I love this equestrian themed public art work. Silhouette Herd consists of 5 life size cut outs of…read morehorses galloping, cantering, trotting, and leaping down Pine Island Road. Silhouette Herd is the vision of artist Wendy Klemperer. Klemperer earned a bachelor's in biochemistry at Harvard before moving to NYC to pursue art full time and earning a B.F.A. in sculpture at Pratt Institute in 1983. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and Nelson, NH. Klemper has had exhibitions in NY and throughout the country and her permanent installation are displayed in MA, ME, MT, and Xinzheng, China. To create Silhouette Herd, Klemper first designed five horse sculptures based on her previous drawings. The pieces were then fabricated by Eric Small and his team at EES designs who plasma cut them from steel and stainless steel plates. Cut outs were chosen because they worked with the budget Davie had for the project while sculptures would have been much more expensive. Silhouette Herd was installed in 2022. The city added a paved walkway and benches behind the horses so it is very park like. Klemperer is known for her animal sculptures. The horses in Silhouette Herd were inspired by Davie's history as a western town. When Davie was settled it's economy was based almost entirely on farm land and cattle but now the agriculture and cows are disappearing. Davie hasn't forgotten it's western roots entirely however. It is still home to the Bergeron Rodeo. Like these horses that saunter down Pine Island Road you may still see the real thing as many people in Davie own horses that they ride in the area.

Forest of Joy is a triptych mural on a wall in Hazel Fazzino Park in North Miami Beach. Forest of…read moreJoy was painted by Alicia María Vallejo. Vallejo started her career as an anthropologist. Now turning to art she inspired by Neo Cubism and Pop Art. In In 2017, Alicia Maria was honored as "Hispanic Artist" on the course of Hispanic Heritage month by The City of North Miami. In 2018 she completed her first mural, "Forest of Joy" in a park dedicated to honoring the life of Hazel Fazzino. Her second and third murals, "The Forest of Dreams" and "Butterfly" are at the main entrance of the North Miami Beach Library. Alicia María Vallejo continues to work in North Miami Beach as an artist, anthropologist, and community advocate inspiring and enriching lives through her commitment to art, education, and the celebration of life's beauty. I was instantly attracted to the bright colors of Forest of Joy. I love the name of the work because it is the exact feeling you experience when you stand in front of it, joy. The mural represents the trees of knowledge that join heaven and earth. They are the trees of joy that connect all forms of creation. It is fun to take a moment to really look at the mural and discover all of the details like the sweet birds. This is a park primarily for children and Forest of Joy really brightens up the wall and transforms beautifully what would have otherwise been a drab space.

Worthy of a stop, if you pass by. I was in the area and was surprised to pass it. I therefore…read morepulled over as being English I miss historical buildings, especially as Miami is so modern. You can find this historic fountain, which is called Fulford-By-The-Sea Monument in North Miami Beach, Florida. It was built in 1925 as part of the development project by the Fulford-by-the-Sea Company. The fountain was one of the largest built in South Florida in the 1920s. There were intended to be 4 other similar fountains at other access points to the development. However, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 and the end of the Florida land boom prevented their construction. The fountain is a Dade Historical Site and its image is part of the North Miami Beach city logo. On November 29, 2010, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Fulford by the Sea Entrance.

The historic Fulford-by-the-Sea fountain is located in North Miami Beach. It was built in 1925 by…read moreMerle C. Tebbetts and Edgar C. Linn of the Florida Cities Finance Company during Florida's land boom years when ornate Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical Revival architecture like you see in this fountain were the fashion. At 32 feet it is one of the tallest fountains in South Florida and was built of cast stone. It was placed at the main entrance to the development. The plan had been to create four fountains and put them at the other entrances to the Fulford-by-the-Sea development which began selling lots in 1922. The Great Miami Hurricane in 1926 followed by the Great Depression put an end to the fortunes of Florida and the other fountains were never built. Features of the fountain include four triumphal arches on a circular base that contains a shallow pool. My favorite part of the fountain are the four unicorn busts around the mosaic tile dome. I never would have thought that I could find a unicorn let alone four of them in Miami. The fountain it still in operation today and pretty much in its original condition. It was designated a Dade Historical Site in 1983 and it is featured on the North Miami Beach city logo. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2010. In 2017. Florida marker F-952, detailing the history of the fountain was placed next to it by the City of North Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State. In 2016 the fountain received a 5 month restoration by RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture that cost $100,000. It was paid for by state funding and donations to the city and the city had a dedication ceremony when it was completed. I love when I find a piece of architecture from the 1920's in Florida. Not a lot of it was preserved and unlike in Coral Gables, there is very little left in North Miami. It was a real treat stumbling on this exquisite fountain. It is worth a stop and a picture if you are in the area.

I found out about El Galeón Andalucía visiting Fort Lauderdale from the Sun-Sentinel. It is a…read morereplica of 16th century treasure ships, similar to those used to explorers like Ponce de Leon. It looked impressive in the article, and seemed like a fun and different activity, so I decided to check it out on my day off. Given that it was a Wednesday, I wasn't entirely surprised that I was pretty much the only person on board the ship. I got to explore at my leisure, and they have signs at various parts telling you what it is you're looking at and how it was used. The very front was roped off, so you couldn't go past a certain point, and the same for the back. It's too bad I couldn't get a photo while holding the ship wheel (yep, it was behind the rope), because that would've been a pretty sweet photo op. Once you've explored the deck, you can head down below where the cannons are, and read all of the information about these kinds of ships and how they were used. They even have iPads with information on various explorers and shipwrecks near Florida, as well as a game for kids on them. Then you can head down one deck lower and watch a movie on how the ship was built. I originally thought the $16 price tag was a bit high to visit this ship, but after seeing how incredibly detail-oriented they were in crafting it and everything in it (even the furniture was hand-crafted), I gained a new appreciation for just how complex a task it was to make such a fantastic replica. The movie doesn't have any narration, just music, but it's well worth watching. El Galeón Andalucía is only in town until December 14th, and is well worth the visit. Parking at the Las Olas Marina is super easy and cheap ($1 an hour), and you only need about an hour to see everything on the ship and take pictures, maybe longer if it is crowded.

El Galeon Andalucia is as exact a replica as possible of one of Spain's 16th-17th century galleon…read moreships and the only galleon class sailing ship in the world. Its sparred length is 171 feet, 495 tons. 7 sail square rigged, with a freeboard of 11'9", a daft on 9'9", 33'3" beam, a 10,010 square foot sail area, working crew of twenty based out of Spain that travels the world but attempts to schedule a docking a Las Olas Marina to coincided with the Fort Lauderdale Boat Parade. Boarding her offers a fascinating 500 year step back in time to the days of Spain's West Indies Trade, arrival of Juan Ponce de León, and the time of pirates, explorers, gold and treasurers of the New World. Thanks to a first review tip off by Yelper Cherine A. I was able to board El Galeon Andlaucia, look her over and visit with her Spanish crew. I've been aboard many a replica ship, in fact my primary Yelp profile picture has me standing in Barcelona in front of a replica of Columbus's ship, but of all the historic replica ships I've been aboard, this one is the best as well as the most outstanding of them all. It's a fully functional ship, has traveled around the world, and has its officer and crew quarters, cannon and most everything else as historically accurate as possible. If you have any interest in the early sailing ships when Spain ruled the West Indies Trade as well as our home state of Florida, the El Galeon Andalucia is a must see.

Across from Mad Art museum is this five foot stone sculpted replica Olmec Colossal Head. The…read moresculpture faces South Federal Hwy to turn heads of every driver. Perfect for a picturesque opportunity with a cool piece of art. The original stone pieces weigh 40 tons from 400 - 1200 BCE made by mesoamericans. Only 17 known originals are in existence.

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. The Italian Village was designed by architects Frank Wyatt Woods, Pierson, Skinner, Alfred L. Klingbeil, R.F. Ware, and Robert Law Weed who took their inspiration from 17th century Italian farmhouses. This is the largest of Merrick's villages. The homes have street facing entrances, walled gardens and exterior stairways. There are seventeen buildings located within San Antonio Avenue, San Esteban, Segovia Street and Monserrate Streets. All are private residences so you can only view them from the street but there are some interior pictures online from when they come up for sale. I love how the outside themes are carried throughout the interior of the houses. The homes in the villages are some of the most sought after residences in the Gables. Today there 80 homes left. Expect to pay well over a million for an Italian village house. They rarely go up for sale and are always in high demand. Once you see them you can easily understand why they are so popular.

Coral Gables has quite a few "Villages", that depict different architectural styles from around the…read moreworld (see my other reviews) for example here in Coral Gables - we have Chinese, French, Italian and Dutch. This review is about the Italian village - see below for some more information regarding it. Please look a the pictures I managed to capture of one of the Italian style homes I saw from my car during the covid. Italian Village Generally bounded by San Antonio Avenue, San Esteban, Segovia Street and Monserrate Street, are seventeen homes inspired by the Italian farm houses. Architects Alfred L. Klingbeil, John and Coulton Skinner, R. F. Ware, and Robert Law Weed designed these residences from 1925-1927.

Great House !!! Swimming pool, on the water, fishing off the porch, boatdock, beautiful landscape…read moregrounds, Rolls-Royce in the carport

Built in 1971, the Moreth House is not a business, it's a private residence and neither it nor its…read moregrounds are open to the public. What it is, is an amazing point of visual design architecture as well as a matter of local flavor. Located next to the extreme northwest corner of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park it actually extends out over the Intracoastal Waterway. Being so unusual and unique, it abounds with all sorts of rumor and gossip. Any young local child will tell you it is the home of the legendary Captain Nemo while some tour guides claim it to have been the "playhouse" of Burt Reynolds while others say it was that of Hugh Heffner; all of which I believe to be hogwash. Some claim it as being a Bill Bigamy design in which every other floorboard is glass to watch the water underneath. The same architect that built 17th street bridge But I think the most credible statement is that of Dan Duckham, the architect who said: "The client was a bachelor and a general contractor who owned a unique lot on a very wide section of the Intracoastal Waterway. The unique part was that a portion of the lot was actually under water as indicated on the legal survey. The design proceeded with the bold assumption that we could actually do it, and amazingly it was approved by the Corp of Engineers. Part of the structure is on dry land but overhangs the seawall and the main living/dining/kitchen is suspended over the water, supported on two large pile caps. Columns and long span concrete beams were formed and poured on the site and lifted in place by crane. The landside part contains the owner's office, Master Bedroom and Guest Bedroom, and is connected by the Foyer. Miraculously, it's still there." But no matter, it's a site of local flavor and architecture not to be missed.

Five Points has been a Wilton Manors landmark since 1925 when it was laid out by Edward J. "Ned"…read moreWillingham. It served as the gateway to his subdivision of Wilton Manors. The five pointed intersection is unusual because three major streets, Wilton Drive, Northeast 26th Street and Dixie Highway converge from five directions. It is believed to be the only such road configuration in the county. Back in the 1920's, Wilton Boulevard was framed by four Romanesque towers designed by noted architect Frank Abreu. Prospective lot buyers could climb to the top of the highest tower which was 38 feet so they could pick out their land. Sadly the large tower was torn down in 1957 to make way for an A&W root beer stand. From the 1950's to the late 1970's people would drink root beer at the drive-in and they bought vegetables from a grain and feed store. Trains loaded with produce would roar past Five Points. The smaller pair of towers located between NE 26th St and Wilton Dr. were torn down in 1964. The last little tower was taken down shortly after. Today thousands of cars pass through Five Points everyday on their way north to Oakland Park, East to Federal Hwy, South to Middle River Terrace, and west to Wilton Manors. At the perimeter of Five Points sits a number of businesses including a Publix built in 2001. Any effort to fix Five Points by the Florida Department of Transportation has been met with resistance by local residents and businesses so if you do plan to drive through prepare to hear a lot of honking by frustrated motorists trying to navigate the road. Locals wouldn't have it any other way.

Five Points is a matter of "Local Flavor" rather than an actual business and somewhat of a rarity…read morein that it is made up of the five point highway intersection of NE 26th Street, North Dixie Highway and Wilton Drive, and as such a local location landmark and reference point. Local location directions are often given by stating distances from Five Points, such as "four blocks south on Wilton Drive from Five Points," "I'm one mile from Five Points," etc. Besides being a rare 5 point intersection it's also somewhat of an oddity in that, if you'll notice, the traffic lights change in a counterclockwise as opposed to the usual clockwise sequence of rotation. Every local knows this location and it is the location where all the parades or street festivals of Wilton Manors either begin or end.