The Libators go Corner to Corner: Miami and the Everglades

It's been a long time since I was last in Miami, and I wanted to at least see the museum where I went for a work function, but that was unable to actually tour, Vizcaya. I also thought Russ would appreciate the food at Versailles, the Cuban restaurant. Those two things, plus Everglades National Park, were our only planned activities for the Miami stop. We camped at the Larry and Penny Thompson Campground, which is a park as well. It's on the outskirts of Miami to the west, even though it has a Miami address. It was a good choice, as it was quiet and dark, unlike places more in the center of things. It was also a quick trip out to the Everglades for our day in that park.

Everglades National Park: the river of grass

Lots of small lakes and ponds.

Air Plants.

Looking for lunch.

Manatees at the marina.

Everything was boggy... buggy.

The blue sky and clouds made for some lovely reflections.

Ibis. Or maybe a heron.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

The courtyard used to be open but the glass was put in to protect it from weather.

The main floor.

The stone shipwreck is a breakwater to protect the house from hurricanes.

Biscayne Bay.

Looking back at the house from the boat landing.

Side view of the house from an elevated garden folly.

Frog fountain.

Versailles Cuban Restaurant.

He couldn't decide on just one drink.

Everything was delicious.

Our day in the Everglades started with a Starbucks breakfast. We wanted to get to the park at around nine when the main Visitors Center Opened. Turns out it was the only Visitors Center Open in the park because of the government shutdown. Every National Park is handling the situation differently. We  drove the main road through the park to the (closed) final Flamingo Visitors Center and stopp,ed at every pull out, and did every short hike or boardwalk trail. We were lucky that we didn't run into mosquitos until the very last trail, and we turned around really fast and got out of there! I still ended up with about 30 bites (in less than 5 minutes). I especially enjoyed seeing the large group of manatees in the marina, and eating our lunch on a shady bench overlooking the water at Flamingo Visitors Center. Since it was closed, we mostly had the place to ourselves.

Starbucks breakfast in Homestead.

It's strange to see the park sign with no people standing around it for photos.

Panther crossing.

Color coded map of the park in stone on the floor.

Typical combination of reeds, sawgrass, water and trees.

The river of grass. This is not dry land, but more like a shallow pond all the way to the horizon.

Flower on the verge of the trail.

Pine forest area. The Miami area used to be like this.

Fans.

Peaceful, but humid and hot, so uncomfortable.

There is an ibis back there somewhere.

Boardwalks were common for the small trails.

Strangler fig tree.

The main road.

This lake had a kayak boat ramp.

The dark, nutrient rich water.

More strangler figs. They grow down from host trees and eventually kill them.

I would call this Spanish Moss, but I don't know what it is officially.

Looking south.

Lunch on the bench.

Looking for a handout.

Manatee nose.

They were just hanging out near the docks.

I couldn't resist a cold drink. It was so good.

The shape of the land changes from year to year.

A small lake.

More grass.

Heron.

 

 

Our second day in the area took us into the city. We drove in to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, then had a late lunch at Versailles Cuban Restaurant. When I saw Vizcaya years ago, it was for a work-related conference (PATRAM), and we attended a final night party on the bay-side terrace of the house; we were not allowed to tour the house and it was after dark, so the gardens were off-limits as well. I was curious to see if my memories of the place were a match for the reality of it, and I was so glad that it was even better than I had expected. All of the furnishings and art were original to the house (it was a private winter residence), and it was wonderfully showcased. I even had a nice quick interaction with one of the conservators, who was restoring the decorative details on an upstairs fireplace surround. The views of Biscayne Bay were magnificent, and you could see the skyscrapers of Miami across the bay.

 

The extensive, formal gardens were lovey, too. I especially liked the frog fountain and the orchid garden. It was clear that locals used the house and gardens for photo shoots. We saw several groups documenting special occasions with professional photographers.

  

The neighborhoods leading to the museum had these banyon-lined streets.

The trees were beautiful.

The approach to Vizcaya.

Around the side of the house, a peek at Biscayne Bay.

Looking along the front facade.

Welcome.

This courtyard is the main "room." It was covered with glass to protect the structure from hurricanes.

The grand hall opened onto the back terrace.

Formal dining. The ceiling was magnificent.

A fireplace doesn't seem necessary in Florida.

Bottom to top. The stairs to the second floor.

Repairing the fireplace surround (I asked for her permission to take the photo).

The view to the front door from the second floor.

The interior details were stunning. This door was covered in leather and metal studs.

Many of the rooms were covered in murals.

Upstairs bathroom.

Spiral staircase with decorative details.

The "wreck" was designed as a breakwater to protect the building.

Rear view (from the water side). This tent was where I attended a party.

Frog fountain.

The ceiling of one of the garden follies.

The folly on the upper level of the garden.

Lizard.

Sphinx from behind.

The formal gardens from  the second level of a folly.

Side of the house facing the formal garden.

All of the garden structures were very solidly built.

Downtown Miami from the back terrace.

The tea house.

Selfie.

The orchid garden.

Different varieties of orchids lined the whole garden.

Maintenance to repair hurricane damage.

Miami from the boat dock.

The stone bridge to the boat dock.

Views of Biscayne Bay.

The breakwater and the tea house.

After we finished touring Vizcaya, we drove further into the city and ate a late lunch/early dinner at Versailles, a Cuban restaurant. The food there is traditional and delicious, but not fancy, although I believe that most of the dishes containing beef are not common to eat in Cuba, as their beef industry in limited. I went for the black bean soup and pan fried fish. Russ ordered the Cuban sandwich.

It was a busy restaurant, they had people wait outside in this courtyard area.

Same sign that I remember.

The menu.

Russ needed all the beverages.

Fried yuca.

My dinner. Note Russ' Cuban sandwich.

Urban art.

I love a good solid waste utility.

This makes me think they have a DUI problem.

I enjoyed our time in Miami, since we stayed out of the busiest areas of the city and didn't go to Miami Beach (we are not really into crowds). As we need to go past the city again on our way home, we plan to skirt around it, so this was our time to see what we wanted to see here.