One of the cool landmarks located in Homestead is a static display of the F-4 Phantom fighter…read morebomber. Per the US Airforce: "This particular static display was dedicated to its spot on U.S. 1 in November of 1989. Homestead ARB hosted a squadron of F-4s from 1981 to 1989. The fighter jet was introduced throughout the Air Force in 1958 and retired by the Air Force in 1996. But between the base and the city of Homestead, the static display represents much more." Certainly a cool thing to see when I used to drive around Homestead. I mean what do other local cities/towns have nearby in other parts of the county?

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.

Since this National Park is 95% water, you have to book some water activities to fully appreciate…read morethe uniqueness of this park! We did a snorkel tour our first day, which took us out in the bay where we got to snorkel in the mangroves and near a limestone shoreline that was filled with lobsters and unique marine life. Sometimes you will get to go snorkel the coral reef, however it was too windy the day we were there, which was disappointing but safety is first priority. Our second day, we kayaked the mangroves. This was my first time kayaking and it took a little while to get the hang of it but it was a cool experience. Going down the mangrove inlets was very peaceful and you could see some cute crabs hanging out at the root of the tree. Be sure to bring bug spray and sunscreen. You will need it! This park is free to enter, but excursions do cost. They are pretty affordable though. If you don't go on any, at least walk the trail around the visitor center and watch the 20 minute video about the park.

Biscayne National Park was a nice surprise on our Florida Keys trip. We didn't go in expecting…read moremuch, but it was actually quite beautiful and they had some fun activities on site. There were nice paved and groomed walking trails around the peninsula and bay, as well as a ranger-led fishing experience on the bridge, which didn't cost anything. One of the kids caught a neat looking fish. There was also a nice little visitor center with all sorts of information about the wildlife in the area, as well as different maps and rangers there to talk about what there was to do. Of course there were also junior ranger badges to get, which we made sure to do to add to our collection. Overall this is definitely worth a stop on any trip. Five stars!

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

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.

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.

What a hidden gem! Full of train AND local history. Incredible collection of coaches you can…read moreexplore from different eras. Fairly cheap entrance ticket too. Great for kids!

We were very excited to take our two year-old grandson to see the trains. He had a great time but I…read morecannot deny feeling disappointed at the dilapidated conditions of the museum and trains. The ones that are kept inside the covered building are beautiful, but I couldn't get a good picture because they were surrounded by marketplace vendors. There are many beautiful trains here and lots of history. I truly hope they find some source of funding that would allow them to adequately take care of and preserve these beautiful trains.

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.

John was very very easy to work with and accommodating of us for our tour in Miami and the…read moreEverglades. He shared with us the very interesting Wynwood area with all the street art murals, which were amazing. He worked with us to customize our trip and did all of this for a very fair price. I would strongly recommend him.

My family and I have been to Miami before but had not truly been on a proper tour of the city. We…read morefound out about Miami Native Tours via Trip Advisor, and upon looking at John's website, we knew that he would be the right guy for the job. All I can say, and I'm sure my family would say the same, is what an AMAZING experience. Booking was easy, straightforward, and at a very reasonable price. Throughout the tour, we saw manatees and covered the backroads of Wynwood, with my family and I, at the end, being dropped off in South Point Park in South Beach for a wonderful sunset. John was an extremely informative guide, and I left the tour feeling like I could teach a college course about the history of Miami! 10/10 experience and just a great day

I am a sucker for roadside attractions. Some are obviously better than others. This one is…read moredefinitely a weird one and worth a visit. Of course, it was 150 degrees outside (and humid, of course) when we visited, which wasn't fun, but what can you do. You take a guided, narrated tour and try not to step on any of the prehistoric gigantic iguanas that are roaming around everywhere. And I mean giant. The story of the guy who built this place is interesting enough. Both kids and adults will enjoy the history of the construction of this strange oddity. It was built over the course of 30 years and it is a remarkable and bizarre spectacle that this guy constructed. Would I return? Nah, been there, done that. But despite the high admission price, I am glad I went once. This is like a mini-Stonehenge, mushy peas not included.

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.