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With a very sub-tropical climate, Miami is
located on the Atlantic Coast of the southeast United States. Known as the "Cruise Capital of the World",
its port is home to over 20 cruise ships and can handle more megaships than any other port in the world. |
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HISTORY
Miami's first boom began in 1896 when Henry Flagler extended his Florida East
Coast Railroad to Miami and began developing the city as a resort center. Miami
was incorporated later that same year. The largest population boom
occurred in
the late 1940's, with an additional wave of immigration from Cuba beginning in
the late 1950's. The city has developed into a major metropolitan area within
the United States, with extensive ties to South and Central America and the
Caribbean. Miami is also a major seaport for cargo as well as an international
banking center.
Greater Miami has a population of over two million people. |
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PLACES OF INTEREST |
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Miami Beach
It is by far one of the most popular destinations in the
world. The beaches stretch for miles and the blue waters are wonderful for
swimming. You can walk for blocks looking for a good spot that is right for you.
Most of the activity is situated on Ocean Drive between 1st street and 20th
street. The beach does not end here, so if it is to busy on the main drag
continue walking north to find a quieter area. Located
right behind the beach on
Ocean Drive are the scenic and world renowned Art Deco
hotels. Make sure to walk
along Ocean Drive and choose from one of the many sidewalk cafes to have lunch
or dinner.
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Vizcaya Palace
Built at the turn of the century Vizcaya is a stunningly beautiful
Italian Mediterranean style palace with formal gardens at the water's
edge. You will enjoy over 10 acres of
spectacular gardens and fountains scattered all over the place. This villa is located to the north of Coconut Grove on
South Miami Avenue and thanks to its splendour has been designated as a National Historic
Landmark.
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Crandon Park
This is a beautiful 2-mile stretch of sandy white beach located on Key
Biscayne. Crandon is ideal if you don’t want to deal with the crowds that you
normally find on Miami Beach. There is plenty of space on the beach to rest and
relax, as it is a long wide beach which offers calm waters year round due to the
sandbar offshore.
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Art
Deco District
Art Deco as an art form developed
around the turn of the century, making its way into the silver screen
and eventually into American popular culture. In about the mid-thirties,
a handful of architects got busy building hotels for middle-class
vacationers in South Beach (familiarly known as SoBe), all decked out in
high Art Deco style, but with a little twist.
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This
Miami version has been dubbed "Tropical Deco" for the pelicans,
nautical themes, stylized sunsets and tropical flowers blended into its lines.
That may seem all very fancy to you, but at the time the buildings were all
painted white with a little bit of pastel here and
there, muting the effect to
achieve a sense of sophistication for the era.
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Miami
Seaquarium
A popular attraction at the Seaquarium is the 750,000-gallon saltwater aquarium
filled with reef fish, groupers, loggerheads, moray eels and other sea
life. If
you are there at the right time you may even witness a diver hand feeding the
colorful tropical fish. Don’t forget to catch the Dolphin show featuring the
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin or Lolita the killer whale. Be careful not to sit to
close to Lolita's tank as she may surprise you with a big salt-water splash!!
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ACTIVITY |
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