~ Art
Deco Center ~ The Miami
Beach Art Deco area encompasses more
than 800 historic buildings from the 1920s/1930s. The term was coined in 1968 by historian
Bevis Hillier to describe flat roofs, smooth stucco walls and a distinctly modern look making most Art
Deco buildings easy to spot. The Miami
Design Preservation League’s
Ocean Drive Welcome Center
offers tours, and self-guided tours are aided by cassette rental. Trendy Ocean
Drive makes an ideal starting point for a 10-block stretch of pastel-splashed hotels, cafes,
shops, restaurants and clubs. Miami Design Preservation League: 1001 Ocean Drive,
Miami Beach. (305) 672-2014
~ Cape Florida Lighthouse
~ Off US Highway 1 on the southeast tip of Key Biscayne
just south of Miami Beach, FL (305) 361-5811 Located on the
southeast tip of Key Biscayne, the Cape
Florida Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Florida.
Established in 1825 to mark the Florida Reefs
for ships entering Biscayne Bay, the lighthouse sits on the closest
point of land to the Gulf Stream. The
original tower was destroyed in 1836 during the Second Seminole
War. The new tower was not completed until 1845 due to hostile Indian
activity. Originally 65 feet high, the tower was raised to 95 feet in 1855. During the Civil War the lighthouse lamp was
destroyed by a band of marauders believed to be Confederate soldiers. The
lighthouse went out of active service in 1878 but was relit in 1978 and today is open to the public. The
restored Keeper's Cottage houses a museum.
~ Everglades National Park
~ 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, Florida 33034 1-305-242-7799
If you’re
in the Everglades area for the canoeing or other water action, why not take advantage also of the extensive biking trails
in the area? In fact, Everglades National Park allows biking along the main park roads, on the Shark Valley tram road, on
the Old Ingraham Highway, on Long Pine Key Nature Trail, and on the Snake Bight and Rowdy Bend trails at Flamingo. Much of
it gives you plenty of miles to pedal on: Miami-Dade Parks’ 14-miles bike hike along the Long Pine Key path traverses
pineland and prairie habitat. Keep an eye out for alligators slumbering along the sides of many of these trails--they may
be more alert than they seem. And if you’re a competitive-minded biker up for an local event while visiting Miami, then
mark your calendar and get ready for the MS 150/Breakaway to Key Largo Bike Tour which heads south every year at the end of
April, starting from the Miami Metro Zoo and ending up down in the Keys.
~ Hialeah Park ~
Hialeah
Park contains one of horse racings oldest and most prominent tracks. Built
in 1925 as a resort facility, the park was modeled after European racing sites such as Longchamps in France and several notable
tracks in England. Bought in 1930 by Joseph Widener, the park was redesigned and includes a Renaissance Revival clubhouse,
associated buildings and formal landscaped gardens of flora and fauna native to southern Florida. The park has a lake with
several islands inhabited by large flocks of pink flamingos. Hialeah Park has become so famous for these birds that it has
been officially designated a sanctuary for the American Flamingo by the Audubon Society. The racetrack and associated buildings
are among the oldest existing recreational facilities in southern Florida. Originally built to attract the rich and famous
who rode special trains to the park from Palm Beach, Hialeah Park has contributed to the development and popularization of
southern Florida as a winter resort. Hialeah Park is in the City of Hialeah (NW of Miami) and is bounded by East 32nd
Street, East 4th Avenue (Flamingo Way), the Florida East Coast Railroad and Palm Avenue.
~ Venetian Pool
~ 2701 DeSoto Boulevard - Coral Gables Originally
a rock quarry, the Venetian Pool is situated in a residential area of Coral Gables. Used as a source of coral rock for construction
during the early years of Coral Gables, the quarry was later turned into a public pool. Coral Gables Corporation architect
Phineas E. Paist and artistic advisor Denman Fink designed a pool inspired by the lagoons of Venice. The Venetian Pool was
completed in 1924. The pool is surrounded by several Spanish style buildings, a garden patio and a grotto. The grotto is carved
from the coral rock of the quarry walls with waterfalls, a cave and a rock diving platform. Spanning one section of the pool
is a Venetian style bridge leading to an artificial island with large palm trees. The terra cotta roof tiles, observation
towers and loggias of the pool's buildings continue a tradition of Mediterranean-inspired design found throughout Coral Gables.
~ Vizcaya Museum and
Gardens ~ 3251 S. Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33129 1-305-250-9133 Modeled after a lavish Italian Renaissance style palace, Vizcaya was built in 1916 as the
winter residence of industrialist James Deering. The estate is located on the west shore of Biscayne Bay and is operated as
a decorative arts museum by the Dade County Park and Recreation Department. Vizcaya is famous for its fantastically decorated
rooms filled with antiques ranging from the 15th through the early 19th centuries and for its ornamental ironwork, particularly
the front gate, created by Samuel Yellin. The estate is also well known for its formal gardens inspired by Italian Renaissance
palace gardens. Among the many gardens at Vizcaya are the walled Secret Garden, the large Formal Garden with elaborately clipped
low hedges; the Theatre Garden, a small garden in the form of an Italian outdoor theatre; and the Fountain Garden, a large
circular garden with a 16th century fountain at its center. Also of note are the Casino, a loggia or open summer retreat at
the southern end of the garden; the Mount, an artificial hill with man made shell lined grottoes in the front and back; a
latticed Tea House on one end of the sea wall and a breakwater built in the shape of a large stone barge. Local building materials
were used throughout the house and grounds and several prominent artists contributed to the overall decoration of the estate.
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