Miami Beach and Environs

[giradman]

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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[scifan57]

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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Another excellent travel story. It's almost like being there.

 

[giradman]

Another excellent travel story. It's almost like being there.

The brunch today was superb - oysters, snow crab claws, large shrimp (all w/ a delicious homemade spicy cocktail sauce), along w/ Paddlefish caviar, smoked salmon, and sushi/sashimi - Susan had some wonderful rack of lamb, perfectly done medium (I took a bite) - plenty of sparkling wine; and numerous dessert options, just had a few w/ cappuccino - highly recommended if visiting Miami Beach on a Sunday - we're going down for just a few drinks and maybe a bar snack to split. Some Miami history next - tomorrow we're doing a combo city and boat tour, so hopefully I'll have some of my own pics. Dave

 

[giradman]

Miami Early History - Part 1

The history of the Miami area is both old and new - as quoted below, the area was inhabited by Native Americans for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans, and the city is named after a local tribe. The Florida territory was controlled by a number of countries, starting w/ the Spanish in 1513 (and again in 1783), then a US territory in 1822 and finally a state in 1845 (see pic below). However, not much was happening in southeastern FL until the 1890s, when Julia Tuttle convinced Henry Flagler (more in Part 2) to extend his East Coast Florida railroad to Miami - the city was incorporated in 1896 w/ a population of just over 300. In the early half of the 20th century, the first bridge (made of wood) to Miami Beach was built by John Collins in 1913 (honored by the naming of 'Collins Avenue, also A1A) and a number of official buildings were constructed. The Wall Street crash, the Depression, hurricanes/storms, WW II, and the Cuban invasion after 1959 all affected the development of Miami.

More on Henry Flagler later - pics below showing some historical sites and buildings and one of Julia Tuttle, known as the Mother of Miami (Flagler as the Father of Miami), who dies at 49 years from apparently meningitis - Dave

Thousands of years before Europeans arrived, a large portion of south east Florida, including the area where Miami, Florida exists today, was inhabited by Tequestas. The Tequesta Native American tribe, at the time of first European contact, occupied an area along the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida. They had infrequent contact with Europeans and had largely migrated by the middle of the 18th century. Miami is named after the Mayaimi, a Native American tribe that lived around Lake Okeechobee until the 17th or 18th century. In 1566, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was sent by the Spanish monarchy to remove the French from Florida who had already established several colonies (Source).

The Miami area was better known as "Biscayne Bay Country" in the early years of its growth. The few published accounts from that period describe the area as a wilderness that held much promise. The area was also characterized as "one of the finest building sites in Florida". After the Great Freeze of 1894, the crops of the Miami area were the only ones in Florida that survived. Julia Tuttle, a local landowner, convinced Henry Flagler, a railroad tycoon, to expand his Florida East Coast Railway to Miami. On July 28, 1896, Miami was officially incorporated as a city with a population of just over 300 (Source).

Miami prospered during the 1920s, but weakened when the real-estate bubble burst in 1925, which was shortly followed by the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the Great Depression in the 1930s. When World War II began, Miami played an important role in the battle against German submarines due to its location on the southern coast of Florida. The war helped to increase Miami's population to almost half a million. After Fidel Castro rose to power in 1959, many Cubans emigrated to Miami, further increasing the population (Source).

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[giradman]

Miami History - Part 2

As mentioned in the previous post of mine, Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil (quote below from link) is considered the Father of Miami by extending his railroad south - he was also instrumental in the development of a number of more northern FL coastal areas, such as Palm Beach, where his home and now museum are located (highly recommended). Since Miami's incorporation as a town of 300, the city has expanded to over 400,000 (see table below), but the metropolitan area including adjacent counties is one of the largest in the US (2nd quote).

The remaining quotes described modern Miami, probably one of the most multi-cultural cities in the country (others that come to my mind are New York City, Los Angeles, and even San Antonio - but just my opinion). Many of the pics below show various views of the Miami skyline, the Port of Miami w/ cruise ships, and portions of other areas in the city and Miami Beach. Dave

Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway. He is known as the father of both Miami and Palm Beach, Florida.

Miami is a seaport city at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Florida and its Atlantic coast. As the seat of Miami-Dade County, the municipality is the principal, central, and the most populous city of the Miami metropolitan area and part of the second-most populous metropolis in the southeastern United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the eighth-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million(Source).

Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha−World City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory. In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked 33rd among global cities. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs. According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of purchasing power. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America" and is the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality (Source).

Miami has the third tallest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises. Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a major center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers, and biotechnology industries. For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World", has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations, and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines. Metropolitan Miami is the major tourism hub in the American South, number two in the U.S. after New York City and number 13 in the world, including the popular destination of Miami Beach([url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami]Source)[/URL].

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[scifan57]

Miami Early History - Part 1

The history of the Miami area is both old and new - as quoted below, the area was inhabited by Native Americans for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans, and the city is named after a local tribe. The Florida territory was controlled by a number of countries, starting w/ the Spanish in 1513 (and again in 1783), then a US territory in 1822 and finally a state in 1845 (see pic below). However, not much was happening in southeastern FL until the 1890s, when Julia Tuttle convinced Henry Flagler (more in Part 2) to extend his East Coast Florida railroad to Miami - the city was incorporated in 1896 w/ a population of just over 300. In the early half of the 20th century, the first bridge (made of wood) to Miami Beach was built by John Collins in 1913 (honored by the naming of 'Collins Avenue, also A1A) and a number of official buildings were constructed. The Wall Street crash, the Depression, hurricanes/storms, WW II, and the Cuban invasion after 1959 all affected the development of Miami.

More on Henry Flagler later - pics below showing some historical sites and buildings and one of Julia Tuttle, known as the Mother of Miami (Flagler as the Father of Miami), who dies at 49 years from apparently meningitis - Dave






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Miami History - Part 2

As mentioned in the previous post of mine, Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil (quote below from link) is considered the Father of Miami by extending his railroad south - he was also instrumental in the development of a number of more northern FL coastal areas, such as Palm Beach, where his home and now museum are located (highly recommended). Since Miami's incorporation as a town of 300, the city has expanded to over 400,000 (see table below), but the metropolitan area including adjacent counties is one of the largest in the US (2nd quote).

The remaining quotes described modern Miami, probably one of the most multi-cultural cities in the country (others that come to my mind are New York City, Los Angeles, and even San Antonio - but just my opinion). Many of the pics below show various views of the Miami skyline, the Port of Miami w/ cruise ships, and portions of other areas in the city and Miami Beach. Dave








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Thank you for another couple of excellent travel stories. I've always been interested in history and posts like yours are interesting and well written.

 

[giradman]

Thank you for another couple of excellent travel stories. I've always been interested in history and posts like yours are interesting and well written.

Thanks SciFan.. for your continued interested in these travelogues - knowing some of the history of southern Florida, what always amazes me about the coastal cities below the Orlando level is the extent of development and population expansion that has occurred since statehood and especially after 1900. Below is a quote I left last year in my 'Florida Panhandle & Tallahassee' adventure - at the time of admission into the Union in 1845 (BTW, same year as Texas), Florida had only 66,000+ people virtually all living in the Panhandle and Jacksonville area - thus, probably only a handful (meaning just in the thousands) occupied the southern portions of the state, and Tallahassee way up north near the Georgia border is still the capital. Dave

This was our first visit to Tallahassee and I wondered years ago why the capital of Florida was so far north near the Georgia border - an easy answer once Florida's history is understood - in 1824, the city became the state capital and continued so when the territory was admitted to the Union in 1845 - at that time Florida had only 66,500 people and virtually all lived in the most northern part of the state (see graph & third pic below) - w/ the introduction of automobiles, better roads, and the railroad industry (mainly led by Henry Flagler), the population of the state exploded and the density of people moved south in early 20th century.

 

[scifan57]

Thanks SciFan.. for your continued interested in these travelogues - knowing some of the history of southern Florida, what always amazes me about the coastal cities below the Orlando level is the extent of development and population expansion that has occurred since statehood and especially after 1900. Below is a quote I left last year in my 'Florida Panhandle & Tallahassee' adventure - at the time of admission into the Union in 1845 (BTW, same year as Texas), Florida had only 66,000+ people virtually all living in the Panhandle and Jacksonville area - thus, probably only a handful (meaning just in the thousands) occupied the southern portions of the state, and Tallahassee way up north near the Georgia border is still the capital. Dave

You have a similar situation in Nevada, where Carson City was chosen as the Capital at the height of the silver boom at a time when the current population centres were tiny by comparison. Carson City, Nevada - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

Miami City Tour & Boat Ride - Mucho Posts Probably -

Well on our second full day on Miami Beach, we decided to do a combo tour that first included visiting a number of the Miami area neighborhoods and then a 90-minute boat tour - plenty to discuss so not sure yet 'how many' posts this may involve, i.e. there is so much to see and experience here; plus, the city tour is simply a brief introduction to places that need much more extended visits.

Miami and environs seems to be best understood in terms of 'neighborhoods' (quote below and first pic) - our city tour included visiting a number of these areas, followed by a lunch at the Bayside Marketplace, and an afternoon boat tour mainly around the man-made islands w/ luxurious mansions. We visited a number of these neighborhoods, but for us those circled in blue on the map were the most interesting, especially South Beach, Little Havana (see 2nd quote) and Wynwood (see 3rd quote) - we stopped at Little Havana for about 30 minutes and want to return (some of my pics below including one of Susan) - Wynwood was just fascinating w/ the graffiti artwork on the buildings - could not make a stop but imagined a couple of days worth of exploration (some pics below from the web). Then onto a luncheon stop at the Bayside Marketplace followed by our afternoon boat ride - Dave

Many of the city's neighborhoods have been renamed, redefined and changed since the city's founding in 1896. As such, the exact extents of some neighborhoods can differ. The following is the list of all the city's major neighborhoods, including any corresponding sub-neighborhoods within them. Coconut Grove is an example of a neighborhood whose size and name has stayed relatively the same since its settlement in 1825. Having been settled originally as "Cocoanut Grove", its character has stayed almost intact from its early days. In contrast, other neighborhoods have undergone many name and size changes. Buena Vista was once a much larger neighborhood in the 1920s, than it is today. Buena Vista once consumed all of the Miami Design District as well as a large part of Little Haiti, Wynwood and Edgewater. Other neighborhoods, such as Omni have only recently been rebranded as "Omni", after the Omni Mall that was located there in the 1980s and 1990s. Midtown emerged as a new neighborhood in the mid-2000s after developers created the large scale Midtown Miami development in an area traditionally known as Edgewater (Source).

Little Havana - home to many Cuban immigrant residents, as well as many residents from Central and South America, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba. Little Havana is a center of social, cultural, and political activity in Miami. Its festivals, including the Calle Ocho Festival, Viernes Culturales/Cultural Fridays, the Three Kings Parade and others. It is also known for its landmarks, including Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street/Tamiami Trail), and its Walk of Fame (for famous artists and Latin personalities, including Celia Cruz, Willy Chirino, and Gloria Estefan), etc. Little Havana is the best known neighborhood for Cuban exiles in the world. It is characterized by its street life, with restaurants, music and other cultural activities, mom and pop enterprises, political passion, and great warmth amongst its residents. In 2015, Little Havana was included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual list of 11 Most Endangered Places. In 2017, the Trust declared it a national treasure (Source).

Wynwood is a neighborhood in Miami 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 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. A 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]

Bayside Marketplace & Marina - Luncheon Interlude

After our city tour, we were dropped off at the Bayside Marketplace & Marina for lunch followed by our boat tour (next post) - the Marketplace has numerous shops and restaurants, but we choose to eat at the Largo Bar & Grill not knowing what to expect - BUT, much to our delight we had a wonderful lunch - shared a half dozen oysters and then also split an ahi tuna salad and a grilled mahi mahi sandwich - all was just delightful (and a draft beer helped too!).

Pics below of the marina area and restaurant location - out boat the Island Lady - about to depart Dave
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[giradman]

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'.

Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long and up to 8 miles (13 km) wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is 428 square miles (1,110 km2). The drainage basin covers 938 square miles (2,430 km2). Discovered by Ponce de Leon, he landed there and was originally named Santa Marta (Source).

Carl Graham Fisher (1874 – 1939) was an American entrepreneur. He was a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive industry and highway construction, and of real estate development in Florida. Fisher operated in Indianapolis what is believed to be the first automobile dealership in the United States, and also worked at developing an automobile racetrack locally; Indianapolis Motor Speedway, of which he was a principal, he helped develop paved racetracks and public roadways. Improvements he implemented at the speedway led to its nickname, "The Brickyard." Fisher became involved in the successful real estate development of the new resort city of Miami Beach, built on a largely unpopulated barrier island and reached by the new Collins Bridge across Biscayne Bay. Fisher was one of the best known and active promoters of the Florida land boom of the 1920s (Source).

Flagler Memorial Island is an uninhabited artificial island of South Beach in the city of Miami Beach in Biscayne Bay, Florida, United States. A 110-foot (34 m) high obelisk with allegorical sculptures at its base stands as a monument to Miami pioneer Henry M. Flagler, and was built in the center of the freshly constructed island in memory of Flagler, who died in 1913 (Source).

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[giradman]

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

A 10-bedroom mansion on the northern tip of Star Island is being listed for $65 million - the 18,356-square-foot home at 46 Star Island Dr. belongs to Marco Iacovelli, the owner of Miami-based auto parts-maker Rally Manufacturing. He paid $1.8 million for the property in 1987. The home was built in 1920s but has been extensively renovated. Amenities include 255 feet of land on Biscayne Bay and two private boat docks. It is the most expensive single-family home for sale in Miami-Dade County. Iacovelli is trying to sell as Miami’s luxury real estate market grinds to a halt. Sales for single-family homes in Miami Beach fell 27 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2016. (Nicholas Nehamas - Nov 2016) (Source)

Fisher Island is part of metropolitan Miami, Florida, located on a barrier island of the same name. As of the 2010 census, Fisher Island had the highest per capita income of any place in the United States. The CDP had only 226 households and a total population of 132 persons. Named for automotive parts pioneer and beach real estate developer Carl G. Fisher, who once owned it, Fisher Island is three miles off shore of mainland South Florida. No road or causeway connects to the island, which is accessible by private boat or ferry. Once a one-family island home of the Vanderbilts, and later several other millionaires, it was sold for development in the 1960s (Source).

Legendary gangster Al Capone did most of his dirty work in Chicago, but he wanted a sunny getaway as much as the next guy. In 1928, when he was 29, he bought a Miami Beach mansion for $40,000 (about $547,000 in today’s dollars). The seven-bedroom property sits on a 36,000-square-foot estate surrounded by the Biscayne Bay on all sides—the perfect secluded spot for a mobster to hide away. Capone further fortified the property with a guard house at the entry gate, a seven-foot-high wall and search lights. The infamous gangster lived on his Palm Island compound until 1931, when he was sent to prison for tax evasion. He returned to the house in 1938, and he died there nine years later (Source).

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[giradman]

Miami Cuisine - Diverse Variety & Great Seafood

Susan & I have been eating quite well in Miami Beach, and I've mentioned our superb brunch on Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel and the lunch at the Bayside Marketplace. Last night we dined at Tatel (founded by Enrique Iglesias, Rafael Nadal & Pau Gasol to bring a Spanish eatery to Miami) - for starters we shared Seabream ceviche and Grilled octopus w/ confit potatoes and mojo sauce, both superb; Susan had the Charcoal grilled baby squid w/ caramelized onions/pine nuts and I the Monkfish in salsa verde w/ porcini mushrooms & clams; for dessert a warm toffee pudding and a basil sorbet (the latter yummy if you love basil).

Tonight (Tuesday), we walked a few blocks to the Lure Fishbar - first shared a dozen oysters on the half shell, some of our favorites from the west coast, i.e. Kumamoto & Kusshi - we rarely see these offered back home in Carolina, so a special treat. We had a late lunch, so Susan wanted 'something light' and ordered the Lobster Roll, which was served in a brioche bun w/ plenty of lobster meat and a light sauce; for me, the grilled Swordfish w/ Broccoli Rabe. Dessert was a shared and delicious Key Lime Pie w/ a decaff coffee. We plan to simply return tomorrow night (our last day) and have the same oysters again! I'm planning on ordering from their sushi/sashimi menu.

Now, we are certainly not experts in the many varied cuisines offered in the Miami area and have focused mostly on the seafood selections, but there is certainly much to try w/ variable offerings in the different neighborhoods mentioned previously. For those wanting an interesting watch, I would recommend Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, Season 5 - Episode 3 which is about Miami - he and his guests explore many different cuisines of the area. Dave

The cuisine of Miami is a reflection of its diverse population, with a heavy influence especially from Caribbean cuisine and from Latin American cuisine. By combining the two with American cuisine, it has spawned a unique South Florida style of cooking known as Floribbean cuisine. Floribbean cuisine is widely available throughout Miami and South Florida. Cuban immigrants in the 1960s brought the Cuban sandwich, medianoche, Cuban espresso, and croquetas, all of which have grown in popularity, and have become symbols of the city's varied cuisine. Today, these are part of the local culture, and can be found throughout the city in many places. Restaurants such as Versailles restaurant in Little Havana are landmark eateries of Miami. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, and with a long history as a seaport, Miami is also known for its seafood, with many seafood restaurants located along the Miami River, and in and around Biscayne Bay (Source).

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[giradman]

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

The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin and part of the neotropic ecozone. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee. Water leaving the lake in the wet season forms a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long, flowing southward across a limestone shelf to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state. The Everglades experience a wide range of weather patterns, from frequent flooding in the wet season to drought in the dry season. Writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas popularized the term "River of Grass" to describe the sawgrass marshes, part of a complex system of interdependent ecosystems that include cypress swamps, the estuarine mangrove forests of the Ten Thousand Islands, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rockland, and the marine environment of Florida Bay (Source).

Miccosukee Tribe of Indians is a federally recognized Indian Tribe residing in the historic Florida Everglades – an area referred to as a “River of Grass” by legendary environmental and social activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas. In their own Miccosukee language, the Tribe uses the word “Kahayatle” to refer to the shimmering waters of this natural treasure. In fact, Ms. Douglas traces the etymology of the word “Everglades” revealing that it originates from the same description of the quality of light glimmering on the grassy waters. The Miccosukees strongly maintain their unique way of life, ancient customs, and spirituality. It is the goal of the Tribe to articulate its beliefs and values by transmitting the essence of their heritage to their descendants. This mission is also expressed in their form of government, which is inspired by centuries-old practices and traditions (Source.

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[giradman]

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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