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The Miami Art Deco DistrictArt Deco is the architectural rule in Miami, and now visitors can learn all about it in one place. Run by the Miami Design Preservation League, the Miami Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive provides visitors with fascinating books and other souvenirs celebrating this style of architecture. Swimming with Dolphins in MiamiNo trip to Miami would be complete without a visit to the Seaquarium and go swimming with dolphins in Miami. Animal lovers can get up close and personal with these beloved mammals through the Water and Dolphin Experience program, which allows visitors a 2-hour experience they will never forget. The program includes a tour of the aquarium, a presentation by the animal trainer, and a Q&A session with the experts. Then, participants will suit up and accompany the trainers into the water to feed, touch and play with the dolphins, as well as take “rides” with them across the lagoon. The $149 program fee includes a day's admission to the aquarium, parking and refreshments after the swim. Miami's Nostalgia for the Old Days - Miami Gold CoastFeeling nostalgia for the old days, before the automobile? Miami's Gold Coast Railroad Museum is dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and operating historic railroad equipment. Visitors can take 20-minute rides on the “Edwin Link Children's Railroad,” or Link train, as well as on the Standard Guage trains, and check out displays of railroad engines, cars, and other equipment. The museum is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Miami Parrot Jungle IslandIf you want to get in touch with nature, one option is to visit Miami's Parrot Jungle Island. Built in 1936 by Austrian immigrant Franz Scherr, Parrot Jungle in Miami is home to 1,000 tropical birds and 2,000 types of plant. It also features parrot shows, the snake-filled “Serpentarium” and Jungle Theater, an Everglades Habitat, open interactive aviaries and much more. The park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can host birthday parties, company picnics and evening functions as well. Miami Fruit and Spice Park - An Epicurean DreamFlorida is home to many types of fruit, and imports many more into its grocery stores. Epicureans can catch a whiff of all of them at the Miami Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, 35 miles south of Miami, where more than 500 varieties of exotic fruits, herbs, spices and nuts from all over the world are grown in a lush 30-acre garden. The park also houses both the largest bamboo and banana variety collections in the United States. Guided tours are conducted every Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Picnic facilities are also available. Metro Miami ZooMiami Metrozoo, the country's third-largest zoo, offers an open experience to catch a glimpse of more than 1,200 animals wandering around open spaces. See elephants, rhinos, zebras, porcupines and many others wandering their “natural” habitats, Miami style. Recent additions include the Andean Condor, Meerkats, Cuban Crocodiles and Flying Squirrels. The Metro Miami Zoo is open 365 days a year from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Hiking Trail in MiamiLooking for a hiking trail near Miami? The Florida Trail runs from outside Pensacola to Big Cypress National Preserve west of Miami. Managed by the U.S. forest service and spanning the length of Florida, the Miami trail is home to more than 1,000 miles of scenic hiking land. For more information, visit http://www.florida-trail.org. Get on your Feet - Miami Inline SkatingLooking for a fun Friday night activity in Miami that gives you a good workout at the same time? Check out the SoBe Rollers' Night Skate for a fun night of Miami inline skating. The club hosts an inline skate through the neighborhoods of Miami and South Beach the first Friday of the month. Meet up at Fritz' Skate Shop in South Beach at 7:00 p.m. for an 8-10 mile tour of the bright lights of South Florida. Camping in Miami - The EvergladesIf you need to get away from it all, look no further than the Everglades KOA campground, a gated Miami camping community nestled among a forest of avocado and mango groves. Located 25 miles from downtown Miami and 10 miles to the west of the Everglades National Park, the campground is a quick drive for residents but seems worlds away from the fast pace of downtown. Rates for tents start at $26, RV hookups start at $35. If roughing it isn't your style, the campground offers air-conditioned/heated “Kabins” with bunk beds as well as lodges with full kitchen and bathroom. In addition to the clean, state-of-the-art campsites, KOA is host to activities such as golf, card game gatherings, wine tastings, craft classes and more. For parties, picnics and other gatherings, KOA recently opened a 40x60 tiki hut that's sure to get everyone in the mood to party. Underwater Treasures in Miami - Diving in MiamiThe waters off Miami, with its subtropical location and climate, is a diver's paradise. Numerous reefs and wrecks await your visit, and a residents and tourists alike travel to see sites such as Miami's Jupiter Beach, where they will find what is believed to be the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon dating back to the 16th or 17th century. Giving literal meaning to South Florida's Treasure and Miami Gold Coasts, this wreck is worth holding your breath for. For more information and a comprehensive list of underwater treasures in southern Florida, visit www.floridasmart.com/subjects/ocean/fl_diving.htm. Teeing up at the Biltmore Hotel in MiamiCalling all golf aficionados: Miami's Biltmore Golf Course in the Biltmore Hotel in Miami is the place to be. If it's good enough for former President Clinton, it's good enough for those of you who don't travel with a crew of Secret Service agents. The real question is: Are you good enough for the course? With distracting water hazards, the sixth hole is particularly difficult, among other difficulties. Even if you can't compete with the stars, though, Biltmore's picture-postcard setting will have you teeing up again and again. Snorkeling in Miami - The Looe Key Marine SanctuaryOne of the best spots for snorkeling in the Miami area is Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary in Bahia Honda State Park, where more than 5 square miles of coral reef adorn crystal-clear water and rock ledges up to 35 feet tall. The wreck of the H.M.S. Looe, which sank in 1744, remains on the ocean floor within the sanctuary's boundaries. Many charter boats and private captains are available to take you on a day of boating and diving in Miami. For more information on the Looe Key Sanctuary, call (305)-292-0311. Miami Swimming with DolphinsLooking for a unique, fun day out in Miami? Go swimming with dolphins in Miami and much more at Marathon Key's nonprofit Dolphin Research Center in the heart of the Florida Keys. Learn to communicate, feed, and more with the center's 15 residents, including Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions. As a permanent memory of your experience, take home an environmentally friendly souvenir from the gift shop. Miami International Wine FairLove wine? Then Miami's annual International Wine Fair is the event you won't want to miss. Held every October, the fair is host to more than 1,000 wines to taste and pair with foods from Miami's best restaurants. This year's fair hosted more than 400 wineries from 18 countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Chile and the U.S. For more information, visit miamiwinefair.com. Miami Dive Bar - The Best Dive Bar in the WorldThose looking for the best Miami dive bar might be in for a surprise when they walk -- or, rather, dive -- into Jose Cuervo's Underwater Bar in South Beach. The haunt, located about 200 yards off South Beach's First Street beach, opened in May 2000, when the world-famous tequila company celebrated Cinco de Mayo by submerging an actual, $45,000 full-size bar and six stools underwater. Check it out for yourself, though it might be difficult to avoid spilling your drink! Lion Country Safari Florida: Africa in Your BackyardExperience the wildlife of Africa in your own Miami backyard, almost. Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach allows visitors to drive through 500 acres of wildlife that includes tigers, rhinos, giraffes, ostriches and, of course, lions. Make sure you keep your windows up, though, and your hands inside – you never know how close the herd might get! Afterward, stretch your legs with a walk through Safari World, where you can get up close and personal with flamingoes, alligators, iguanas, monkeys and more. Day passes cost $15.50 for adults, $10.50 for kids. For an extended stay, consider sleeping at the campground onsite. Heading Down the Miami HighwaysNo trip to the Miami area would be complete without a drive along Florida A1A. The ocean-hugging route runs up Miami Beach, through Hollywood and into Fort Lauderdale, showcasing Art Deco hotels of decades alongside shiny, multi-million dollar high-rises that house the beautiful people today. Many Miami residents believe this Miami highway is not to be missed, as evidenced by the heavy traffic that often dots the route. Fishing in MiamiMiami beach Rod and Reel Club boasts its has been “fishing the world since 1929,” and invites any and all Miamians with an interest in the sport to join them. Membership is available in four categories (junior, nonresident, associate and regular). The club holds several Miami fishing tournaments throughout the year. Its waterfront clubhouse is also available for dinners and other functions. Boating in MiamiThere are few better ways to spend a leisurely weekend afternoon in the Miami area than boating through the Intracoastal Waterway. The waterway that connects the natural bays, lagoons, and rivers along Florida's east coast snakes from the Florida-Georgia border up to Miami and up the east coast to Norfolk, Virginia. A ride through the Fort Lauderdale portion provides a spectacular view of million-dollar waterfront houses that most can only dream of. Miami boat rentals at numerous stops along the waterway; for more information, visit http://sailmiami.com/Boat_rentals/florida.htm.
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