Another iconic building in Downtown Miami. Definitely worthy of a visit. If you do go, hit the…read morebutton to the top in the elevator, to see sweeping views. The public are allowed to go there. Once you are up there, you can see this area of Miami from a different wow factor insight. Check out my pictures for a taster.. The Miami Tower is a 47-story, landmark office skyscraper in Miami, Florida, United States. It is located in central Downtown. It is currently the 16th tallest building in Miami and Florida. Add to your "must see" list for Down town Miami.

Newly renovated "Sky Lounge" is awesome! The gym is nicer than some gyms you have to pay for. Staff…read moreis nice and the building is clean.

Coral Gables offers a charming blend of history and architecture for visitors to enjoy. The tower…read morestands out as a true masterpiece, capturing the attention of photography enthusiasts looking for the perfect subject.

in a sophisticated residential area, this attraction may seem modest at first glance, yet it…read moreundeniably offers a tranquil and exquisite setting. The ambiance is calming and inviting, making it well worth a visit. On this particularly gorgeous day, the clear blue skies served as the perfect backdrop for capturing stunning photos, some of which I have shared for you to appreciate. If you enjoy what you see, feel free to show your approval by liking this post!

The city of Opa Locka was built during Florida's land boom years in the 1920's. During this time,…read morethe Middle East was a cultural fad thanks to movies like The Sheik and The Thief of Baghdad. When famous aviator Glenn Curtiss developed Opa Locka he designed it in an Arabian Nights theme. He first named the new development Opa-tisha-wocka-locka, meaning a big island covered with many trees and swamps, but it was later shortened to Opa-locka. Architect Bernhardt Emil Muller was hired to design the town and the streets were given names like Ali Baba Avenue and Sabur Lane. Eight six buildings were built in a Moorish Revival style. Curtiss boasted that he had built the "Baghdad of Dade County." The Hurricane of 1926 destroyed many of the Moorish style buildings but some survived and were added to the National Register of Historic Places. On March 22, 1982, the old city hall known as the Opa-locka Company administration building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places along with the nineteen Moorish Revival style buildings that still survived. The crown jewel of the buildings was the Opa-locka Company administration building whose design was inspired by the palace of Emperor Kosroushah in One Thousand and One Nights. Glenn Curtiss used it as the headquarters for his company, the Opa-locka Company which was the headquarters for the development and sale of land in Opa- locka. He designed it to be the anchor of his new city. later on it became the town hall. By the 1950's the buildings had begun to lose their thematic cohesiveness. The city is now a shadow of it's former glory and has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. The city hall was boarded up as of October 2017 and is in an advanced state of decay. It's a shame that Glenn Curtiss's dream died with his death and a building that was once so beautiful has been allowed to rot away. While I was trying to photograph it a man walked up next to me and started peeing on the vase near my feet. That was my cue to leave.

I came here to have a look at the unusual Pueblo revival style architecture before this sad…read morebuilding demolishes even more. It probably once was a very majestic building, such a crying shame it was allowed to get into such disrepair. I won't tell you all about the history as someone else has kindly told it (thank you). I did look on the internet though, and it would seem that there has been movement to restore it, although no evidence so far from what I saw. Fingers crossed this does happen as Opa Locka certainly needs a revamp!

The SPCC provides many useful government services for Miami residents…read more The building is 28 stories tall and located in Downtown Miami within 5 blocks of the courthouses. It is the headquarters of the Miami Dade County government. The Miami-Dade Government Metrorail is located inside the SPCC, which is very handy for the public. You also have access to the Metro buses. The hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. There are several parking garages around the building. During elections, there is a drop-off box for ballots and an employee manning the booth there on the first floor. The Board of County Commisioners hold their monthly meeting with the public, who is invited to voice their concerns and questions at the meeting. There are small restaurants on the first and second floors. There is also a security check-in as you enter the building. Across the street to the west side is the Tax Collectors office.

I came here yesterday to drop off my mail-in ballot. I had such a hard time finding this place…read morebecause of the massive amount of construction surrounding the building. I drove around for some time and found myself going in circles. I parked across the street and rolled to the side of the building where my maps was telling me to go. There were steps and the sign said to go on the other side of the building. I rolled to the other side and still could not find a ramp. I'm not sure if I was even in the correct building because there were signs for the library but I was lost and there was no one to help. Construction was insane. It was too inaccessible for me to be rolling around alone. I ended up leaving without dropping off my ballot.

You might need to trespass to go see this old home. But should try to find the trustees of this…read morebuilding. The info can be found on the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser website. Need to type in the address.

I love discovering old places, and if they are abandoned even better for me! It is surely worthy of…read morea trip - lets hope they GET ON WITH RESTORING IT, and stop wasting money on just maintaining it!! (its been owned by the state since 2007 after all!!!) Here is some more information and history about this house (sourced from https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/things-to-do/arts-history/marjory-stoneman-douglas-house.html) Almost 68 years after Marjory Stoneman Douglas' "The Everglades: River of Grass" changed the popular conception of the Everglades from worthless swamp to treasured ecosystem, the Stoneman Douglas house in Miami's leafy Coconut Grove neighborhood will be designated a national historic landmark. During his first visit to Everglades National Park in April 2015, President Barack Obama declared the protective designation for the conservationist's modest 1926 cottage at 3744 Stewart Ave. No plans have been announced yet for opening the stucco-covered, wood-frame Stoneman Douglas house to the public, although fans still can go by the historic one-story home, now surrounded by million-dollar mansions. Preservationists and environmentalists have argued for years with neighbors over the fate of the bungalow and concerns that turning it into an education center or attraction would overwhelm the area with traffic and violate residential land use codes. A plan to move the house three miles from its South Grove location to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden was scrapped in 2006. The Stoneman Douglas house and property have been owned by the State of Florida and since 2007 has been maintained by the Florida Park Service as a lasting memorial to a remarkable "woman who saved the Everglades." As a 34-year-old divorced woman living with her father, buying her own house represented independence to Douglas. In her autobiography, "Voice of the River," she wrote about her desire to have a place of her own. I didn't need much of a house, just a workshop, a place of my own. All I wanted was one big room with living quarters tacked on. I knew an architect, George Hyde, who drew up some plans. He mostly built factories, which was fortunate, because I hoped my little house would be as stout and as sparse as a factory with not much to worry about. Because she never learned to drive, the house had no driveway (or air conditioning, electric stove or dishwasher). Part Tudor Revival and part Medieval Revival in design, the house, created by well-known architect George Hyde, is noted for its hip roof, half-timbering, post-hurricane wood floors, elegant detailing, and cast bronze hardware. Starting out as a young writer working for her father at The Miami Herald in 1915 following her brief marriage, Marjory Stoneman Douglas eventually produced more than 100 short stories for popular magazines. "River of Grass," published in 1947, was her most influential work. Later in life, she became a relentless crusader for the natural preservation and restoration of the nature of South Florida. She recognized that the Everglades was a system that depended not only on the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee into the park, but also upon the Kissimmee River which feeds the lake. To add a voting constituency to her efforts, in 1970 she formed the Friends of the Everglades, and was active as the head of the organization. Dubbed the "Grande Dame of the Everglades," she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Upon her death at the age of 108 in 1998, The Independent in London stated, "In the history of the American environmental movement, there have been few more remarkable figures than Marjory Stoneman Douglas." Today, Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, protects over 1.5 million acres. It's the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states, behind Yellowstone National Park and Death Valley National Park. There are three ways to access the park by car. The main entrance in Homestead connects visitors to the Royal Palm Area and the Flamingo Area of Everglades National Park. The Shark Valley entrance is in Miami and the Gulf Coast Entrance is in Everglades City.

If you are a history buff, like me then you should visit here. It is located in Downtown Miami so…read morenear plenty of other places of interest. There are two entrances and it makes for a very pleasant walk from one entrance to the other. Other people have listed a lot of information already about the history, but I found this little nugget..see below. The most puzzling grave in the cemetery is the one belonging to Carrie Miller, a room-size monolith that reads, "THE BODY OF CARRIE BARRETT MILLER WAS MOULDED IN THIS SOLID BLOCK OF CONCRETE--DECEMBER 4TH.1926. AFTER THE BODY HAS GONE TO DUST HER SLEEPING FORM WILL REMAIN."

I love history and what better way to experience it than to visit the final resting place of some…read moreof Miami's pioneers. This is the oldest cemetery and the only municipal cemetery in Miami Dade county. On January 4, 1989 this cemetery was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. I have been running all over Miami visiting some of it's most historic places like Fort Dallas and Arch Creek Park and this cemetery has been long on my list. Somehow October seemed the appropriate month to visit. One year after Miami was incorporated this cemetery was built in 1887 a half mile out of the city limits along a wagon road. The 10 acre piece of land for the cemetery was sold to Miami by Mary Brickell for $750. It was considered a " rocky wasteland" not suitable for building. With the growth of the city the cemetery is now between downtown and art loving Wynwood. The first burial in the cemetery was an elderly black man on July 14, 1897. H. Graham Branscomb, a 24 year old male from England who died from consumption was the first caucasian burial. Whites were buried on the east end of the cemetery and African Americans were laid to rest on the west side. Today 9,000 souls are currently laid to rest here. The graveyard is maintained by the city but not very well. Many of the mausoleums have been stripped of their bronze and now just have plywood. The graves themselves are to be maintained by the families of the interred who owned deeds to their plots. It is one of the few cemeteries where the owners of the plot hold the deed to the land. Some of the graves date back to the 1800's although there are much newer burials. Around a thousand burial spots are left and ten to twenty burials still take place every year but restrictions are strict. You must either be a deed holder or family of the deed holder. The graveyard has different sections, one for African American pioneers, a walled and gated Jewish section, and veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I and II. Some of the famous names that are familiar to South Floridians that are buried here include Burdine, Peacock, Tuttle, Duval, Sewell and Jackson. The grave of Carrie Miller bears the following inscription "The body of Carrie Barrett Miller was moulded in this solid block of concrete--December 4TH.1926. After the body has gone to dust her sleeping form will remain." The cemetery contains the only known five oolitic limestone gravestones worldwide. Shady trees and tropical plants make this a beautiful resting spot for some of Miami's most famous former residents.

In Miami's Design District, you'll find one of Florida's distinctive blue historic markers, which…read moreare part of the state's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular public history initiatives. These markers highlight important people and places throughout Florida. They can be found along roads, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, historic buildings, churches, colleges, districts, and schools. This marker tells the story of Arthur McDuffie's death and the ensuing public outrage. Marker F-1211 was installed in 2023 by the Family of Arthur Lee McDuffie, Dr. Marvin Dunn, President of the Miami Center for Racial Justice, Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Department of State. On December 17, 1979, Arthur McDuffie, a 33-year-old Black man, died after being brutally beaten by white Miami-Dade police officers following a traffic stop. McDuffie was an insurance broker and former Marine. While riding his motorcycle in Miami, he failed to stop at a traffic signal and attempted to outrun police. When he finally surrendered at the corner of NW 38th Street and North Miami Avenue, four police officers brutally beat him. The officers then drove his motorcycle over with their patrol cars in an attempt to stage an accident. McDuffie died on December 21, 1979, leaving behind two young children. The officers initially covered up the assault, but one later revealed the truth. Although all the officers involved were charged, an all-white jury acquitted them in Tampa, where the trial had been moved, on May 17, 1980. The verdict sparked widespread protests and riots in Miami's historically Black neighborhoods of Liberty City, Overtown, and Brownsville. Eighteen people died, many more were injured, and property damage exceeded $100 million. The Florida National Guard was deployed to restore order. The case became a landmark example of police brutality and racial injustice, prompting major reforms in Miami-Dade County, including increased recruitment of minority police officers, the creation of police oversight committees, economic equity initiatives, and a substantial settlement for McDuffie's family. In 2024 the sign was knocked over in the night, possibly by a traffic accident. The city quickly worked to restore it. Today the sign stands as a reminder of a pivotal moment in history that resulted in the growth and change in the community.

LEST WE FORGET - POLICE BRUTALITY -…read more A shame that this happened and this plague is a reminder. Here is the story. On Dec 17, 1979, Arthur Lee McDuffie, a 33 yr old Black man n former Marine, was killed by a group of white Metro-Dade police officers at this location. McDuffie was a father to 3 children, the associate manager of an insurance co, n a former musician in the Booker T. Washington High School marching band. The police pulled McDuffie over for reportedly running a red light. They dragged him from his motorcycle n beat him into a coma. 4 days later he died. The officers tried to cover up the beating by staging it as an accident. A few days later on Xmas Eve, one of the officers turned himself in n told the truth. In 1980, the Florida State Attorney's Office charged the 6 officers. The presiding judge, Lenore Carrero Nesbit, had the trial moved to Tampa due to racial tension in Miami. Jury selection began in March, n future U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno served as the lead prosecutor. In May 1980, the all-white jury returned verdicts of not guilty. In 1981, the Dade County Board of County Commissioners agreed to pay a substantial settlement to McDuffie's family to avoid a civil lawsuit. After the verdicts, nearly 5000 protestors took to the streets in protest. They gathered in front of the Miami police department and courthouse downtown. What began as a silent march eventually evolved into outrage over the verdicts n became violent, overwhelming local police. Much of the protest occurred in historically African American neighborhoods like Liberty City, Overtown, n Brownsville. Florida Governor Bob Graham dispatched thousands of Florida National Guardsmen to Miami to help restore order. After 3 days, the unrest subsided. The violence claimed the lives of 10 Black n 8 white people, n resulted in over $100k in damages. McDuffie's death, the subsequent uprising, n need to rebuild had far-reaching impacts for Miami-Dade County n beyond. The settlement paid to McDuffie's family was one of the largest for a police brutality case.

The history of Cuba is deeply intertwined with that of Miami. With the recent indictment of Raúl…read moreCastro, Fidel Castro's brother, for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue and the murder of four Americans it seems like an appropriate time to revisit another pivotal chapter in Cuban and Miami history: the Bay of Pigs invasion. In April 1961, Miami served as a central hub for U.S. intelligence and anti Castro operations. More than 1,500 Cuban exiles, known as Brigade 2506, were recruited, trained, and equipped in Miami for a mission to liberate Cuba from communist rule. The invasion took place at the height of the Cold War. However, President John F. Kennedy ultimately declined to provide the level of U.S. military support many believed had been promised, fearing escalation of hostilities with the Soviet Union. The operation ended in failure, resulting in more than 100 deaths and the capture of approximately 1,200 members of the brigade. In the years that followed, many Cuban Americans, feeling abandoned by the Democratic administration, shifted their political allegiance toward the Republican Party. In 2009, the Bay of Pigs Air Memorial at Miami Executive Airport was designed and constructed. It is maintained by the Cuban Pilots Association. The memorial honors the Cuban and American aviators who lost their lives during the April 1961 invasion. The memorial design resembles a waving Cuban flag, with blue and white stripes painted across the ground and a tall stone monument rising from the location of the flag's star. A centerpiece of the memorial is a retired Douglas B-26 Invader, the light attack bomber flown by many of the aviators during the operation. The Invader was originally developed during World War II carrying the B-26 designation. Miami is home to several other Bay of Pigs memorials, including monuments in Little Havana, Bay of Pigs Memorial Park, and the Bay of Pigs Museum. However, this is the only site where visitors can see an actual aircraft associated with the invasion. If you find yourself near Miami Executive Airport, the Bay of Pigs Air Memorial is well worth a stop.

I searched and found this memorial to learn more about the Bay Of Pigs invasion while I was in…read moreMiami. To my surprise and honor, I met Captain Amado Cantillo, an 85 year old veteran of the actual invasion from 62 years ago! Luckily for me, he was leading maintenance of the memorial this morning. Captain Cantillo led the creation of this monument and shared his personal story as a frogman in the Bay of Pigs invasion. It was my honor to meet him, learn his story and respect his passion for freedom. Life is good and respectful with a personal story of important history.