If you love elephants and art, then this exhibit is a must for you to see and experience. Never did…read moreI think that I would see 100 lifelike elephants on the beach in Miami Beach. You can get up close and personal for free until December 8 while Art Basel 2024 is happening in Miami and Miami Beach. The exhibit is located between 36th and 37th Streets on Collins Ave behind the 36th Street Park and the Faena Hotel. There is plenty of free parking. The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising adventure to amplify indigenous knowledge and inspire the human race, to share space. I am so thrilled that we were able to view this exhibit ahead of the official opening on Dec. 2. It lasts until Dec. 8. After Miami Beach, it will be traveling to Montana. It migrated from New York City to Miami Beach by truckload.

Cool spot, chill vibes will definitely go again to just marvel at the art and creativity.read more

When we visited Miami we strolled through the Dogs and Cats Walkway and Sculptured Garden which was…read morebeautiful. It's in an area with some tree coverage therefore it was a nice area to walk around. It has a nice view of the cruise port which is a plus and there is another park you can stroll through. Everything was so clean and maintained.

It's always exciting when you find something free in Miami. This is a cute and whimsical dog and…read morecat sculpture garden in Maurice A. Ferre Park with a beautiful backdrop of Biscayne Bay. It is a fun walk through the garden to enjoy and read about all the sculptures. This is a nice visit before or after the nearby Perez and Frost Museums.

Another great excursion during your staycation or if you're visiting something other than the…read morebeach! This "village" was built in 1926-1927, and was designed by architects John and Coulton Skinner. They are supposed to resemble a 15th century French village. It's difficult to see much beyond the white stuccoed walls as you walk around the block. However, the profusion of flowers is amazing with wisteria and bougainvillea. The connected houses were not always privately owned. In 1935, the Village was sold to nearby University of Miami and served as homes to five fraternities. Next, during World War II like most of the iconic Art Deco hotels in South Beach, they were used to house soldiers here for training.

George Merrick is the founder of the City of Coral Gables. His family came to Miami from PA two…read moreyears after Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida. It was the dawn of the development of Florida. George Merrick attended Rollins College in Winter Park and in 1922 he meticulously planned Coral Gables. The houses were so well made that they survived hurricanes before there were building codes and his architecture was so charming that Coral gables is called the city beautiful. He also created the University of Miami. At first he wanted his buildings to be strictly Spanish and later Mediterranean style. Eventually he expanded his vision to include seven unique villages inspired by different international influences. The villages were built during the land boom years in the 1920's. It was a joint venture between Merrick, The American Building Company and former Ohio Governor Myers Cooper. The original plan was for more 1,000 residences in a series of villages based on architecture from around the world. The plan was never fully realized when the housing boom crashed from two hurricanes followed by the Great Depression. In the end only seven villages were built including this French Normandy Village. By 1928 George Merrick was forced out of the city he founded and ended up in the Keys. He returned to the city two years before he died to serve as postmaster. You can learn more about George Merrick by taking a tour of his family home in Coral Gables. The French Normandy village is based on a 15th century French Village. It is one of three of Merrick's villages that showcases different periods of French architecture. Architects John and Coulton Skinner built the eleven townhouses that make up this village between 1926 and 1927. The townhouses are characterized by hollow tile, poured concrete, and white stucco are crisscrossed with half timbering and topped by flat, shingled, gabled roofs. The grounds have traditional kitchen gardens, enclosed courtyards, and open-air porches. The village is bounded by LeJeune Road, Viscaya Court, Viscaya Avenue, and Alesio Avenue. In 1935 all of the French Normandy townhouses were purchased by the University of Miami to use as men's dormitories. During World War II, they were used as barracks for soldiers. Today they are all privately owned. The homes in the villages are some of the most sought after residences in the Gables. They rarely go up for sale and are always in high demand. Today there are 80 homes left. Expect to pay close to a million for a French Normandy residence. Once you see these beautiful homes you can easily understand why they are so coveted.

The Miami Design District is so much fun to explore and there are exciting discoveries around every…read morecorner. Nestled in between high end stores like Christian Louboutin and Louis Vuitton are exciting pieces of public art. It is impossible to miss this large scale art piece holding court in the center of the Palms Court. The unusual name of this art piece comes from its creator Buckminster Fuller who was an architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, and futurist. In 1965 Fuller patented his design called the Fly's Eye Dome which he called "autonomous dwelling machines." The geodesic bubbles were comprised of a series of transparent domed windows across a fiberglass partial sphere. Fuller was a forerunner of the green living movement and he intended the domes to be affordable and portable housing for people in the future. He envisioned the openings to hold solar panels and water collection systems in some of its openings, making for a self-sufficient residence. Unfortunately Fuller passed away in 1983 after only three prototypes had made been handmade. In 2011 Craig Robbins, co-founder and co-owner of the Miami Design District, obtained one of Fuller's prototypes 24 foot prototypes and planned to use it for an element of the Design District. The Buckminter Fuller Design institute was commissioned to produce this 24 foot piece in 2014 and it is now on the ground floor of the Palm Court. They were able to create the dome with materials that were not available when Fuller was making them in 1970's. The inspiration for the shape was from the compound eye's of flies but it looks like a hamster ball to me. I get a futuristic vibe from it. The dome is surrounded by a fountain and you can actually go inside and there are stairs that take you down to parking. The Fly's Eye Dome is a favorite spot for Instagram photos and selfies.

Super cool location with surrounding restaurants and sleek architectural buildings. You have to…read morevisit here when in the design district. In 1965 Buckminster Fuller designed and patented the Fly's Eye Dome, which he called an "autonomous dwelling machine". Prototypes began to be built by hand in 1977, and by 1983 three of the fiberglass spheres in various sizes (12-foot, 24-foot, 50-foot) had been produced. Fuller died before he was able to realize his vision for the structure. However, almost 50 years later, the design, a Monohex variation of the geodesic dome, can clearly be seen as a forerunner of today's green building movement. In 2011, collector Craig Robins acquired the 24-foot prototype to exhibit it and use it as inspiration for a key element of the Miami Design District. The following year, The Buckminster Fuller Institute, in partnership with Goetz Composites, ConformLab, and DRDesign, began the development of a program to complete Fuller's vision, using advanced technologies and materials not available to Fuller in the 1970s. BFI was then commissioned to produce a Fly's Eye Dome utilizing state-of-the-art materials, intelligence, and techniques, to be prominently incorporated in the Miami Design District.

Super cute and a nice photo op too. This 120 year old Banyan tree is a central inside the cute and…read morelush Upper Buena Vista, a sanctuary that offers local independent shops, and cute restaurants. This tree is known as is "the Bodhi Wish tree." Adorned in colourful ribbons. This tree is reputed to have special magnetic and spiritual values. An ancestral Asian tradition suggests that writing a wish on a ribbon and tying it to the tree could lead to eternal blessings. If you look closely at the ribbons, you'll find that each one carries a special wish! Upper Buena Vista partners with non-profit One Tree Planted, which plants trees in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific to support reforestation and preservation of nature. So, purchase a ribbon, write your wish and there will be a tree planted in your honour.

I love a historic tree so much that I even have a collection on Yelp. I discovered the Bodhi…read moreWishtree on a recent visit to Upper Buena Vista. The Bodhi Wishtree is a 120 year old banyan tree located in Upper Buena Vista retail and dining development which was actually designed around it. The tree is said to have spiritual and magnetic properties. According to Asian tradition you can write a wish on a ribbon, tie it to the tree, and receive eternal blessings. Ribbons used to be sold by the The House of Findings for a $1 donation given to the non profit One Tree Planted foundation that seeks to support reforestation in four continents. The House of Findings is currently closed except for appointments so I'm not sure how they are handling ribbon sales now. The tree is the centerpiece of the Upper Buena Vista complex providing shade, shelter, and positive energy to visitors. Beneath the tree is a giant colorful Pinocchio sculpture. Tons of people were getting their picture taken in front of the tree and it is the perfect backdrop for an Instagram shot of one of the amazing drinks from Amazonica.. Upper Buena Vista is such a cool place and the Bodhi Wishtree is front and center of all of the fun.

The Library of Us is a public art piece displayed on the beach during Art Basel. Founded in 1970 in…read moreSwitzerland, Art Basel is the most prestigious art fair in the United States. It is held each year in in Basel, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Paris, and here in Miami Beach. The large scale art piece was created by Es Devlin, an English artist and stage designer for music artists that include Adele and Beyonce. She works in a wide range of media including mapping light and projecting film onto kinetic sculptural forms. In 2017 she created Room2022, a 7,000 square-foot installation at Art Basel, Miami. You can also see her work on display at Super Blue Miami where she created an interactive mirrored installation, Forest of Us, on permanent view. Parking is a challenge in Miami Beach but it was worth the standstill traffic and the mad hunt for a space in order to see this amazing installation in person. You can reach it from the Beachwalk. Just head straight out to the beach. The Library of Us is a 20 foot high triangular bookshelf that rotates every 10 minutes. It contains 2.500 books. Some of the titles I caught included classics like Moby Dick, and Hamlet, Prince Harry's controversial Spare, and even metaphysical like Sylvia Brown's Phenomenon. Devlin is said to read 300 books a year and the titles chosen for the art piece reflect those that she considers important to her life and philosophy. Books were grouped by color. The Library of Us rotates slowly in a shallow pool. If you wait in line you can sit in the rotating section. Other people waited on the outside of the ring where there books to read like Maya Angelou's. Letter to My Daughter. Across the bookshelf different phrases related to reading are projected in LED lights. You can also hear Devlin read quotes from the book on display. All of the books will be donated to Miami public schools and libraries after the installation ends. Some of the titles have been banned in Florida schools and this piece is a statement on that as well as climate change. Art Basel is always filled with surprises, and as an avid reader and book lover, this was one of the best.

This year's Art Basel installation at the Faena was BEAUTIFUL. Created by Es Devlin who; fun fact,…read moreis also known for stage design and has created stage designs for the Super Bowl & Beyoncé! There was a long line to get the exchange to sit around the installation as it turned, but everyone was free to walk up closer to the outer edge and take pictures and videos. Despite the crowd and the amount of noise from the people speaking, this was actually so peaceful and beautiful to witness. I wish the installation was there for a longer period of time so people could have more time to enjoy it. It was truly a sight to see and I can't wait for next year's Faena beach display.

George Merrick is the founder of the City of Coral Gables. His family came to Miami from PA two…read moreyears after Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida. It was the dawn of the development of Florida. George Merrick attended Rollins College in Winter Park and in 1922 he meticulously planned Coral Gables. The houses were so well made that they survived hurricanes before there were building codes and his architecture was so charming that Coral gables is called the city beautiful. He also created the University of Miami. At first he wanted his buildings to be strictly Spanish and later Mediterranean style. Eventually he expanded his vision to include seven unique villages inspired by different international influences. The villages were built during the land boom years in the 1920's. It was a joint venture between Merrick, The American Building Company and former Ohio Governor Myers Cooper. The original plan was for more 1,000 residences in a series of villages based on architecture from around the world. The plan was never fully realized when the housing boom crashed from two hurricanes followed by the Great Depression. In the end only seven villages were built including this Italian Village. By 1928 George Merrick was forced out of the city he founded and ended up in the Keys. He returned to the city two years before he died to serve as postmaster. You can learn more about George Merrick by taking a tour of his family home in Coral Gables. Built between 1925 and 1926, the French Country Village was inspired by 18th-century rural French provincial farmhouse estates and chateauxs. There are two different style of architecture. Architect Frank Forster designed country homes and farm buildings and architects Edgar Albright and Philip L. Goodwin designed a rustic chateaux style of home. They were all built in the country style and they have have spacious yards and gardens. Design elements include steeply-pitched roofs, turrets, carved wood and wrought-iron balconies, red brick, and tall ceilings. You can find them on the 500 block of Hardee Road. When you see this neighborhood you feel like you stepped into Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Belle sings there must be more than this provincial life but I would be quite happy here. Since there are only 12 homes the demand for them is extremely high. When they do hit the market the price is over 2 million if you could even be lucky enough to get one.

See my other reviews there are a few "villages" in Coral Gables to depict different styles from…read morearound the world, this area is French country. See below for some information. French Country Village On the 500 block of Hardee Road are homes inspired by 18th century rural French architecture. This thematic district has two evident styles. Architect Frank Forster designed the farm styled homes, while architects Edgar Albright, and Phillip L. Goodwin designed the homes that are more rustic in style. I came for a drive around during covid - and definitely saw "French architectural styles" from the car, check out my pictures and you decide!

More like 4.5 stars. I like Little Havana. I really don't come here very often. In fact, I have…read morebeen more on the west side of 8th Street compared to Little Havana. I find the Little Havana area to be charming. There are some nice restaurants in this area. I got to eat at Ciao Havana and was happy eating there. There is Old's Sandwich near there. That looked really good. I would like.to.eat there at some point. I like this area because of the history. I walked by a barber shop and saw how busy it was and how the barbershop seemed to be taking pride in their work. That is so nice to see. I look forward to coming back to this area. It is a nice break from Broward where I live.

Review #1,000 The…read morefinale to our Miami tour, booked to kill time before heading to the airport. This was the day that we disembarked from our Caribbean cruise. After Cuba's fall to Fidel Castro, Miami received an influx of Cuban migrants, some 150,000 at the time. And this community became their hub. We were tantalized by our tour bus guide's verbal preparations of his Cuban heritage found here, especially the Cuban coffee. Lunch at the popular Cuban restaurant La Esquina de La Fama, our first stop, delivered on the Cuban coffee hype. As did the mojitos for some, which they're probably most famous for. Then other than the guide's walking tour option to the nearby Cuban cigar factory which we passed on; we had toured a similar hand rolled cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. So we were now free to explore on our own. Colorful murals, especially in what is known as Art Park, surround you. Nearby Domino Park is open to the public, but playing dominoes there is reserved only for the local elderly. But feel free to stroll around the various games going on. There is also a very popular ice cream parlor that came highly recommended but we passed on it. And per the guides strong protest to please avoid/tongue-in-cheek, the McDonald's smack dab in the midst of it all, that advice went unheeded by more than a few lol. My wife crossed the street to check out a small strip mall, joining another group of tourists headed that way. While I remained in a cool shaded spot to avoid the encroaching Miami humidity. Oh, and if you feel a need for a bit more positivity in your life, try rubbing one of the large chickens, you can't miss them, for "good luck" they say. Little Havana, a nice way to kill some time when in town.