I was driving through Davie when this beautiful mural caught my eye.. Run is a public art mural…read morefeaturing colorful horses painted on the side of the Robert H. Bamford Sports Complex on Pine Island Rd. Run was painted by Nicaraguan artist, Luis Valle. Luis Valle aka El Chan Guri, was born on April 16, 1977 in Managua, Nicaragua. He grew up in Miami where he was drawn to the arts from an early age. During his teen years he began painting as a graffiti artist. He went on to take art classes at Florida State University in Tallahassee where he graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts. He later went on to receive a Masters in Arts Degree from New York University. The Town's Open Space and Recreational Activities Committee (OSRAC) gave direction and approved the design. The 1,000 sq. ft. Run mural depicts four 20-ft. tall horses representing Davie's equestrian history.. The horses appear to be galloping straight off the wall as they head towards the viewer. When Davie was settled its economy was based almost entirely on agriculture from farm land and cattle but now the farms and livestock are disappearing to make way for new commercial developments. Davie hasn't forgotten its western roots entirely however. It is still home to the Bergeron Rodeo, you can see western inspired architecture in the downtown, and so many people own horses that you can find horse tie ups and corrals in the the local parks. While these horses gallop off the wall, you are likely to see the real thing walking down Pine Island Road.

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.

As a fan of public art, I was delighted to discover this gorgeous wildlife themed mural on the side…read moreof World of Beer in Miramar Park Place. It features one of my favorite artistic subjects, native wildlife. Curiosity is by artist Ernesto Maranje. I recognized his style because he also painted another mural I admire, Rebirth in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Maranje is a Cuban-American artist born in Chicago, Illinois in 1983 and raised in Miami, Florida. He discovered his interest in art at 27 while serving in the Coast Guard. The subjects of his murals focus on flora and fauna, biological evolution, and plant and animal relationships. Maranje has created murals all over the United States and abroad. Curiousity features a native Florida panther and Monarch and Zebra Longing butterflies. The mural takes its name from the curiosity the panther has for the butterfly. The mural also represents the fascination we have for the wildlife around us. Native firebush which attracts zebra longwings and tickseed surround the panther. I loved finding the Monarch on the panther' neck in the mural because I plant milkweed at my house to help them on their journey. This beautifully rendered mural really brightens up an otherwise unused space in the plaza.

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.

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.

Thunder Blue is a 14 foot, tall rabbit sculpture, currently sitting in Justin Flippin park in…read moreWilton Manors. It is the creation of American artist Hunt Slonem who took inspirations for the sculpture from a mosaic he did on a building in West Palm Beach. Slonem is known for his paintings of butterflies, rabbits, and tropical birds. His work has been on display in more than 250 museum exhibitions including 60 permanent collections and is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Thunder Blue is covered in 6500 pieces of bright blue mosaic glass and is worth $300,000. It was first shown at the South Florida for the Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary Art Fair in 2022 and it is currently on loan from New River Fine Arts in Fort Lauderdale. As a rabbit mom, I love the subject and how it sparkles in the light. It is a very eye catching piece and Hopper approved. The sculpture is such a nice addition to the park but unfortunately not everyone thought so. On May 25th a Florida man intentionally rammed his car into the statue damaging the base. He is also responsible for destroying other art work in the city supposedly because he was angry that Mayor Justin Flippen allowed birds to be in Wilton Manors. He is currently in custody and commissioners will be meeting soon to discuss how to proceed with repairs.

This is a public art piece by Spanish artist Manolo Valdés. He is known for his artistic style that…read morecombines art with history. Valdés has been featured in many museums and galleries. His pieces are displayed in Valencia, Spain; Place Vendome, Paris; Berkeley Square, London; Taipei, Taiwan and Dubai and now in Miami Beach. Valdés is an internationally known artist and his work is supposed to represent multicultralism in the city. This sculpture features a head surrounded by butterflies. Valdés inspiration came from a chance encounter with butterflies in New York. "One day, while strolling in Central Park, I saw a group of butterflies that had landed on top of a sculpture and the idea of the headpiece was born." There is a larger version of this sculpture in Sunny Isles called Mariposas. I love the whimsical nature of this piece. I am also a fan of Valdés Infanta Margarita statues. Butterflies is dressed up extra special this week in celebration of the floral art exhibition Fleurs De Villes Voyage, on display at the nearby Bal Harbour Shops. Large butterflies covered in pink and white flowers from Blake Roses Floral Designs have been added to Valdés sculpture. You can see the added display of flowers until March 12th.