The City of Miami has never been a sleepy town, but rather one under construction and development since Henry Flagler was enticed by Julia Tuttle to bring the railroad south from Jacksonville in 1894. Miami became a chartered city in 1896 with 100 “Americans,” only 25 registered voters, all of whom had to be men. It was also the same year that the Flagler railroad finished laying its tracks.
South Beach and Lincoln Road and its outdoor mall hosts some of the finest restaurants and bistros, lush foliage, art galleries, and boutique stores. (Weekend daytime flea market, fruit and flower markets) We also view the Holocaust Memorial and the Miami Beach Convention Center and history of the past and present. The Beach Experience requires additional time and charge.
Downtown, we pass Bayside Marketplace with 100 shops and kiosks, the complimentary rail which crosses the Miami River and past the Brickell Avenue Bridge to the international financial district and Mary Brickell Village, an area popular with corporate and millennial visitors and residents.
On the edge of Coconut Grove is Miami’s version of an Italian Palazzo with John Deering’s Estate, Vizcaya. Then down to the historic Bahamian fishing village of Coconut Grove, We will travel its charming streets, past the Coconut Grove Theatre, and its exciting shopping district.
Deep into the lush foliage up to Coral Gables was established as a magnificent gift to the people of Coral Gables planned as the “City Beautiful” in 1925. Mansions, the Biltmore Hotel, and community Venetian Poo founded by George Merrick. We pass the campus of the University of Miami and onto Little Havana if time permits. Explore with us as we view the past and the future.
