Christmas in Miami

Andrew and I took some time off for the holidays, and drove down to Miami, where I grew up and where many of my family still live. We spent 3 very relaxing days at my brother Glenn's house, from where we set out on some adventures. On 12/26 we cycled up scenic Old Cutler Road, the easternmost road in old Miami, which follows the curve of Biscayne Bay along the edge of waterfront property that surrounds some of the area's grandest homes, and visited Fairchild Tropical Garden, 83 acres of meticulously landscaped gardens hosting thousands of tropical species.


A purple-flowering bromeliad specimen:

One of the many iguanas that roam Miami, this fellow is an unwelcome invasive species that is probably descended from a stowaway in a box of fruit from the Caribbean:




Here, Andrew is next to a silk floss tree (Chorisia speciosa):

After 2 hours exploring Fairchild, we were getting hungry, so we headed south on Old Cutler, and took a detour to Black Point Marina for an outdoor lunch at the waterside bar & grill. Check out the price for stone crab claws: $3.25 apiece!!!




We managed not to feed or get eaten by any cocodrilos

and headed back to Glenn's for homemade eggplant parmigiana, my favorite Italian dish! Thanks, Glenn!

Next, Andrew and I visited Everglades National Park. We entered from the Florida City end of the park, where we encountered this very strange creature in a Cracker Barrel parking lot:



We even managed to sneak up and get this closeup:

This particular species has never been spotted by either of us in Alachua County, so it was a special treat!
Our first stop in the Park was Flamingo, where we saw, but unfortunately didn't get to photograph, a flamingo flying overhead. We hiked the Snake Bight Trail north of Flamingo, where the mosquito population was surprisingly sparse. Here I am, on the boardwalk at the end of the 1.6-mile hike through mangrove and hardwood hammock:

The salt marsh is impressive! A good pair of binoculars would have been welcome, to see the wading birds that were just out of reach. We could identify reddish egrets among the birds feeding in the shallows.

The weather was fabulous, and the walk was very enjoyable, anyway.

Our last stop on the way out was Royal Palm, where we hiked the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails. Andrew overlooking the slough along the Anhinga Trail boardwalk in the early sunset light:


A tricolor heron on the Anhinga Trail:


Gumbo limbo trees at sunset along the Gumbo Limbo trail:



After leaving the Everglades, we made one last stop in Florida City at Robert is Here, a tropical fruit stand that supposedly serves the best milkshakes in Miami.



We didn't feel up to waiting in the long line for a milkshake, but we bought some sweet, juicy mangoes and avocado honey to enjoy later.