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Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens - 6 miles SW

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

 The 16 acres that surround Morikami’s two museum buildings include expansive Japanese gardens with strolling paths, resting areas, our world-class bonsai collection and lakes teeming with koi and other wildlife. The wider 200-acre park features nature trails, pine forests and picnic areas.

In 2001, Morikami completed a major garden expansion and renovation. The new gardens reflect major periods of Japanese garden design, from the eighth to the 20th century, and serve as an outdoor extension of the museum. According to the garden designer, Hoichi Kurisu, each garden is intended to express the character and ideas of a unique counterpart in Japan without attempting to duplicate those gardens, and seamlessly flow together as one garden.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, with its unique gardens and collections, is one of Palm Beach County’s most treasured cultural attractions. Located in a tranquil natural setting, Morikami invites visitors to explore its many facets and discover Florida’s heritage and its connection with Japan.

Visitors are surprised to discover a century-old connection between Japan and South Florida. It is here that a group of young Japanese farmers created a community intended to revolutionize agriculture in Florida.

In 1904, Jo Sakai, a recent graduate of New York University, returned to his homeland of Miyazu, Japan, to organize a group of pioneering farmers and lead them to what is now northern Boca Raton. With the help of the Model Land Company, a subsidiary of Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railroad, they formed a farming colony they named Yamato, an ancient name for Japan.

Ultimately, the results of their crop experimentation were disappointing and the Yamato Colony fell far short of its goals. By the 1920s the community, which had never grown beyond 30 to 35 individuals, finally surrendered its dream. One by one, the families left for other parts of the United States or returned to Japan.

Hours of operation: Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays

View Trip Map

Admission: $15 (No Online Tikets)

Flamingo Gardens - Davie (42 miles South)

Flamingo Gardens is a 60 acre Botanical Garden and Everglade Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The Flamingo Gardens botanical gardens in Fort Lauderdale, (Davie) Florida, features over 3000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. Flamingo Gardens wildlife sanctuary is home to the largest collection of Florida native wildlife including alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, peacock, and of course, flamingos!

​​Established in 1927, Flamingo Gardens is one of the oldest botanical gardens  and attractions in South Florida. Originally founded by Floyd L. and Jane Wray as an orange grove, the nonprofit botanical gardens is home to 18 “Champion” trees, the largest trees of their species, including the largest tree in Florida. Specialized botanical gardens, including a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Croton Garden, and Bromeliad Garden dot the main Arboretum. 

​The centerpiece of the gardens is a natural hammock of 200 year-old Live Oaks dripping with species orchids and epiphytes. Here sits the historic Wray Home Museum, built in 1933 by Floyd L. and Jane Wray as a weekend retreat. It is the oldest residence in Broward County west of University Drive. The building was restored in 1991 to depict a typical South Florida country home of the 1930's.

Nestled in and around the gardens, the Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary is home to over 90 species of Florida native birds and animals, most of whom are permanently injured or non-releasable.The half-acre Free-flight Aviary boasts over 250 wading birds representing over 45 species, and the Bird of Prey Center houses one of the largest raptor collections in the United States. 

​

Flamingo Gardens is owned and operated by the Floyd L. Wray Memorial Foundation, Inc. which was established in 1969 by Mrs. Wray in honor of her late husband. Her wish to preserve the core property for future generations and emphasize the flora, fauna, and history of the Florida Everglades is the core of Flamingo Gardens' mission still today.

Hours of operation: 7 days a week 9:30am - 5:00pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.

View Trip Map

Online Tickets $19.95

Edison & Ford Winter Estates on the West Coast

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates contain a historical museum and 21 acre (8.5 hectares) botanical garden on the adjacent sites of the winter homes of Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford.

The present site dates from 1885, when Edison first visited Florida and purchased the property to build a vacation home. His home, completed in 1886 and later dubbed "Seminole Lodge", served as a winter retreat and place of relaxation until Edison's death in 1931. Edison’s good friend Henry Ford purchased the adjoining property, "The Mangoes".

Visitors to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will enjoy 20 acres of historical buildings, historic gardens, the Edison Botanic Research Lab and the Edison Ford Museum. The newly restored buildings include the Edison Main House, Guest House, and Caretaker’s House and the Ford House.  The 1929 historic landscape is throughout the property including the award winning Moonlight Garden. The Edison Ford Museum has hundreds of inventions, artifacts and special exhibits.

A National Register Historic Site, Florida Historic Landmark and Winner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Restoration Award, this place offers a chance to step back into “old Florida” and the opportunity to learn more about the world through unique historical, scientific and cultural experiences.

In 2014 the Edison Botanic Research Laboratory was designated as a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society.

Open Daily 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. Last Guided Tour starts at 4:00 pm. Self-guided audio tours available in English, German, French, and Spanish.  Maps available in English, German, French and Spanish. German language historian-led tours are also available every Wednesday at 10:30am.

Museum Store, Ford Cottage Shoppe and Garden Shoppe are open daily 9.00 am to 5:30 pm.

Practical Tips:

Distance from Roseaire: 162 miles, about 2:30 hours. Map.

Official Website here.

Wikipedia article here.

Alligators and Airboats ...sounds like fun!

From a Trip Advisor visitor:

"An airboat tour had been on my bucket list so I went to the park and had an enjoyable morning.

We brought bug repellent (which you MIGHT need when the boat is not moving). Some folks used it but there really were not that many flying insects.

As for the sights - be forewarned. Unless the gators are on dry land (and there isn't a lot of that), you generally only see their eyes and nose. It was interesting seeing them in so many shapes and sizes but the big ones were part of the show. We also had a good luck at turtles and some rather colorful birds. The little lady and I enjoyed the ride.

The airboats are comfortable but noisy - wear the earplugs they give you. My guide was pretty funny and made certain we had a good time.

After the tour, there is an alligator "show". No, the guide doesn't put his head in the gator's mouth but he does demonstrate how our perception of the alligator is skewed by what we see on TV. the gator's didn't really move all that much but I'm not certain I'd want to be standing in a gator pen with my back to some really big alligators like he did.

There is a photo opportunity where you get to hold a baby alligator for $3.

The gift shop has just what you would imagine. The restaurant was small and made even smaller when a bus pulled in. There are seats outdoors but it was at least 87 degrees when I was there. I had an ice cream cone and passed.


We got there around 8:15 am and by 12 we were on the road back to Miami. It was a nice time and worth the visit."



There are several places offering tours.
You may try Everglades Safari Park, family run since 1968. For a reasonable fee they offer a so-called  Eco-Adventure Tour that includes:

» 30-40 minute Airboat Ride
» Alligator Wildlife Nature Show &
» Jungle Trail, Observation Platform & Exhibits

Practical Tips:

Distance from Roseaire: 77 miles, about 1:30 hours ride. Map.

Combos: You can combine the excursion with one of the urban choices in Miami, like a Downtown Ride, Coral Gables or Wynnwood graffiti tour.

Kennedy Space Center

It's not that far. merely two hours and a half driving and you will get a thrilling experience of the outer space. Of course, you are not allowed to visit the launching place itself at Cape Canaveral and it

would be an unheard chance to be there at the time of a particular launching.
However the guided visit to the Visitors Center is full of artifacts connected to the History of the Space race for the Moon and all the stuff.





Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire: 171 miles, about 2:30 hours. Map here

Be aware that it's not a cheap excursion. Check here the current admission fee, above $50 per person per day. You may also try here for a Discount Coupon.

Official website here

If you want to get there early, there is a 7 am mass at Saint Vincent Ferrer in Delray Beach. Map

First of all: how to get to Roseaire?

Getting to Roseaire by Public Transportation

Please note: excluded from this post are directions for getting to Roseaire by car. If you travel by car, either you are local or you will consult your GPS, Google Maps or whatever.

If you fly from anywhere in or out the US, the three closest airports are, by closest to farthest: Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. If you decide to go by train, the system in South Florida is called TRI-RAIL. Amtrak has no station at Delray Beach.

1. Flying into Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA)

Just take a taxi. It's approximately a 20 minute ride!

2. Flying into Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

Depending on traffic, a taxi ride may vary from a 40 minute ride to one hour, although the expense can be shared for multiple passengers.
The alternative is to take the "Tri-Rail" and arrange pick up at Delray Beach station. It's a 40 min train ride.

The Tri-Rail station is not in the airport, but there is a free shuttle that gets you there.

3 Flying to Miami International Airport (MIA)

From any terminal you arrive in, take the SkyTrain (inter-connection among terminals) and proceed to the MIA Station. From there a shuttle train will take you to the Central Station. You can't miss it since there is just one stop for everything: Rental-Car, Metrorail and Tri-Rail. Take the Tri-Rail to Delray Beach Station.

Arrange pick up at Delray Beach station. It's a 1hour and 40 minute train ride. From the station to Roseaire is a 10-minute ride.

Practical Tips:

Be aware that this is not a busy line. Trains go every hour, or every half an hour during rush hours.

The Flagler Museum

A must in Palm Beach

Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil together with John D. Rockefeller. 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 Miami, Florida, and founded the city of Palm Beach.

The Overseas Railroad (a.k.a. Florida Overseas Railroad and the Overseas Extension) was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, located 128 miles (206 kilometers) beyond the end of the Florida peninsula. Work on the line started in 1905 and was completed in 1912; the line was in daily passenger and freight service until its destruction by a hurricane in 1935.

When Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed that it was "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Today, Whitehall is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, featuring guided tours, changing exhibits, and special programs. Visiting areas are First Floor, Second Floor and Pavilion.

Practical Tips:

Distance from Roseaire: 22 miles, approximately 30 minutes. Map. Be aware that the bridge will remain closed to traffic for several months in 2014 for an undergoing repair.

Hours and admittance: 10am-5pm. Closed on Mondays. Admittance fee ($18 in 2016) includes the self-guided audio-tour. There is also an app that you can download for free for iOS or Android devices.

Virtual Tour video Here

Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands

A Nature Trail right in the backyard

Allmost all South Florida is as flat as the palm of your hand so that if your prefer climbing to the top of the mountain, you can climb a tree or go somewhere else.

However, nothing is more characteristic of the Florida mainland than the so called "wetlands", where there is more water than dry land and where the wild life thrives.

There are many nature parks at a Roseaire short-ride distance. Some of them have convenient walkways. One of the best is Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, just five miles NW of Roseaire, barely 10 minutes driving!

Green Cay offers 1.5 miles of elevated boardwalk that takes you through 100 acres of constructed wetland. The trails are wheelchair and stroller accessible, and there are benches on the boardwalk and around the outside of the Nature Center for those that would like to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. Visitors do not have to pay admission to Green Cay Nature Center to enjoy this boardwalk.

If possible go early because that is when the animals are more active.

Practical Tips:

Distance from Roseaire: 5.2mi, 10-15 min drive. Map

Schedule: Boardwalk open daily: 7 am - sunset

Elapsed time: 1-3 hours

Check the Visitors Center schedule. They offer an orientation to the wildlife and the landscape you’ll encounter here.  

Admission: Free

Photo Album Here

Start your walk at the nature center by heading right to walk counterclockwise around the outer loop. The boardwalks pass over waterways of various depths, and this particular section is deep. You might see an alligator drifting along the surface. At the first boardwalk junction, keep right—the boardwalk to the left creates a short loop back to the nature center.

The Beach at the Doorstep ...or almost!

There are, of course, other options for the Sports or daily Free-time, but being in Florida and not going at least once to the beach should be punishable.

As the name suggests, Delray Beach is by the ocean and has a long, sandy beach that is very calm when there are no adverse weather conditions.

The best relatively secluded place to go is the beach located south of Delray's  Seagate Beach Club. From this point on, there are only residential homes, no hotels nor other crowded facilities.

You'll have to drive 15 minutes to Anchor Park where there is a public parking lot. Be attentive to the signs that say "To the A1A" road. This route will avoid the busy part of Atlantic Ave in the downtown area.

Park the car there and go to the beach walking south. Soon you'll leave behind the beach chairs of the Seagate Club and you'll have a beautiful Florida beach for yourself.


Practical Tips

Distance: 5 mi, about 15 minutes.

Avoid Atlantic Ave in downtown.

If you are coming from the North and have a pale skin, be sure you bring plenty of sun protection lotion. Here in Florida the sun really beats down hard.

Be aware that during the rainy season storms are more probable in the afternoon.

Check the weather  especially the rip currents forecast. Rip currents kill more people in Florida during an average year than hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning combined. See here how to react.

Ave Maria University, Naples and the West Coast

Ave Maria University is a young, vibrant university located in the beautiful Southwest Florida. It is an academic institution that pledges faithfulness to the teachings of the Church and is committed to offering one of the finest classical liberal arts curricula available, as well as opportunities for specialized study in all of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Ave Maria University began as Thomas S. Monaghan’s dream to build an institution of Catholic higher education that would be faithful to the Magisterium and could produce future faithful educators, leaders, and mentors that could meet the challenges of society's needs. Through his initial financial donation of $250 million (coming from his selling of Domino´s Pizza in 1998), in partnership with a generous donation of land from the Barron Collier Family in Southwest Florida, the dream began to take shape.

It has a beautiful campus near Naples, on the West Coast of Florida. An excursion there gives the opportunity to peer out into the Gulf of Mexico. Naples is a quiet, well to do community that has been attracting retired people from the North like all of Florida but sees Miami as a bit "too Cuban".

According to their statement (breath deeply -there are few periods): "Founded in fidelity to Christ and His Church in response to the call of Vatican II for greater lay witness in contemporary society, Ave Maria University exists to further teaching, research, and learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the abiding tradition of Catholic thought in both national and international settings. The University takes as its mission the sponsorship of a liberal arts education curriculum dedicated, as articulated in the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, to the advancement of human culture, the promotion of dialogue between faith and reason, the formation of men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the Catholic faith, and to the development of professional and pre-professional programs in response to local and societal needs. As an institution committed to Catholic principles, the University recognizes the importance of creating and maintaining an environment in which faith informs the life of the community and takes expression in all its programs. The University recognizes the central and indispensable role of the Ordinary of the Diocese of Venice in promoting and assisting in the preservation and strengthening of the University’s Catholic identity."

Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire, 120mi, 2 hours driving. See Map.

Most of the ride is through I75 known as Alligator Alley, but don´t get overexcited. The probability of sighting alligators is low since I75 is a highway and beasts are kept far away through fences and canals. If you want to see gators, better to go on another excursion. 

Also most of the ride goes through the Miccosukee Indian Reservation. Fill the tank before going into it -there is no gas station for many miles. There is only one, Miccosukee Service Plaza, Exit FL-49.

Ave Maria website

Combos. There is a noon mass at Ave Maria. Check the schedule just in case.

Photo Album

Amazing Coral Reef

If you are the kind of guy that enjoys visiting very special nature spots, then you may want to take the opportunity of staying in South Florida for submerging into a coral reef and to see at just one foot from your eyes the amazing tropic.

Of course it's a long trip, but a two-hours ride is not that much after all if the prize is good enough. We are talking about the Keys, those elongated islands that are like a chain extending Florida almost to Cuba.

There are quite a string of them until the last one, Key West, 215 miles from Roseaire, 90 miles away from Cuba and the favorite of bohemians. However, the good news is that you don't need to go that far. Key Largo, apart from lodging the actual Africa Queen boat used in the mythical Humphrey Bogart movie, is the best for touring diving and kayaking sports.

After 110 miles and two hours driving you'll be ready for the adventure in the seas. The place is called John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and offers plenty of options to choose from depending on how daring you are with the sea. You can just sign up for the glass-bottom boat tour if you are reluctant to go under water, or you can go snorkeling. Both tours are found at the Main Concession. Also you can try Reef-Roamer. You may like to rent kayaks instead, or stop by Tekesta on your way south and take the kayaks from there. They also offer scuba diving for the bolder ones.

Nobody who visits the Keys -says Bob Rountree, co-founder of FloridaRambler.com - or who has lived in Florida as long as I have, has any excuse for not visiting this state park that is the anchor of all known activities in this, the northernmost territory of the Conch Republic.

Pennekamp is the first undersea state park in the country, created to protect part of the only living coral reef in the continental United States. The park extends three miles into the Atlantic Ocean and ranges 21 miles in length, adjacent to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire: 110 mi, two hours driving. Map. Be patient -first half you have highways but then you merge to US1 and after a while, the road has just one lane on each direction. Pray that you don't get behind a slow truck on your way.

As said, you may want to make a stop at Tekesta to grab some kayaks on the go.

Hours of Operation: The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Lunch: You'll find several restaurants along the US1 from 2 mi North of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to 7 miles South, but most probably you'll rather skip the lunch to enjoy the sea the longest you can.

Combos: There is a church in Key Largo, St. Justin the Martyr, but the daily mass is at 8am, too early to fit into the schedule in a possible early rise.

Photo Gallery: Click Here

Deering Estate at Cutler

Deering Estate belonged to Charles Deering. It's a nice place to visit although it lacks the grandeur of his brother James Deering's Vizcaya mansion. Its a rather quiet Mediterranean style villa by the bay with a relaxing water view.

Both Charles and his younger brother James (1859 – 1925) passionately amassed works by the old masters as well as painters of their own day. James collected 15th to 19th century art for Vizcaya, also located in Miami, Florida. Charles preferred to fill his mansions in Sitges, Spain and also built the Stone House to house works of the Spanish masters such as El Greco, Diego Velasquez, and Rembrandt. In total he amassed more than 4,000 pieces of art and had one of the largest collections in the world. His art collection was appraised at $60 million dollars in 1922.

Upon his death, Charles Deering heired his collection to his two daughters, Marion Deering McCormick (Mrs. Chauncey, 1886–1965) and Barbara Deering Danielson (Mrs. Richard, 1888–1982). The women donated many works to the Art Institute of Chicago in the decades following their father’s death.

After Charles Deering's death in 1927, his daughters owned the Estate for more than half a century. The property was put up for sale after the last heir - Charles' daughter, Barbara Deering Danielson, passed away. In 1985, the Nature Conservancy brokered the deal that allowed the State of Florida and Miami-Dade County to purchase the property.

As said, much of the art collection is now in Chicago. Only a few pieces of furniture and paintings copies remain in the Stone House. Also noticeable are some old devices from the early XX century outside the house, like a gas pump and a concrete mixer. The panoramic views of the sea and the Stone House as a background make Deering Estate one of the favorite places for wedding photo shootings.

Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire: 76 mi. Approximately 1 hour and 20 min. Map. It's a bit far away to go specifically to see this place, so you may want to combine it with another place nearby.

Hours of Operation
10:00 am to 5:00 pm (last ticket is sold at 4:00 pm)
Open every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving

General Admission
General admission to the Deering Estate at Cutler in 2016 is $12 for adults and $7 for youth (ages 4-14).

Official website: Click Here

Photo Gallery

Wynwood -the Mecca of Graffiti!

There are no monuments at Wynwood nor nice parks nor bay views, but for anyone who enjoys street art, this neighborhood is a gift for the eyes!

Wynwood is located North of Miami, roughly outlined 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. Its two sections are known as the Art District and the Fashion District, each with a number of art galleries and clothes shops.

However the most impressive attractions are the dozens of graffiti drawings and specially the murals drawn all around the neighborhood using as canvas the walls of abandoned buildings or participant warehouses. Every year, on the occasion of a the famous Miami Art Basel Show, street artists from all around the world are invited to express themselves freely on those walls.

It's worth taking the car and go around, stopping here and there to take some pictures and jumping in the car again to discover the next work of art.                    


Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire: 51 miles, one hour ride. From I95 take 112 towards Miami Beach and then the first exit to N Miami Ave. From there head South, look around and go through side streets ad libitum. There is parking on the streets. Map.

Possible combos:
There is a church nearby, across I95, called Corpus Christi.

Lunch
There are plenty of restaurants in the area, especially around Miami Ave, and around Biscayne Boulevard. If you have a pack lunch there is a park nearby - Morningside Park. Enter through NE 58th Street and then NE Bayshore Dr.

Photo Gallery

Downtown Aerial Ride

The city of Miami covers a large area but there are not that many places worth visiting. That makes choosing your excursions easier.

One of those places worth seeing is downtown Miami. Since beginning of 2013 construction has been frantic and almost all of the projects halted because of the financial crisis have been restarted. By 2016 thousands of apartments, office spaces, hotels and shops will be added to this downtown area that's already crowded.

They boast that downtown Miami is going to be Manhattan-II with lots of high-rise living spaces and office buildings. I wish we had 1/4th of the Manhattan Public Transportation system. Now remember that Miami and, in fact, all of South Florida is flat. Due to the risk of flooding there are no underground parking garages and no subways. The only means of public transportation you have in the downtown area is a picturesque bus decorated as an old tram and an air train. The good news is that both offer free rides for everybody.

Well, if you want a free sighting tour, the best option is the air train called known locally as the Metromover. You can get on and off any time you like. It has no driver -it's remotely controlled- and at one point goes as high as a 7 floors when crossing the Miami River.

Best views are offered by the Brickell Loop, that goes south to SW 14th Street and then back. Watch out! The signaling system of the stations is the most confusing I've seen in the U.S. and since Miami has plenty of tourists you can at any time observe a bunch of them totally at a loss trying to get on the correct train.

Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire: Drive 56 miles -one hour- to Biscayne Boulevard in downtown. Park on the surface public parking lot by the Metromover any point between NE 5th Street and SE 1st Street. For less walking, better if you find a spot between NE 1st and SE 1st Streets. Map

Alternative: Take the Tri-Rail from Delray Beach, transfer to Metrorail arriving Miami and then to Metromover at Government Station.

Metromover: Aerial Ride Sightseeing Miami Downtown. Official Map. Notice that both Omni Loop and Brickell Loop share some stations in the loop and both go counterclockwise. The Inner Loop has just a few stations and always goes clockwise -that's across the platform.

Special points of interest:
Nicest scenic view is at its highest point when it crosses the Miami River between Riverwalk Station and Fifth Street. Also it's scenic around Bayfront Park Station, overseeing the bay.

Possible Combos:
Two museums are near stations: the History Miami Museum -near Government Station- and Perez Art Miami Museum, a contemporary art museum next to Omni Loop Museum Park station. A third museum by this same station, the Museum of Science will open in 2015.

In the Loop there is a nice Catholic Church that is the oldest of all South Florida: Gesu. It is one block west of the Metromover's Third Street Station. It's usually closed in the afternoons since all Masses are in the morning.

Lunch: There are many restaurants in the area, especially west of Bayfront Park Station, in the Mary Brickell area west of 8th-10th Street Station, and Brickell Ave, north of Financial District Station.

However, my favorite place for lunch is Bayside, which is by the bay across College/Bayside Station. It's a market full of colorful, small souvenir shops that has a food court on the second floor. Since the tables are shared, you can buy lunch there at one of the over-the-counter restaurants, or take your pack lunch with you. If seating is available, you can also eat at one of the tables on the 2nd floor outdoors gallery and enjoy a beautiful view of the boats in the harbor.

If you get lost. The street naming system in Miami is very simple and helpful: North-South streets are avenues. East-West streets are streets. Street names are numbers that start at 1 from Flagler Str. with numbers growing to the North and to the South. Avenues are numbered starting at Miami Avenue growing going both East and West. That makes four quadrants that are called NE, NW, SW and SE. Each block has 100 potential addresses, so that 4415 SW 88th Ave is on the 88th Ave, between 44th and 45th Streets, Southwest part.

The Botanical Garden

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden is south of Miami, 62 miles from Roseaire. As the name suggests, it's a very tropical garden that has more than 300 species of palms and cycads on 83 acres of land and ponds with plants and trees that bloom all year round.

It's was named in 1938 after his founder David Fairchild (1869-1954), who travelled all over the world to bring new species to the U.S. and who settled in Miami when he retired. Among other things he brought the cherry trees that now grace Washington DC every spring.

In spite of what's been said, the palm trees are not the most
exciting part of the Garden -they are rather dull and, unless one is a botanist, no much to see. You're free to dissent of course. 

However, the Garden has a nice rain forest which is worth visiting and is the largest one in open air in the US. 

Once you arrive, it's recommended to start the tour with a ride on the tram (it's free with the admission) so that you get a general view in less than half an hour. The tram driver is knowledgeable and gives a good talk on the Fairchild history, conservation, anecdotes  numbers and details of the best specimens. After the ride, walk through the quarter of the Garden that is to the west of the tram's starting point. This area is the most green and beautiful -and plenty of shaded places. In the so called "Low Lands" -to the east- most of the path is rather barren and the sun is merciless.

Also free with the admission is the latest and most popular exhibit, the Wings of the Tropic, a butterfly conservatory where you'll be surrounded by specimens of a number of colorful species typical of rain forests in Central America. 

Practical Tips:

Address: 10901 Old Cutler Rd, Miami, FL 33156

Distance from Roseaire: 62 miles. About 1 hour 30 minutes.  Map

Visit Duration: Two to three hours. More if you really want to walk.

Traffic: 

- Avoid the rush hours when going to and returning. Miami city has lots of traffic.

- You can take I95 or the turnpike. Same distance and in the last 10 miles before Miami they merge into I95. Then I95 ends as well. Old Cutler Road is a very nice drive with big trees covering it like a tunnel. Check Google for traffic conditions.

Hours and Admission

- Every day from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

- Closed: Christmas Day,
- Parking is free.

- Admission for adults is $25 in 2016 and $18 for seniors 65+. 

Lunch

- There are two coffee shops one near the main entrance and another one next to the butterflies. They have tables with sunshades outdoors and have affordable prices for a sandwich and soda. Beware -the sandwich size is half the regular size you would expect.

- If you bring a pack lunch, no food or drinks are allowed in. However, outside the Garden across the main entrance there is a parking lot for the Matheson Park in which there are tables under old oak trees.

Links:

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. Official Site

Combos:

- If you want to see as many places as you can during your stay at Roseaire, you can also go 5 miles further south -10 minutes- and visit Deering Estate. Map

- The nicest church in the area is Epiphany. Modern but well built, with an interesting design for the interior. It's just 2.5 miles from the Garden -6 minutes- Map

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

A must see in Miami

It's the best place for a relaxed excursion day. It's the nicest old building in South Florida and walking its Gardens and the bay view are worth the trip.

Built up by Mr. James Deering (Maine, 1859-1925) -the founder of Deering-Harvester Company- as his winter stays in mild South Florida were more and more frequent due to his anemia. He bought 180 acres of bay front land, designed and built the estate after his admired Italian villas. The planning and construction of Vizcaya lasted over a decade, from 1910 to 1922. James Deering died on September 18 aboard the SS City of Paris ocean liner returning from France. He never saw the destruction of his beloved estate by the 1926 hurricane.

In 1935 Vizcaya is opened again by his brother Charles (James was a bachelor) as a privately owned museum.  Short after the same year it's closed again due to the damage caused by yet another hurricane. in 1945, 130 Acres of the Vizcaya property are conveyed to Mercy Hospital and the by then Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine -the Our Lady of Charity Shrine, La Salle School, St. Kieran church are later built on this land. In 1945 James Deering’s heirs convey the Vizcaya Village to Dade County to support the ambience and operation of Vizcaya as a museum.

Charles had another Estate, farther South that can also be visited- Deering Estate, but it is less magnificent. 

Practical Tips:

Address: 

3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129

Distance from Roseaire: 58 mi. Around 1 hour with light traffic. Map.

Visit Duration: Two hours including a guided tour inside the house. Three hours with lunch.

Traffic

- Avoid rush hours getting there and returning back from there. Miami city has a lot of traffic.

- You can take I95 or the turnpike. Same distance and in the last 10 mi they merge into I95. Consult Google Maps for traffic and incidences.

Hours and Admission

- Every day from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

- Closed: Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, - Parking is free.

- Admittance for adults is $18 in 2016. $12 for seniors 62+.

Lunch

- The coffee shop is nice and has affordable prices for a sandwich and soda.

Links: 

- Vizcaya website: Click Here

- Photo Album: Click Here

Combos
- You may want to find a prayer place. South of Vizcaya, St Kieran has a quiet Adoration Chapel with the Most Blessed Sacrament exposed daily from 8am to 7am. Free Parking.
Address: 3605 South Miami Avenue. Miami, Florida  33133. Map
- If you prefer a Pilgrimage, Our Lady of Charity (Cuba patroness) is a National Shrine and it's also next door: 3609 South Miami Avenue. Miami, Florida  33133. Map It has an Adoration Chapel as well, but it's a bit busy with many people getting in and out. Free Parking.