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| Lummus Beach Park in South Beach |
My trip to Southern Florida was planned far less in advance than most of my other trips usually are. In fact, it was on quite a whim that I decided to come visit this area. I had received a good deal on a ticket voucher through my Delta Skymiles account. Having visited warm Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the previous January, I thought it might be fun to try another sunny destination during the following January. My ticket voucher could only be applied towards a destination in the United States, so one day I randomly thought, "What about traveling to Miami in January?" My trip occurred over a period of six days and involved visiting Miami, Miami Beach, Everglades National Park, and a drive down the Florida Keys with a two night stopover in Key West.
Day 1: Thursday, January 8th 2009
Although there are direct flights from Seattle to Miami on Alaska Airlines, my travel voucher was through Delta Airlines and I ended up having a layover in Atlanta. I flew from Seattle to Atlanta at 14:05, and then onto Miami. I finally arrived in Miami at midnight, one hour later than expected due to a late departure from Atlanta.
I had reserved a car rental ahead of time through Thrifty which I had no issues or complaints with whatsoever.
Exhausted at this point, I got the car from the car rental agency and headed to South Beach, where my pre-booked accommodation at the Clay Hotel was located. When choosing my accommodation in Miami, I knew that I wanted to stay in South Beach. However, I didn't want to pay the high prices normally associated with the area so I began searching for budget hotels. Clay Hotel is located along the charming Espanola Way and has a range of rooms that include shared baths to deluxe accommodations. I ended up reserving a budget room which was the cheapest private bath option. The room certainly wasn't fancy but it worked for what I needed and was very affordable.
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| Clay Hotel in Miami. |
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| Clay Hotel in Miami. |
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| Charming area located just outside the Clay Hotel. |
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| Charming area located just outside the Clay Hotel. |
Day 2: Friday, January 9th 2009
Having had an extremely late night the night before, I ended up waking up at 11:00. I was greeted with bright blue skies and the beautiful, warm sun. I was super excited to get outside and feel the sun, so I got ready quickly.
From my hotel I drove through South Beach, enjoying the colorful and interesting Art Deco architecture from my car window as I drove towards Coconut Grove. I eventually reached the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens which was once the private home of James Deering, an American millionaire. In the early 1900’s, Deering bought 180 acres of waterfront property in the northern area of what is now Coconut Grove. His plan was to build and create a Renaissance Italian villa with formal gardens like those he had visited on his European vacations. In order to achieve his goal, he made two separate trips to Europe, purchasing and later amassing a massive collection of various pieces including furniture, decorative art, tapestries, entire ceilings, wall panels and much more. These treasured pieces (which range from the 15th to 19th centuries) were then used to assemble his villa, specifically designing the interior space around the artifacts he had obtained. Construction of his home took over two years to complete and required over 1000 workers, which was at that point in time ten percent of the population of Miami.
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| View from Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
I arrived just in time to join a 45 minute guided tour, which was included in the $15 entrance fee. The tour guide took visitors through the main floor of the house, explaining in great detail the history of many of the objects in each of the rooms. At times, I felt as though I was wandering through a palace in Europe as the rooms were so authentic to their specific designated period (i.e. Rococo, Baroque, Neo-Classical, etc). The house reminded me in many ways of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California as both homes were built with artifacts from palaces, castles, and churches in Europe.
After the tour concluded, I visited the upstairs portion of the house, which included the many guest bedrooms and Deering’s private bedroom and bathroom. Next, I walked outside where I was rewarded with amazing views of Biscayne Bay. From the back terrace, I walked into the formal gardens.
The formal gardens took even longer to create than the house did, finally finishing in 1921. The ten acre garden mixes layouts from 16th and 17th century Italian hillside estates with those of 17th century France, creating a beautiful and serene place with many walking and photographic opportunities. I spent quite a bit of time walking through the gardens as there was many beautiful things to take photos of. The best part of the gardens, however, was the warm sun that was beating down on me; it was crazy to think that it was cold and probably less than 40 degrees back in Seattle, while I was experiencing nearly 80 degree weather.
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
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| Vizcaya Museum and Gardens |
From Vizcaya, I drove towards Coral Gables, which was one of the first planned subdivisions in the United States, the brainchild of George Merrick. This community helped termed phrases such as "gated community" and "homeowners association." In the 1920’s Merrick purchased 10,000 acres and then built the famous Biltmore Hotel, a beautiful resort built in the Spanish-Moorish style. Afterward, Coral Gables continued to evolve with broad streets, plazas, and public spaces such as the Venetian Pool. The 12 square miles of Coral Gables contain several unique neighborhoods, including the Chinese Village, Italian Village, and the French Normandy Village. Unfortunately, due to the lack of addresses for these neighborhoods and without a detailed map in my possession, I was unable to drive through any of the “themed villages." I did, however, see the Biltmore Hotel and its gorgeous interior along with the Coral Gables Congregational Church.
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables |
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| Palm trees near Coral Gables Congregational Church. |
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| Coral Gables Congregational Church |
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| Coral Gables Congregational Church |
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| Coral Gables Congregational Church |
After driving through the amazing estates in Coral Gables, I headed over to Key Biscayne. Key Biscayne is actually an island east of downtown Miami and south of Miami Beach. I first stopped at Crandon Beach Park, which was located on the eastern side of the island. I found the beach right away, but was disappointed when I saw that there was a $5 parking fee. However, I somehow managed to avoid paying the fee when I entered the parking lot; the attendant just waved me on in. By this point, it was around 16:30, and the temperature was beginning to decrease, so it was a bit chilly at the beach especially with the breeze. I was shocked at how few people I saw at the beach; there were maybe a few dozen people when it normally could have been covered with hundreds. Although 70 degrees may sound like good beach weather to this Seattleite, apparently the same does not hold true for Miamians. I walked down the beach for a few minutes, running my toes through the soft sand and eventually touching the Atlantic Ocean, a first for me.
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
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| Crandon Beach Park on Key Biscayne |
From Crandon Beach, I headed to the southern tip of the island to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area. This is a 415 acre park that is home to the Cape Florida Lighthouse, which was built in 1845 and is the oldest structure in Florida. I arrived in the park just as the sun was beginning to set, so I was beside myself knowing that I would be able to attain some amazing photography of the beach and its lighthouse as the backdrop would be a beautiful pink-blueish sky. In the end, I was thrilled with my photos; it seems that I often find myself arriving at the right place at the right time in terms of photograph opportunities.
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area |
After leaving the park, I headed back north on Key Biscayne until I reached Key Biscayne Village, the only town on the island. As I had only been snacking all day, I was quite ready for a full meal so I selected Café Croisic, a French bistro, based on recommendations from my Lonely Planet guidebook. I arrived just as the restaurant opened at 18:00. For my meal, I ordered the French Onion Soup as an appetizer, the chicken dish for dinner, and had chocolate cake for dessert. The soup was good, not necessarily the best I’ve ever had, but certainly not the worst either. The chicken was surprisingly good; it was a chicken breast that had been tenderized and then grilled with a balsamic vinegar reduction and placed over mashed potatoes. The chicken was moist and had a pleasing char-broiled taste. The dessert, however, was definitely the best part. It was a chocolate cake-like brownie that had a thick and oozing chocolate sauce in its center, topped by a scoop of ice cream. While I enjoy chocolate, it’s not necessarily my most favorite choice for dessert, but this chocolate dish was the most amazing I’ve ever had (in terms of chocolate). As I bit into the cake-like texture, I was immediately greeted with the warm, oozing rich chocolate center. The taste was phenomenal, period. The total price of dinner was more than I would have like to normally spend ($45) but as I hadn’t spent too much that day on sightseeing, I didn’t feel too bad. In truth, although I had an excellent experience with dessert, the food itself was overpriced, but is a good choice if you want some delicious French food.
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| Chicken dish from Cafe Croisic in Key Biscayne. |
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| Chocolate cake from Cafe Croisic in Key Biscayne. |
From the restaurant, I headed back to South Beach, where I relaxed in my hotel room for the rest of the evening. I was still exhausted from my travel nightmare from the day before.
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