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    Dominique D.

    Biscayne National Park is located in Homestead, FL. 1 of 3 Florida NP. I booked the Heritage Boat Tour with Captain John & environmentalist Jason. Remember to watch your step when entering the boat. Jason is the BEST, knows how to make you laugh, he started off the tour with all 26 passengers to introduce ourselves + why we were there, told us a lot of facts (some I knew the rest I didn't which I love learning new history facts), etc. We got to see dolphins, lots of saltwater getting splashed in our face LOL, got to learn where the Keys originally started, went to Boca Chita lighthouse, saw the old dock that Hurricane Andrew destroyed, etc. Definitely was somewhat hot out, so make sure you bring a hat or put your hair up. We didn't need bug spray as there weren't any mosquitoes to bite us. Bring snacks & drinks during the 3 hour tour. The island is surrounded by 95% water. We have 33 keys. Biscayne is known for its farming on the islands. P.S. (Jason if you ever read this I forgot to tell you that you remind me of Mark Ruffalo who played the Hulk of your voice) (IMPORTANT) NO park entrance fee. All tours & activities the proceeds go to help the funding for Biscayne National Park to restore the Keys.

    Boca Chita Shoreline
    Marqus R.

    Boca Chita is my favorite of the Biscayne Keys. It is also the most visited as well as the most accessible of the Biscayne Keys, consisting of some 32 acres. Boca Chita was created as a private resort for Mark Honeywell who was an electronic industrialist from the early 1900s that founded Honeywell, Incorporated and was its CEO. He was raised in Indiana and spent his summers in Florida in what is now part of Biscayne National Park and owned Boca Chita Key from 1937-45. He bought it from Miami Beach pioneer and automotive giant Carl Fisher. Honeywell has been an integral part of the island's recent history and subsequently, is a part of the history of Biscayne National Park. When visiting the island, one can drop anchor and stay on the boat if desired. Or visitors can swim or even dock to go ashore to the south side of the harbor to use the barbeque grills and picnic tables. The lighthouse is open when park rangers or staff are present. There is an observation deck, which gives a view of the Miami skyline and trails for hiking.

    Monica V.

    This little island is so beautiful. It really is paradise. Only accessible by boat in Biscayne Bay. It's a wonderful place to BBQ or picnic. They have plenty of picnic tables and park BBQs. The only problem is finding a spot for your boat. We went yesterday and huge yachts took up most of the space. Looked like they were camping out for days. We were lucky to find a spot. There is a little beach if you want to go swimming there is a bathroom which is important but no sink to wash hands so take your wet ones and hand sanitizer. The light house is beautiful but it's closed right now due to COVID. Overall a great time.

    HH
    Hilda H.

    Get on a boat and come to enjoy clear waters, a pretty cute lighthouse, some BBQ grills to cook your catch and have a nice cold beer at hand, during this summer time. Its good to snorkel here, there's plenty of fish and a few dolphins depending on the time. Come with friends or just rent a boat like I did. Come with a bunch of loved ones as you stroll through the waves if you are a boater or just let the winds take you if you are a sailor, enjoy our natural environment. PS: Bring lots of lavender, mosquito respect it A LOT, you ll be thank full you did.

    luis s.

    This Is utter nostalgia for me! this little island is where I spent alot of my youth! From fishing, to camping you can do it on this key. this island used to be privately owned by a couple until they passed away and Boca Chita became a park. The island is relatively small but lots of fun! It has the best camp sight on the west end of island. There is running water and showers. I could hang out here all day fish make a fire cook my catch and have a few cold ones with good company. this is a great place for a family outing. If you want to camp here I recommend in the winter moths if not the skeeters will get you!

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    Review Highlights - Boca Chita Key

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    Redland Farm Life School

    Redland Farm Life School

    5.0(1 review)
    17.0 mi

    I enjoy exploring the Redlands, a rural agricultural community in Miami. It took its name from the…read morepockets of red clay that cover a layer of oolitic limestone. The Redlands produce tropical fruits, many of which do not grow elsewhere in the US. You can find farm stands and roadside tables selling fresh grown produce next to fields. Other highlights of the Redlands include Schnebly Redland's Winery and their fruit wines, Knaus Berry Farms and their cinnamon rolls, and Robert is Here and their fresh fruit milkshakes. I especially love all of the historic buildings from the early 1900's that you can find here like this one, the Redland Farm School. In 1916. William Anderson the owner of Anderson's Corner Store donated 10 acres of land to the Dade County School Board for the construction of a new school. Financing for the new school was secured by Dr. Hyram Byrd, the assistant state health officer of Florida. He had come to the area for his health and to work with rattlesnakes to create antivenom. He was able to get an agricultural land grant under the Morill Act of 1862 which paid for an agriculture school. This school opened to 195 students on October 16, 1916. The Farm School consolidated seven one room schoolhouses in the area. For the first time students attended school by bus. The school had classrooms for for grades one through twelve. The building had indoor bathrooms, electricity, a cafeteria, and a 300 seat auditorium. The school offered two curriculum, a standard one and one for rural students. After the Civil War Farm Life schools were popular. Girls learned cooking, sewing and homemaking skills and boys took agriculture classes. The school also served as a community center where fairs, elections, agriculture meetings, dances, sports, and community events were held. The school was the heart of the close knit Redland community. On August 24, 1992, category 5 Hurricane Andrew made land fall in Homestead. Like many of the buildings in the area the Farm Life School was severely damaged. The school board built a new school further north and the Farm Life School was set to be demolished. The community didn't want to see the school taken down so they came up with a plan to save it. They were able to get the School Board to give the title to the county. The nonprofit South Florida Pioneer Museum leased the property and applied for grants to pay for the repairs. They raised enough money to install impact-resistant windows, fix the roof,and make structural repairs. Th future plan is to turn the school into a agritourism center. In 2018 the Miami-Dade Commission approved $1.6 million in funds for the interior renovation of the school. Plans include adding commercial kitchens for farmers, a community event space, and a hub for agricultural innovation. The school currently has a fence around it and it looks like construction is being done. it is going to be exciting to see how this project turns out.

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    Redland Farm Life School
    Redland Farm Life School
    Redland Farm Life School

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    Silver Palm Schoolhouse

    Silver Palm Schoolhouse

    4.0(2 reviews)
    16.7 mi

    The Silver Palms Schoolhouse is located in the Redlands, a historic rural agricultural community in…read moreMiami. It took its name from the pockets of red clay that cover a layer of oolitic limestone. The Redlands produce tropical fruits, many of which do not grow elsewhere in the US. I love a trip to the Redlands which is filled with farm stands and roadside tables selling fresh grown produce. Other highlights of the Redlands include Schnebly Redland's Winery and their fruit wines, Knaus Berry Farms and their cinnamon rolls, and Robert is Here and their fresh fruit milkshakes. I especially love all of the historic buildings from the early 1900's like this school house that you can find in this area. In the early 1900's, the town of Silver Palm developed near the intersection of Silver Palm Drive and Newton Road. The area was known for it's pinelands and good hunting. The name came from the small silver backed palm fronds that grew in the surrounding pinelands. In 1900, Charles Gossman, Charles Hill, and William Anderson who built the first general store in the area filed the first homestead claims in Silver Palms. The Silver Palms Schoolhouse is located at Silver Palm Drive and Newton Road. It was built across from Anderson's General Store giving rise to calling the area Anderson's Corner. In 1902 the community contacted the Dade County School Board and were promised a teacher, if they could provide a building. The men got together and put up a log schoolhouse. The first teacher Charles R. Ross was hired at $40 a month. Ross took a roll call the first day and only had nine students but they needed 10 in order to open the school so one of the kids went out and brought back Gossman's four year old daughter Mildred. A typical day at school started at 8 AM and ended at 3 or 4 PM. Subjects taught included arithmetic, penmanship, spelling, grammar, and history. Lunch was one hour and the occasional bobcat might run through the area. Two years later there were more children in the area so the two story Frame Vernacular building was built in 1904 and became the first rural school built in the area making it the oldest school in south Dade. In 1916 the school closed when it was consolidated into the Redland Farm School. On July 2, 1987, the school was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Silver Palm has now been absorbed in the Redlands. The only two buildings left are the school house and general store. The school is now a private home. I was out exploring the historic structures in the area when I found the school. I started chatting with the owner who was working in his yard and he invited me in to see the living room. According to him after the school closed the building was purchased by a doctor who used it for his practice and residence. I would love to live in a building with so much history. It was such a treat getting to see the inside of the house.

    A nice historical building…read more The Silver Palm Schoolhouse is an historic school in the Silver Palm Historic District. It is located in the unincorporated community of Redland, Florida, United States. It is located at Silver Palm Drive and Newton Road. On July 2, 1987, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places

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    Silver Palm Schoolhouse
    Silver Palm Schoolhouse
    Silver Palm Schoolhouse

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    Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station

    Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station

    3.0(1 review)
    19.2 mi

    The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until…read moreJuly 1, 1967 when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. AIr Line does not refer to air travel but instead is a common term for the shortest distance between two points. The railroad operated 4,000 miles of track running from Richmond, Virginia down through Jacksonville and ending in West Palm Beach. Solomon Davies Warfield, chairman of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the time, extended the railroad further into South Florida to Miami in 1925 and to Homestead in 1927 where it ended. Solomon Davies Warfield was the uncle of Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman whose love affair with King Edward forced him to abdicate the throne. The Homestead station is southernmost Seaboard station and the southernmost railroad station in the United States still standing at its original location. Built in 1927, it was both a passenger station and a freight depot. The Homestead station is identical to the original construction of the Delray Beach station which was destroyed by arson in 2020. The only other Seaboard Air Line Station torn down is the one that was in Boynton Beach. The Delray Beach had plain stucco arches, while the Homestead station has the Corinthian arches used in the Naples and Hialeah station. The stations were designed by Gustav Adam Maass Jr. from the Harvey & Clarke architectural firm. They were designed in the ornate Mediterranean Revival style that was popular during Florida's land boom years. Today the station is abandoned. It likely closed sometime around 1967, when the Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coastline Railroad. The adjacent tracks next to the station are sometimes used CSX Transportation. The condition of the building is very sad. It is boarded up with a for sale sign. When you see how magnificently the Naples station has been restored, your heart really bleeds for the state of this historic building.

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    Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station
    Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station
    Homestead Seaboard Air Line Railway Station

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    Chinese Bridge

    Chinese Bridge

    5.0(3 reviews)
    11.1 mi

    Beautiful walking path and landmark. Easy, flat walk that is shady and surrounded by trees.read more

    The Chinese Bridge is an iconic landmark in Palmetto Bay. The bridge is located on a pedestrian…read morestreet within a natural wildlife preserve of the Charles Deering Estate which is owned and operated by Miami-Dade County. The entrance to the trail that takes you to the bridge is a little past the Deering Estate. You can park your car on the side of the road and walk down until the road ends. That is where you pick up the trail that is only open to foot and bike traffic. Half way down the trail is the colorful bridge. The bridge was built in 1918 by Charles Deering who was a Chicago industrialist. The bridge was built to allow him to cross Cutler Creek to his retirement home. When Mr. Deering built the bridge he moved a portion of the original Cutler Road, which was located on the property he purchased that included the abandoned town of Cutler. The Chinese theme of the bridge reminded him of his travels in the Pacific as a young naval officer. I have wanted to find the bridge for quite some time. The hike to the bridge is an easy one that anyone can do. On my way to the bridge I saw a cardinal fly right past me. If you are in the area this is a very pleasant walk to take and this is a nice place to take a picture. I really like the history of this area which not only includes the Deering estate but ten thousand years of human occupation including 10,000 years of nearly continuous human occupation including Paleo-Indians, Tequesta settlements, Seminole hunting grounds, and Bahamian and Florida Cracker homesteads.

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    Chinese Bridge
    Chinese Bridge
    Chinese Bridge

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    William Anderson General Merchandise Store

    William Anderson General Merchandise Store

    4.0(2 reviews)
    16.7 mi

    Shame to see some Redlands history going to waste…read more The William Anderson General Merchandise Store (also known as Anderson's Corner) is a historic site in Redland, Florida, United States. Built in 1911 by William "Popp" Anderson, who worked for railroad magnate Henry Flagler, the wood-frame structure is located at 15700 Southwest 232nd Street. It served as a general store for the thriving Redlands agricultural community until the 1930s, when it was converted into apartments. Condemned in 1975, it was granted a reprieve for rehabilitation, and was eventually converted into the successful Harvest House restaurant. After being ravaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the building was partially restored, although it has remained vacant since.

    I enjoy historic building hunting and this one has been on my radar for a long time. It is located…read morein the Redlands, a rural agricultural community in Miami that took its name from the pockets of red clay that cover a layer of oolitic limestone. The Redlands produce tropical fruits, many of which do not grow elsewhere in the US. I love a trip to the Redlands which is filled with farm stands and roadside tables selling fresh grown produce. Other highlights of the Redlands include Schnebly Redland's Winery and their fruit wines, Knaus Berry Farms and their cinnamon rolls, and Robert is Here and their fresh fruit milkshakes. I especially love all of the historic buildings from the early 1900's that you can find here. This one may be the most famous of all. The William Anderson General Merchandise Store was built in 1911 by William "Popp" Anderson, who came from Indiana to join his friend and hunting partner Charles Grossman, the first settler in the area. Anderson worked for railroad magnate Henry Flagler. East of Grossmans homestead, Anderson established his own homestead in Silver Palm which used to be the name of this area which was known for it's pinelands and good hunting. He built the wood frame structure that would become his store at the midpoint of a logging road that connected the Everglades to the shipping port of Black Point in South Biscayne Bay. It was a well traveled road and across the street from the store was the Silver Palms School. Popp Anderson operated the general store selling a variety of items to residents and businesses in the agricultural community. The store was on the first floor and Andersons living quarters were on the second floor. It was the only store for 15 miles. The store was in open until the 1930's when it was converted into apartments. The building was condemned in 1975 but received a reprieve when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1977. It was listed as a historic site by Miami-Dade County in 1981 and received a restoration in 1985. In the late 1980's the building was the successful Harvest House Restaurant but it closed after suffering devastation from category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The building has remained empty ever since. It is currently on the market for 1.1 million dollars and it is completely gutted inside. The building is on the Dade Heritage Trust list of the 12 Most Endangered Sites in Miami-Dade County. I hope someone takes an interest in saving the store but it is going to take a lot of money to do so. Right now it's only residents are a bunch of stray cats. There is so much history here that it deserves another chapter.

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    William Anderson General Merchandise Store
    William Anderson General Merchandise Store
    William Anderson General Merchandise Store

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    Coral Castle

    Coral Castle

    3.9(346 reviews)
    16.3 mi
    Walk-ins welcome
    99 years in business

    This is an interesting pit stop if you're in South Florida. We went because it was mentioned in…read moresome TV shows and was something that stood out as unusual. But, it is really quite small. If this was a $10 admission fee, I'd probably add one star. But, they charge $25/pp and there's not much to the place. All that said....is it interesting? Sure. It makes you wonder why the guy who built the place obsessively worked to make it. The story about his lost love gives his the motivation. Still, pretty incredible that he went to this effort by himself.

    My husband has wanted to come here ever since he was a kid, after hearing Leonard Nimoy talk about…read moreit on his show In Search Of.... Hubs told me about it, and then we heard about it together on Coast to Coast Am, early in our marriage. I had forgotten all about it until we were planning our trip to the Keys and my husband brought it up, so, we made it a priority to visit. Homestead is basically the last city you hit on the mainland before you begin your journey through the Keys, so you don't really have to make special plans to get here if you're heading there. Admission is $25 per adult, slightly less for children. With tax and a credit card convenience fee of $1.50, our total admission cost was $55. Personally, I think it was worth it, but then, I am into the weird stuff. The place can accomodate at least 100 people, but due to the oddity of the place and, I'm guessing, it's lack of notoriety, it doesn't seem to get very busy. There were maybe 25-30 people in the 2.5 hours we spent there. Coral Castle is almost entirely outdoors and exposed to the elements, so it is not really a castle. There are sitting areas, a dining area, bathing area and one enclosed living (sleeping) area. The living area could be called a tower, as it is two floors, but 1) You only get to see the lower floor which is now kind of a tool shed museum and 2) You can peek in it, but you can't actually go in it. Everything is made of a type of stone called oolite limestone. It is extremely strong and very heavy. The mystery of the castle is how it was built. How did one 5' tall man move multiple stones, weighing a ton or more, by himself? How did he make his stone chairs rock, and his stone gates turn? He claimed to know the secrets of the pyramid builders, and to this day, no one really knows how he did it. There are guided tours at regularly scheduled intervals, and you can join in anytime at no additional charge (recommended), or you can walk around and look at everything yourself, but there is no signage. You can stay as long as you want and take as many pictures as you want as well. There is a gift shop which has a cutout of Edward Leedskalnin, the man who built Coral Castle, that you can take a photo of or selfie with, along with the usual gift shop fare of shirts/sweatshirts, postcards, magnets, books, and other items. If you're looking for something interesting and unusual to do on the way to the Keys, I highly suggest a stop here. 99/2025

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    Coral Castle
    Coral Castle - Overlook of the park in 2010

    Overlook of the park in 2010

    Coral Castle

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    Boca Chita Key - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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