There are two Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in the Sarasota area. The Downtown Sarasota Campus off Bayfront Park, and the Historic Spanish Point located a little over 10 miles away along Highway 41 on North Tamiami Trail in Osprey. It’s possible to visit both botanical gardens on the same day and doing so would not […]
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates are located in Fort Myers, on the Gulf Coast of Florida and about a 2 ½-hour drive from Miami, or 2 hours from Fort Lauderdale. While doable as a day trip, we opted to make a mini vacation of it and stayed in Sarasota where we could also visit […]
Just outside Miami, in Biscayne Bay, you’ll find Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Cape Florida has been many things through the ages. Ponce de Leon found this pristine area on his first expedition to Florida back in 1513 and named it the ‘Cape of Florida’. It was inhabited by Seminole Indians, and even served […]
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, located on Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables just south of Miami, is a nice outdoor venue with a lot of Florida history. It’s been a local attraction in Florida since it opened in 1938. More than just a tourist venue, it is a sanctuary for locals to stroll amongst exotic […]
A national landmark, the Deering Estate was the Florida home of Charles Deering between 1922 and 1927. Located just south of Miami in Palmetto Bay off Old Cutler Road, the sprawling 444-acre estate is now owned by the State of Florida and open to the public so everyone can enjoy the beautiful waterfront grounds.
We have only scratched the surface when it comes to visiting national parks, but we plan on seeing more of them this year. There are 423 national park sites in the United States National Park System. Of those, 63 have the official National Park designation in their names. Other categories include preserves, recreation areas, national […]
The Everglades are one of the best places for wildlife viewing in South Florida. Perfect for birding and photography. This unique ecosystem is mostly made up of marshland and coastal mangroves, and you can expect to see numerous species of aquatic birds and of course alligators. Perhaps if you are lucky you may also spot […]
At the onset of the pandemic, we looked for a good use of my husband’s upgrade certificates and found a great deal for travel to Japan in November. Hard to believe how different the world seemed, even back in March and April. We were so confident that come November, things would be back to normal […]
The Blue Heron Bridge is a popular shore dive in Florida, especially during weekends. It’s an awesome muck dive site, perfect for underwater photography. Blennies, gobies, seahorses, batfish, pipefish, frogfish, and many other tiny creatures call the Blue Heron Bridge home. Large schools of reef fish are a common sight and if you’re lucky you […]
Last Friday we visited Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale for the first time and found it to be an interesting place to explore. The estate is set on a coastal barrier island with lush gardens and walking paths. Nestled in between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, the estate provides a natural habitat for […]