Bayfront Park, originally named Royal Palm Park, is the oldest public gathering space in Greater…read moreMiami. It was established in 1896 and began with a pavilion and green space used for sports activities. The park was also used for political and religious gatherings near the railroad tracks and tidal marshes. In 1922, the city constructed a retaining wall to create a formal park. Warren Manning, who had worked for Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., was commissioned for the design. The 62-acre park officially opened in March 1925 and included pathways, tropical landscaping, and a wide pedestrian promenade that extended from East Flagler Street to the bay. The 1926 hurricane destroyed much of the park. A year later, the city installed a bandshell, a grotto, and a rock garden on the waterfront. During World War II, the U.S. Navy took over the park and used it as part of its critical operations in the area. In 1943, the Navy installed the Dade County War Memorial. The military returned the park to the city in 1950, but it was in a battered state. The city built a library that blocked the view of the bay, and the following two decades saw little investment in the park. In 1980, the City of Miami approved a budget of $10 million to redesign the park. Famous Japanese-American modernist artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi was chosen for the task. His inspiration was to create a village green for downtown Miami. He convinced the city to remove the R.C. Gardner Bandshell, which had fallen into disrepair, as well as the library, and to restore Manning's pedestrian promenade. His plan also called for adding new amphitheaters and a large fountain at the end of a promenade flowing from East Flagler Street. The busts and statues of Hispanic leaders were relocated to an area outside the park. Eventually, the project ballooned to more than $40 million, much of it paid for through grants. Noguchi passed away during the construction of the park, but the torch was passed to his longtime collaborator, Shoji Sadao, who carried out his plans and vision. Today, Bayfront Park is maintained by the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a limited agency of the City of Miami. It is smaller than when it originally opened and currently encompasses 32 acres. A highlight of the park is its stunning views of Biscayne Bay. The park is also a culturally important outdoor museum, with art and monuments that add beauty and historical perspective. The Dade County War Memorial was restored in the 1990s, and there are statues honoring Claude D. Pepper and Julia Tuttle, the "Mother of Miami." The park still contains all of the major elements of the Noguchi plan, including the centerpiece fountain, although it is currently closed for repairs. It also features the Lee and Tina Hills Playground, open lawn spaces, a sandy beach area, the tropical rock garden, and the historic waterfall from 1926. A visit to downtown Miami would not be complete without a stop at Bayfront Park. The park is within walking distance of attractions such as the Freedom Tower, Bayside Marketplace, Kaseya Center, Museum Park, and numerous restaurants and entertainment venues. If there is a downside, it is that parking in downtown Miami is scarce and expensive. I have attended many outdoor concerts here through the years, and it is also the site of the popular Ultra Music Festival every March. In June, the park will host the FIFA Fan Festival when Miami welcomes the World Cup. A recent visit found me admiring the many sculptures throughout the park. Bayfront Park is still evolving, and future plans call for new lighting, a café, and additional redesign elements. Known as "Miami's Front Porch," it remains a vital outdoor oasis of green space for residents of the surrounding towers and visitors to the city alike.

I came with the company I work at for the Lexus run. Definitely a good space for hosting such a…read morehuge event. We had a great time walking and

A lovely place to scroll through, lot of great scenery. The museum park baywalk was one good…read morepathway to view cruises and ocean. Check out the giant sculpture of Awilda and the dogs & cats sculptures.

This park is so beautiful! If you visit the Perez Art Museum or the Frost Science Museum you can…read moreeasily enjoy the park after your museum day. I recently did Diplo's Run Club, and the festival stage was in the Maurice Ferré Park and enjoyed the open space.

The Caribbean Spirit is my favorite boat to ride in Miami! The vibe is laidback and chill, compared…read moreto a lot of party boats you may find. The crew is always friendly and I've had a great time chatting with them. They really make you feel like family when you take this cruise. We've done the sunset cruise and they give you a champagne toast included. The views are unbeatable!

Great Boat and was a lot of fun, I will re order again on my next visit…read more: https://youtu.be/qJP0OB84Wao

Excellent and speedy service! I highly recommend this if you want a private boat excursion…read more I booked this for my friend's bachelorette party. I used WhatsApp and they respond really quickly. Just provide details like the day, amount of people and the time. You can also book through their website which I also did but WhatsApp was immediate service. We quickly found an option that fit our budget and they send over a contract to sign. A small deposit is due during the time you sign your contract with the remaining balance and tip on the day of your trip. They offer drink and food services but we opted to bring our own as they provide an ice cooler. Our captain, Daniel, was great. He texted me right before and we let him know we were running late. Our Uber dropped us off at the wrong location which made us more late but he still gave us our time back when he did not have to all. Once he helped us onto the boat, he asked where we wanted to go and took us to a small island with other boats. He also gives you full access to the music. They also have an option for a large floatie for everyone to lay out and relax on. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a private boat ride. Prices are very reasonable. Easily our favorite excursion on the trip!

While we had so much fun with our captain Jorja I must say the boat itself was terrible! It looked…read moreas if it haven't been clean in years! The inside where the kitchen was had a very bad smell! The boat was so out dated! The mat was torn! We had to lay our towels down to sit on bc the boat was so unsanitary! The leather was torn badly! We had to do our own leg work upon boarding (as in picking the captain) and etc. We was told to arrive a hour early just for us to be sitting in our cars! Do I recommend this boat or company! No! But if others want to rent choose Jorga for your captain, he was a vibe! Oh we was on the 40 ft Sea Ray! Abort mission do not rent this particular boat!

This was hands down the best experience ever. Captain Manny was AWESOME!!!! We toured all over…read moreBiscayne Bay and downtown Miami. Captain had tons of great stories and info to share. He even took us to a little island! The service allows for drinks (of the adult nature) and food on board. He allowed us to play our own music and we had an amazing time. I can not wait until I am back in South Beach so that we can do this again. I would recommend that anyone traveling to the area take advantage of this experience. Captain Manny - if you see this - thanks for putting up with our crew and we WILL be back!!!

Just sailed with Captain Gabriel yesterday for Red Bull FlugTag (9/21/13) and my friends and I had…read morea great time! The Avalon boat was exactly like the pictures on the website and there was room enough for all 10 of us on board. Bring an iPod and a charger so you can DJ your own music and there was a cooler on board to store drinks etc. One of our friends kinda had some trouble swimming back to the boat due to the strong current and umm his current state and Captain Gabriel jumped in the water with a life jacket and saved him. :-) At the end of our rental, he even dropped us off at the Icon dock vs having to go all the way back to South Beach, very convenient! Would definitely sail with them again! This is NOT the same company as Miami Watersports that is panned on Yelp...we were a little worried when we read those reviews but it worked out great since it's a different company.

I stayed in downtown Miami and came across this nearby gem - one of the best parts of my weekend…read morestay. This is a great place to go for a stroll, unwind, and get some exercise. Beautiful sights to take in and clear your mind. Fantastic addition to downtown Miami!

Currently sitting down at the park while supervising my friends dog and... I love it here!…read more The weathers been nice lately so I thought it would be a nice little way to get a break from my laptop screen. So many cute pups hanging around and it's surprisingly very clean and well maintained. I love how spacious and airy it is and how it has options for different dog sizes.

We love adventurous and thrilling rides! This ride was an…read moreadrenaline pumping and screaming ride of a lifetime on a speed boat! Our boat was going about 40 mph and making wild turns on the water. A word to the wise, if you don't want to get wet, then sit in the middle area and not the back. You will see the Port of Miami, the Miami downtown skyline, Star Island and Millionaires Row, Palm Island, Fisher Island, South Beach and speed to the Atlantic Ocean. Time it right and you will see the sunset. The Captain and crew are awesome and will give you great info. This is definitely something you want to do in Miami! Adult tickets, age 12+ are $45 and kids 3-11 are $35. Parking can be found at Bayside Marketplace Garage. Check Groupon for specials. You can show up and board fairly quickly. There are plenty of restaurants at Bayside if you are hungry afterwards.

Had a great time. The speed and pivots were cool, not too harsh, and the ride wasn't bumpy. Someone…read moresuggested sitting front-right for taking pictures, which worked out well. We parked at a lot on 4th and Biscayne, then it was a short walk to the dock behind Bayside Marketplace. We arrived about 20 minutes before boarding, so we were within the first 10 people to board. Would definitely do it again.

What a fun place to visit. We went for a Teacher Appreciation promotion. We rented single kayaks…read more It was super easy to do. We showed up, there was plenty of parking. We checked in, left an ID, signed their waiver, and then we were off to get life vests and paddles/kayaks. They also rent bikes and paddle boards. (We stuck with kayaking for the day.) the weather was gorgeous and the water and scenery beautiful once we got out. I would recommend taking lunch and picnicking on their many tables or surrounding grass area. Another tip, show your reservation for kayaking to the guard/park entrance official that you booked a trip with VKOC and they will waive the $8 park fee. And then enjoy the beaches and scenery.

This is a great activity to do it with your family, partner or by yourself. Service from Virginia…read moreKey Outdoor Center is amazing, the experience is safe and fantastic and if you are lucky, you will see manatees. Also, you can go to the beach and it feels like you are alone in an island. It is just great. It was my 3rd time there and now I'm ready to buy my paddle board and go every weekend that I can. Tip: make your reservation online.

Visited in March, excellent experience. Wind was blowing at consistently at 10 MPH, mitigating any…read moremosquito or no see um issue. Raccoons were very aggressive recommend coin proof trash and food containers along with pepper spray, yes, they are that aggressive. You have to carry your trash out. The bathrooms were really clean. The visitor center was closed at time of visit, but camp host volunteered to open. The docks were nice with multiple options to tie down. I docked diagonally in slip because my boat design. This had an added benefit that the coons could not board, and according to the camp hosts, they do raid boats. There is also one floating dock. The facility has a flashing red light and a white light at the fee registration station that can be seen a mile away. Camping spots seem to be on first come first serve basis. There is a picnic table at each camp site, generally located in front of each boat docking spot. Some spots have a grill. There are no camp fire rings and no ground fires are permitted. Camping is allowed under visitor pavilion. There is an outside electrical outlet on second floor.

Planned to spend two nights but only stayed one. No park ranger on duty. Two park volunteers who…read morecouldn't enforce rules and didn't have any support from the rangers. Boats were blasting music till 1 am and generators were running all night. People were drunk, smoking and loud. We kept herring the excuse that it was a holiday weekend. Numbers of people were not the issue. Lack of rule enforcement and general respect for others was the issue. Not going back for sure!

My friend and I have have taken 2 classes with Meghan and absolutely recommend her…read more She is so great at instructor (use to be a math teacher in fact), is this great zen about her. Thank you Meghan for making our bdays extra special!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND Turquoise Floating Yoga for SUP instruction and SUP instructor training. I've been…read moreSUPing for over 10 years, I completed ACA level 1 and 2 SUP instructor training previously, and I taught basic SUP myself for 4 years. I needed to renew my ACA instructor certification and wanted to get WPA instructor certification, so I did an ACA Level 1 and 2 SUP workshop and WPA level 1 SUP instructor training/certification with TFY. Meghan is the best SUP instructor/instructor trainer I've had. She's obviously very knowledgeable, but more importantly, she's also awesome at conveying that knowledge. We covered a huge amount of information in the ACA L1/2 workshop, but she made it manageable and easily understandable. The welcome letter she sends prior to class is very helpful and lets you know what to bring, the schedule, and what to expect. Her videos are also extremely helpful to watch beforehand. I thought the ACA workshop would be largely review for me, but I was surprised by how much I learned. She's also very upbeat, encouraging, and patient, and her low-pressure approach creates the perfect environment for learning. She taught high school math for 9 years, and I think her background in education plus her SUP knowledge and skills make her an outstanding instructor and instructor trainer. I'm looking forward to returning for ACA L1/2 instructor certification training.