.Miami and Miami Beach Miami Although favored by climate and geography, - its the place where the sun spends the winter! - Miami remained a remote tropical village of frame houses until Henry Flagler installed his East Coast Railway there in 1896 and turned his hand to community development. In fact, the fabulous city of Miami Beach was created out of a mangrove swamp! Sprawling across 2,054 square miles of land, Miami is a huge and cosmopolitan city. Attracted by year-round warmth and sunshine, thousands of visitors pour into the area with the hope of capturing a little sun and relaxation. Greater Miami's list of attractions is long and varied, the city really does have something for everyone! Some of the more popular attractions are Viscaya Museum and Gardens, Little Havana, Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium, and the Miami Metro Zoo. Biscayne Boulevard is a prime spot for shopping. It features the Bayside Marketplace- a shopping experience in the Tropical style. Shopping is also excellent at the Cocowalk shopping and entertainment complex.
A trip into Everglades National Park is a unique sightseeing experience. Multiple boardwalks lead out over the watery area and signs and displays identify and describe the flora and fauna that you may encounter. At Flamingo there are sightseeing boat trips, and naturalists who conduct nature walks along the shore.
Miami offers a grand array of activities geared towards enjoyment! Visitors can experience deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, golf, tennis, scuba diving, and of course, swimming and boating. Miami has all the ingredients for one of the best vacations Florida offers. Miami Beach Separated from the rest of Miami by Biscayne Bay it is an Island of 7.5 square miles, linked to the mainland by several causeways, and split into two regions the north beach and the south beach, each having it own eclectic mix of hotels and entertainments, Oceanfront Parks sand beaches sparkling in the summer sun, the towering hotels of North beach give way to the Art Deco historic district of South Beach Most of the hotel construction took place after world war two, during this time Miami Beach built more new hotels than the rest of the world put together Once eroded almost to nothing the beach needed a 64 million dollar restoration which we now see as a golden strip of sand 10 miles long and over 300 ft wide. Take a drive along Collins Avenue on North Beach for an education in itself, on the side of this street are vast pleasure palaces who's rooms coffee shops bars and swimming pools are packed full of sun seekers in the height of season, each establishment trying to improve over its neighbour In sharp contract the art decor hotels of south beach offer a relaxed and more laid back atmosphere during the day, but at night they come alive with many fine restaurants and entertaining bars, the art decor district encompasses only one square mile, and has been declared a National Preservation Zone, as nowhere else in America can you find such a large concentration of 1930 and 1940 architecture. World-famous South Beach, located is on the southernmost part of Miami Beach, and attracts a colorful mix of visitors to its Art Deco surroundings. Celebrities, artists, and International supermodels have all been found to frequent the trendy boutiques, restaurants and art galleries which make up South Beach. The Miami beach boardwalk which begins at 21st street and runs along the beachside at the back of the big hotels is highly popular and was an immediate hit when it first opened in 1984, there are many places along its length where you can find a little shade and an opportunity to absorb the sun sea sky and people watching experience.
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