is described below - we visited this property maybe 30+ years ago - consisting of the mansion, docking area on Biscayne Bay, and the gardens - the first pics show an aerial view and the home page of the first link above; followed by my own photos from today of the beautiful outdoor gardens w/ several panoramic shots - Susan is included in several of the images - a surprise was the presence of a half dozen or so teenage girls in gorgeous dresses (just one shown in the last pic) - these presumably 15 year-olds are about to celebrate their Quinceañera (see 2nd quote below) and were having photos taken in the gardens; next post some 'inside' pics, mostly from the web. Dave

Vizcaya, now named the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The early 20th century Vizcaya estate also includes: extensive Italian Renaissance gardens; native woodland landscape; and a historic village outbuildings compound. The landscape and architecture were influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance models and designed in the Mediterranean Revival architecture style, with Baroque elements. Paul Chalfin was the design director (Source).

Quinceañera, also called fiesta de quince años, fiesta de quinceañera, quince años, quinceañero or simply quince, is a celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday with cultural roots in Latin America but celebrated throughout the Americas. This birthday is celebrated differently from any other as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. Latin myths and tradition tell about how girls were prepared for marriage by age fifteen or else they became nuns. In the years prior to their fifteenth birthdays, girls were taught to cook, weave, and about childbearing by the elder women in their communities in preparation for their expected lives as wives. The celebrations today vary significantly across countries (Source).

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[giradman]

Vizcaya & Wynwood Neighborhood - Part 2

The Main House consists of a central Courtyard and two floors - built in two years (1914-16) but meant to look old - the design was inspired by European estates, particularly in Italy. In this post, some of the inside of the mansion is shown w/ several of my own pics and a number from the web (sources given in the previous post). Dave
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[giradman]

Wynwood Neighborhood - Part 1

On our 'city tour' (previous post), we drove through the 'renewed' Wynwood Neighborhood which has changed drastically over the years as described in the quotes below. Now, there are restaurants (such as Joey's in the pic), art galleries, commercial shops of all types and likely other attractions.

BUT - for us the highlight was looking at the Wynwood Walls, painted by graffiti artists - apparently these are changed periodically according to one sales person. We also had some great coffee at Panther Coffee (several pics below including Susan's cafe latte, I believe). I took numerous photos shown below and in the next post. If you're in Miami, a must visit in my mind. Dave

Wynwood is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. It is north of Downtown Miami and Overtown, and adjacent to Edgewater. Wynwood has two major sub-districts, the Wynwood Art District in northern Wynwood, and the Wynwood Fashion District along West 5th Avenue. Wynwood is roughly divided by North 20th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and the Florida East Coast Railway to the east (Source).

Wynwood was long referred to as "Little San Juan", and commonly known as "El Barrio" as many Puerto Ricans began immigrating to this Miami neighborhood from the island and northeastern cities in the 1950s. Puerto Rican-owned restaurants, shops, markets and other businesses line the streets of Wynwood. Recently, the neighborhood has been gentrified with large investments and developments. The Midtown Miami development construction began in 2005 between North 29th and 36th Street and Miami Avenue and the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) on what was historically an FEC rail yard (Source).

This brought renewed attention to the area, and previously abandoned warehouses have begun to be occupied by artists, restaurants, cafés, and lounges. Tony Goldman a developer also assisted in the growth of Wynwood by creating a mecca out of the already present graffiti. Some 30 artists traveled from around the world to create what is now the Wynwood Walls, this led to an incredible increase in other street art in the surrounding area. The large arts presence brought upon Miami what is conceived as a new Hipster neighborhood. Art and fashion are major elements of Wynwood, as Wynwood has a large fashion and textiles industry, primarily along NW 5th Avenue, in the Wynwood Fashion District (Source).

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[giradman]

Wynwood Neighborhood - Part 2

Just a continuation of the many pics that I took while visiting this fascinating Miami neighborhood - the place was really buzzing so cannot avoid having people and vehicles in the images shown. Enjoy - Dave

P.S. one 'sidewalk painting' - there were many - would love to return!
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[giradman]

South Beach - Boutique Hotels, Restaurants, Beach Walkway, Lummus Park, & Art Deco!

Well, this post should have been presented earlier - South Beach is a substantial portion of southern Miami Beach (see quotes below). The Ritz Hotel is located there on the beach, just a few blocks from the Loews Hotel & Lure Fishbar - the two most famous streets are Collins Avenue & Ocean Drive, we walked the latter one afternoon and had a delightful lunch; the beach is nearby where topless sunbathing is a common practice. Numerous boutique hotels and restaurants by the dozens are located there - this is a MUST area to explore if visiting Miami Beach, especially for the wonderful Art Deco architecture.

Below are pics of South Beach showing much described above, both during the day and after nightfall. Another restaurant recommendation - Joe's Stone Crab, an eating landmark since 1913, most famous for stone crabs, which I love - Susan is not a fan, so we did not eat there, although I've probably been to the place 4-5 times on past visits - if you like these crabs and if available, pick the JUMBOS! Dave

South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, located due east of Miami city proper between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses all of the barrier islands of Miami Beach south of Indian Creek. This area was the first section of Miami Beach to be developed, starting in the 1910s, due to the development efforts of Carl G. Fisher, the Lummus Brothers, and John S. Collins, whose construction of the Collins Bridge provided the first land link between mainland Miami and the beaches. The area has gone through numerous artificial and natural changes over the years, including a booming regional economy, increased tourism, and the 1926 hurricane, which destroyed much of the area (Source).

In both daytime and at night, South Beach is a major entertainment destination with hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants, boutiques and hotels. The area is popular with tourists from Canada, Europe, Israel and the entire Western Hemisphere, with some having permanent or second homes. South Beach has also been visited by many American and foreign tourists due to the practice of topless sunbathing by women on the beach, considered by the local citizens more permissible than on most beaches of the United States, although the practice has not been officially legalized by the local government, it continues to be adopted in large scale (Source).

South Beach's residents' varied backgrounds are evident in the many languages spoken. In 2000, 55% of residents of the city of Miami Beach spoke Spanish as a first language, while English was the first language for 33% of the population. Portuguese(mainly Brazilian Portuguese) was spoken by 3% of residents, while French (including Canadian French) was spoken by 2%, and German by 1%. Italian, Russian, Yiddish and Hebrew were all spoken by less than 1%. Another unique aesthetic attribute of South Beach is the presence of several colorful and unique stands used by Miami Beach's lifeguards on South Beach (Source).

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[giradman]

Miami & Environs - Many More Attractions & Activities To See!

Susan & I decided that we could have stayed 2-3 more days - so far, I've posted many of the activities we did and all are recommended; but depending on your age, physical condition, kids, etc. there is plenty more to do - below is a listing of many other considerations (and this is not inclusive!).

There are many different types of museums to see (many in the listing, some missing) - the city tour and boat ride we took is just one option, i.e. there are plenty more different types of tours (e.g. Segways to various places, art & eating excursions, and many different types of Everglades adventures). A trip to Ft. Lauderdale (just 30 or so minutes north provides more artificial islands, boat rides, museums, and great shopping and eating).

Finally, a visit to the Florida Keys is always a treat - Key Largo is about an 1 1/2 hrs, Key West nearly 4 hrs (better for an overnight), and Everglades City on the west coast about 1 1/2 hrs - we've been to these places about a half dozen times (and would like to return), so may do a few more posts - all are worth a consideration. Dave
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[suenc]

Susan & I are on our first spring vacation of the year - we usually return to Florida and typically alternate the west and east coasts (have written 3 travelogues already on the state and could have had many more if I had started earlier). This time after probably a dozen years or so, we have returned to Miami Beach and decided to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in South Beach (some web pics below) - we are up on the 10th floor oceanfront w/ a magnificent view of the pool area and Atlantic Ocean (pretty much the same as in the image shown).

Our flight in through Atlanta should have gotten us here by 2PM Saturday afternoon, but storms had hit the Georgia area for several days w/ numerous flight cancellations and delays; so we did not get to the hotel until nearly midnight and were exhausted - woke up Sunday morning about 10AM - BUT, we have 1PM reservations for Sunday Brunch which is likely similar to the ones we've enjoyed at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA (previous travelogue) - except there is a sushi station - I expect to concentrate on oysters, other seafood, and sushi, along w/ a few glasses of champagne (couple of web pics below that unlikely reflect the expanse of the presentation).

We'll just relax for the day and likely sit on the beach under an umbrella in the afternoon - so far on my iPad weather map, we have clear/cloudy days w/ highs expected in the 78-81ºF range. In the next few posts, I'll go briefly into the history of the southern FL east coastal area - Dave
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[suenc]

South Beach - Boutique Hotels, Restaurants, Beach Walkway, Lummus Park, & Art Deco!

Well, this post should have been presented earlier - South Beach is a substantial portion of southern Miami Beach (see quotes below). The Ritz Hotel is located there on the beach, just a few blocks from the Loews Hotel & Lure Fishbar - the two most famous streets are Collins Avenue & Ocean Drive, we walked the latter one afternoon and had a delightful lunch; the beach is nearby where topless sunbathing is a common practice. Numerous boutique hotels and restaurants by the dozens are located there - this is a MUST area to explore if visiting Miami Beach, especially for the wonderful Art Deco architecture.

Below are pics of South Beach showing much described above, both during the day and after nightfall. Another restaurant recommendation - Joe's Stone Crab, an eating landmark since 1913, most famous for stone crabs, which I love - Susan is not a fan, so we did not eat there, although I've probably been to the place 4-5 times on past visits - if you like these crabs and if available, pick the JUMBOS! Dave






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[suenc]

South Beach is picturesque, but when we walked on Ocean Drive in the afternoon we were accosted by restaurant hosts urging us to eat at their establishments. Probably a bit more lively at night. I saw no topless sunbathing--I wouldn’t have let Dave near it, anyway. Ate at Lure at Loew’s Hotel just to savor the West Coast oysters, whichg are scarce in NC.

 

[suenc]

Wonderful brunch. But I must say that we didn’t even wiggle our toes in the sand, since all the sightseeing tired us out.

 

[suenc]

Boat Tour, Man-Made Islands, and Mansions - Part 2

Continuation of the previous post - first 3 pics from the boat w/ descriptions; next a corner of Fisher Island (see quote below) - only reached by boat or helicopter (unless one wants to swim, I guess?); next 4 views of various 'houses' or mansions of several of the islands, including one described in the first quote below, if anyone is interested? The Al Capone Guardhouse has an interesting history (see last quote). Finally, returning to the Bayside Marina, a nice view of the Freedom Tower and the professional basketball arena of the Miami Heat. Dave






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Boat Tour, Man-Made Islands, and Mansions - Part 1

After lunch, our boat ride entered the central portion of Biscayne Bay (see first quote & my previous post w/ map - the blue circle covered much of the trip) - there are a number of man-made islands in the Bay, all having names (see map below) w/ numerous multi-million dollar mansions - most boat tours of Biscayne Bay concentrate on showing a variety of these islands along w/ views of the Miami skyline and the Port of Miami w/ its commercial cranes and cruise ships - Carl Fisher, an early 20th century Miami Beach land developer (see 2nd quote) was largely responsible for the construction of these 'artificial islands.'

Pics below a mixture of mine on the boat and some from the web - names and locations of the islands, Carl Fisher photo, Flagler Island (3rd quote), and views of the commercial cranes and cruise ships - Part 2 will be mainly more pics of some of the mansions on these islands and several other scenes. Dave

ADDENDUM: Carl Fisher is the same land developer who tried to turn Montauk, Long Island (another travelogue of mine, if interested) into the 'Miami Beach of the North'.






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Downtown Miami skyscrapers were beautiful from the water. All in all, we found Miami to be multicultural and varied.

 

[giradman]

Well, Susan has 'chimed in' albeit briefly - but she did have a good time, and particularly enjoyed the two nights at the Lure Fishbar eating Pacific North Coast oysters - we were both surprised by how much there was to do - in the next post, I'll start a discussion on the Florida Keys, a must visit. Dave

 

[scifan57]

With travel to Cuba becoming legal again, I can see quick boat trips to Cuba from Key West as it's only about 75 miles from Cuba. A day trip to Havana would be quite doable.