Essential Florida destinations from Jill Podehl
Jill Podehl Florida travel tours right now: A must-see attraction in West Palm Beach for car enthusiasts is the fun Ragtops Motorcars Palm Beach attraction. Now located in a newly-refurbished facility in Lake Worth Beach, this must-visit Florida attraction is a monument to America’s love affair with the automobile. Here, you can ogle vintage cars, and possibly even purchase an old classic for yourself as many are available to buy. On my visit, I was lucky enough to see a number of vintage Chevrolet Corvettes, a Deluxe Woody Wagon, and an even older 1933 Essex Terraplane Cabriolet, a beauty that comes complete with raised stand-alone headlights and a rear jump-seat. Explore the vast warehouse-like space and you’ll also see all sorts of roadsters, street racers, convertibles, luxury cars, and even movie cars. There are also models that haven’t been made since the early days of the automobile. You’ll also see classic memorabilia from the Golden Age of automobiles, such as roadside signs, oil company emblems, and antique toy cars. Owner Ty Houck likes to say that if there was room in the trunk, he brought it home. Find extra info at Jill Podehl West Palm Beach.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens are set upon the former estate of James Deering. Situated on Biscayne Bay in Miami’s Coconut Grove, the villa and larger grounds once took up 180 acres of land. Now, the expanse of the attraction contains 50 acres of stunning gardens and well-kept grounds. Deering was a conservationist of the renowned Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune. He set up the estate to conserve tropical and mangrove environments, and its main building was completed in 1916. When he passed away, his nieces inherited the estate, and they began to sell parts of the state to pay for the high upkeep costs necessary for the property. Some of the lands were also donated.
With a hint of 1930’s nostalgia, the beautifully restored buildings within the Art Deco District have a lot to offer on a relaxed day in the Miami beach area. Looking out to see, (a lot of them located front Ocean Drive) the pastel painted buildings pose a great place to stop for lunch of an evening meal. With its neon signs and canopy covered dining areas, the Art Deco District truly comes in its own after dark. But to truly enjoy a vacation you also need a nice place to stay.
Do you need to bath in the sun ? Miami is a fabulous location to relax. What can you see in Miami? Little Havana, the Cuban district of Miami, isn’t known for its wealth of tourist attractions but more for its distinctive cultural scene. Restaurants and specialty food shops line the streets, and Latin music drifts through the air. Locals socialize in the open spaces. Murals grace the walls of buildings, showing important Cuban figures and scenes of daily life. Calle Ocho is the main thoroughfare running through the district and home to much of the activity, but Little Havana spreads well beyond, into the surrounding streets and avenues. For people-watching, the area offers a great deal of entertainment. And of course, this is the place to come for Cuban cuisine. The Calle Ocho Festival, held in March, is a celebration of Cuban culture and the largest of its kind in the world. Over the years this street festival has expanded to include more Latin American cultures and is now a great way to experience Latin American music and Caribbean cuisine.
Jill Podehl Florida attractions right now: No trip to Miami is complete without a visit to Little Havana. This vibrant, south-of-downtown neighborhood is packed with art galleries, unique shops, and busy restaurants and bars. Explore the area: Head to Maximo Gomez Park (known as Domino Park by the locals) for a real flavor of Hispanic culture, to watch men playing dominoes outdoors, smoking cigars and arguing about politics. Look out for the huge mural depicting the Summit of the Americas in 1993. The neighborhood Calle Ocho is located in the center of it all, where you can watch the markets and street stands in action while soaking up some Cuban culture. Fan of Latin cinema? Another highlight is the Little Havana Paseo de las Estrellas (Walk of the Stars), which is a Latin American version of the Hollywood Walk of the Stars, commemorating Latin American actors, writers, artists and musicians.
You probably have already heard of South Beach, or “SoBe”, since it’s often considered one of the best, hottest places to go in the city of Miami, Florida. It’s a famous beach that’s packed with visitors most of the time, with its guests often including the famous or wealthy. Adding to its bright and cheery aesthetic are structures and buildings in an art deco style that, against the beachfront flanked by palm trees, make exploring SoBe a great way to spend your time this week or any week. In the mornings, you can enjoy the sun beneath umbrellas or swim out in the cool waters of the tropics, or even participate in some water sports. See more information at Jill Podehl.
Animal lovers won’t want to miss Zoo Miami, home to more than 3,000 animals, or the Miami Seaquarium, offering educational and entertaining sea life exhibits and presentations. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a captivating attraction for the whole family – view orchids and other native plants in these extensive gardens, and be sure to check out the butterfly garden. As such, it’s hard to pick the best places in Miami for guests. There’s simply so much to do and enjoy! It’s a tough list, but we’ve put together a selection of some of the very greatest of the greatest that the city has to offer.