Places to visit near Miami

I thought I would try to document a few places near Miami that you might like to visit.



Firstly there is the Cape Florida Lighthouse which is situated just off US Highway 1 on the southeast tip of Key Biscayne just south of Miami Beach. It is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Florida and was built in 1825 to mark the Florida Reefs for ships trying to get into Biscayne Bay, it is sited on the closest point of land to the Gulf Stream.



Unfortunately the original lighthouse was destroyed in 1836 during the Second Seminole War. Then due to hostile Indian activity it was not possible to build the new tower until 1845. However with the new building the opportunity was taken to replace the original 65 foot tower with a 95 foot one but this was not completed until 1855. It is believed that the Confederate soldiers were responsible for destroying the lighthouse lamp and it went out of active service in 1878. However it was relit in 1978 and is now open to the public as is the Keepers Museum. They are both well worth a visit.



The Everglades area is great for canoeing and other water activities but there are also extensive biking trails here. Everglades National Park allows biking along the main park roads, on the Shark Valley tram road, on the Old Ingram Highway, on Long Pine Key Nature Trail, and on the Snake Bight and Rowdy Bend trails at Flamingo. There are many miles here for you to cycle along.



At Miami-Dade Parks you will find a 14 mile bike hike along the Long Pine Key path pineland and prairie habitat. Be sure to look out for alligators sleeping along the sides of these trails but be careful they may be more awake than they seem!



If you are a serious bike rider you may want to find out the dates around the end of April for a local event called the MS 150/Breakaway to Key Largo Bike Tour which heads south starting from the Miami Metro Zoo and finishes down in the Keys.



A visit to Hialeah Park is well worth while as it contains one of horse racings oldest and most prominent tracks. Originally built about1925 this park was modeled after European racing sites such as Longchamps in France and several notable tracks in England. It was then bought by another owner in the 1930s and redesigned and includes a “Renaissance Revival clubhouse, associated buildings and formal landscaped gardens of flora and fauna native to southern Florida. ” You will enjoy the park with its lake absolutely filled with loads of flamingos; it is a beautiful sight and a great photo opportunity.



These are just a few places to visit I am sure you will find many more.