If you think of Miami, you most likely think of fabulous weather, great beaches and really hopping nightlife. And yes, you’d be right. But did you know that Miami is the only major American city to be founded by a woman or that it is the second-most visited city in the US? Or that it is home to our fabulous glamping location, Encore Miami Everglades, which in true Florida form is set among avocado, mango and palm trees and in convenient proximity to downtown Miami and Everglades National Park? Book a glamping cabin, lodge or bunkhouse and settle in to explore Miami and all it has to offer. Here are five ideas to consider when visiting the “Magic City.”
1. Everglades National Park: You can’t be glamping just 10 minutes from this natural wonder of a national park and not drop in to see what there is to see. Start with a stop at the Shark Valley Visitor Center and from there you can hike, bike, walk or take a tram. The Observation Tower provides a panoramic view of the Everglades. Whether walking, riding or via boat, you can expect to see alligators, turtles, egrets and herons, to name a few.
2. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: You might be able to say that a visit to this National Historic Landmark has something for everyone from history to art to beautiful natural gardens. Kind of like a one size fits all for a group of glampers with varied itineraries. Vizcaya began as the winter estate for businessman James Deering and was built over a period of years beginning in 1914. The Main House is a stunning example of Mediterranean-style architecture and is filled with art collections and period furnishings while the European-inspired gardens actually feature several gardens including the Secret Garden and the Maze Garden, all of which are surrounded by subtropical forest.
3. Art Deco Tour: Speaking of architecture, did you know that Miami is considered to have the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world? The Miami Design Preservation League offers a walking tour that lasts just under 2 hours and can be booked by visiting mdpl.org/tours/art-deco-walking-tour. Many of the city’s pastel-colored gems, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, can be viewed on the walk and include both inside and outside tours.
4. Bayside Marketplace: You might call this the happening spot in Miami because you can do it all here. There are shops for all ages from Build-A-Bear to Bayside Cigars, plenty of food and dining choices from ice cream to paella and also attractions like the Skyviews Miami which offers views of the Miami Skyline and Biscayne Bay in a 200-foot-high Ferris Wheel with climate-controlled gondolas and the Thriller Miami fleet of sightseeing speedboats. Bayside also offers several opportunities to book sightseeing tours, via land or water.
5. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is another kind of one size fits all attraction as it has both an aquarium and planetarium in one museum. Located within the Maurice A. Ferre 21-acre urban area on the bayfront, the Frost Museum should be on all Miami to-do lists. The three-level aquarium has hammerhead sharks, devil rays, parrotfish to name a few plus a touch tank where you can pet a stingray. The planetarium offers cutting edge technology with 3D-capable projectors featuring 16 million colors and surround sound. Stargaze or take a deep dive in the ocean with the exhibits offered here.
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