2.
Described as the "river of grass" by conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the Everglades is a shallow, 40-mile wide, slow moving river. The Everglades National Park consists of 1.5 million acres less than 20% of the Everglades wilderness. The Shark Valley Entrance lies on the north side of the park and is about 35 miles west of downtown Miami.
3.
A little bit of Cuba, anyone? In the 40 years since Castro's revolution 290 miles to the south, Miami's Cuban-American population has grown to account for a third of the 2 million people living there. Little Havana is lined with Cuban bistros, fruit stands and coffee shops, and its annual Carnival Miami International is the largest Hispanic cultural festival in the nation.
4.
Diver Down! Greater Miami and the beaches are home to one of the largest artificial reef programs in the world. Over a period of twenty years, airplanes, ships, tanks, concrete and limestone structures, and a water tower have been sunk in order to provide a haven for scuba divers. Called the Wreckreational Dive Capital of the Americas, most of the best sites are found in less than 130 feet of water.
5.
You might expect to see Ali Baba and Scheherazade step around the corner when you venture into this Miami suburb. Opa-locka has more than a touch of Moorish flair to it with its domes and minarets. Its developer, Glenn Curtiss, put his fascination with The Arabian Nights into his vision for the city.
6.
Looking for the pastel colors, bas-relief friezes, towers and terrazzo stone that often characterizes Art Deco? Miami has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. There's the Breakwater Hotel with its ancient Mayan look and the Park Central Hotel, which appears to be right out of Hollywood's glamorous days of the 1920's and 1930's.
7.
What's the oldest building in Miami? It's neither the nineteenth century lighthouse nor any of the early hotels. Actually, it's a twelfth century Spanish monastery that newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst had shipped to the States in pieces. The monastery languished in a warehouse for 26 years until new owners put it together as a tourist attraction.
8.
"Life's a Beach" especially in Miami! Dade County has more than 35 miles of wide beaches. However, your best bets are Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. Bring along a picnic for a full day in the sun but ditch the alcohol it and glass bottles are prohibited.
9.
Vizcaya is Miami's answer to San Simeon and the Vanderbilt homes of Newport and Asheville. The 34-room mansion with its 10 acres of terraced gardens was the dream of International Harvester tycoon James Deering. Designed like a Renaissance Italian villa, the home required 1000 servants during Deering's years there.
10.
If you get tired of betting on the horses, check out the flamingos. Miami has been the home of the famed Hialeah Park horseracing track for 75 years. Within the manicured green inside the track are fountains, statues, and some 400 pink flamingos.
