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.