Jill Podehl Florida destinations today: In the mood for even more culture? Then pay a visit to the Norton Museum of Art. Established in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton, this excellent art gallery houses the industrialist’s vast collection of artworks from around the globe. Be prepared to take your time when you visit. The largest art gallery of its kind in Florida, the Norton Museum is home to some 7,000 works from Europe, China, and the US. In addition to its many galleries, there’s also a lovely courtyard to explore, as well as a sculpture garden. A variety of free tours are available, including fun after-hour tours on Friday evenings. The museum also offers a regular roster of lectures and educational programming. A restaurant and gift shop are also located on the premises. Read even more information at http://disqus.com/by/jillpodehl.
It’s almost a crime to visit Miami without a trip to Zoo Miami, especially if you’re traveling with family. The stunning location holds over 500 different animal species over 3,000 individual animals, all housed in natural-style environments that maintain a healthy habitat for them all. Better yet, Zoo Miami does not use cages. The zoo, which opened in 1948, separates animals safely using moats, keeping them apart from animals they don’t mix with and visitors. This makes the animals all the happier, and they’re a wonder to see. Zoo Miami offers a lot of educational programs for people of all ages. Activities include rides, giraffe feedings, water play spots, tram tours and monorails, etc. There are 750 acres of land to explore; after all, this is Florida’s biggest zoo!
With its many interactive exhibits and a large number of hands-on displays the Miami Science museum offers a truly immersive experience encompassing a wide range of scientific fields including physics, biology and chemistry. Established in 1950, the museum has grown significantly and has expanded its space considerably throughout the years. The Museum exhibits regularly change offering fresh themes and displays to a 2nd 3rd or 4th visit is never too much. But to truly enjoy a vacation you also need a nice place to stay.
Do you need to enjoy the blue sky and the warm sun ? Miami is a perfect place to relax. What can you see in Miami? This former home of Charles Deering is a 444-acre estate, protecting globally endangered pine rockland habitat, as well as coastal tropical hardwood rockland hammocks, mangrove forests, salt marshes, and a coastal dune island. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Deering Estate at Cutler is home to the Richmond Cottage, which served as a hotel, as well as historical buildings dating from 1896 to 1922, and an American Indian burial ground dating from 1500. Charles Deering was an art collector, who, along with his brother James, accumulated a great number of works by the Old Masters. Deering himself also painted, and some of his works are on display here. The Artist Village at the estate has become an important cultural center, featuring art and artists programs.
Hot Florida destinations from Jill Podehl: At its southern extremes, the Miami area turns agricultural and natural in Homestead, tropical fruit capital and home to a grand new auto-racing speedway. Homestead is also gateway to two extraordinary national parks. Biscayne National Park introduces a world accessible by boat, a world best seen through a snorkel mask. A 40-mile road takes you through Everglades National Park and its subtle beauty, to Flamingo, where a modest lodge and scores of water and land adventure await. East of town, along Tamiami Trail, lies another Everglades access. Nearby, the Miccosukee Indian tribe attracts visitors with a modern casino and a cultural attraction that includes airboat rides to old-style clan camps.
New owners William Edgemon and Raymond Moss saw the potential in their purchase and spent the equivalent of 20 million dollars to move the whole structure and rebuilt it in the northern area of Miami. Its life didn’t begin here in Miami, Florida, though – it started out as a building in Spain that served as the living quarters of Cistercian monks, keeping up this purpose for over 700 years. It would fall out of this use after being seized by a revolutionary movement, which repurposed it into a stable and granary. In 1925, William Randolph Hearst, a newspaper magnate, was so impressed by the sheer beauty and wonder of the monastery that he decided to completely purchase it. Each part of it was broken apart into individual stones, packaged into over 11,000 boxes, and sent to Brooklyn, New York. Read even more information on Jill Podehl West Palm Beach.
The great outdoors offers its own myriad of fun possibilities. Get out on the water to experience Greater Miami from a different perspective aboard an airboat tour in the Everglades or on a Millionaire’s Row cruise through Biscayne Bay aboard the Island Queen. Or, you can simply rent a paddleboard or kayak and experience the unique aquatic ecosystems up close. As such, it’s hard to pick the best places in Miami for guests. There’s simply so much to do and enjoy! It’s a tough list, but we’ve put together a selection of some of the very greatest of the greatest that the city has to offer.