Field Trips To Florida
Everywhere you look South Florida is bursting with color—pink flamingos, vivid Art Deco architecture, dreamy sunrises, and brilliant sunsets. These impressive colors add to South Florida’s reputation as one of the most popular vacation destinations in the US. Dive down deep into the clear blue waters off Key West and witness a parade of parrotfish swimming by. As you head north, stop off at any of the vast citrus groves and twist a giant, succulent fruit from of one of the celebrated orange trees. Or journey toward Miami, the heart of South Florida, and take in the array of ethnic foods and international people.

With over 2 million residents, Miami is a bustling metropolitan city sandwiched between the expansive Atlantic Ocean and the undisturbed National Everglades Park. One of America’s most international cities, Miami is an eclectic melting pot of European, Caribbean, Central and South American cultures, with the majority of residents using English as their second language, if at all. Dominating the pack is Miami’s Cuban community. Nearly 700,000 strong, they have brought with them wonderful Cafe Cubano, Flamenco music, and the ubiquitous Spanish language. While the Latin influence can be found throughout South Florida, the concentration of Cuban and other Caribbean immigrants in Little Havana makes this distinct neighborhood a sure bet for any visitor in search of outstanding ethnic cuisine and authentic cigars.

Across the Intracoastal Waterway from the city of Miami, on a barrier island, is the town of Miami Beach. Home to the gigantic Fontainebleau Hilton, Miami Beach is host to a variety of 1950s landmarks. Among these is Wolfies, a New York-style delicatessen featuring enormous macaroons and hard-to-find half-dill pickles. At the tip of Miami Beach is South Beach—a pastel playground for the beautiful, international jet set. Think of South Beach (SoBe as it’s known), and you think of Ocean Drive. The most photographed street in Miami, and a mere ten blocks long, Ocean Drive is lined with busy sidewalk cafes making it the place to see and be seen. By day, professional photographic shoots confirm that South Beach’s aqua blue waters and vibrant-colored buildings provide the perfect backdrop for fun, fitness, and fashion.

A hip beach town by day South Beach comes alive at night. After a late dinner that might include Florida’s own stone crabs and key lime pie, SoBe’s young trendsetters are tanned, buff, and ready to groove. Heading out to the dozens of small nightclubs they dance to the best in techno, hip hop, jungle, and Latin music. Count on the DJ to keep the dance floor packed until the wee hours, because these night owls squeeze every ounce out of a day.

When the locals want to get away from it all they head for the Keys. This 126-mile chain of islands begins with Key Largo and ends with the well-known Key West. Closer to Cuba than Miami, laid-back Key West is home to artists, writers and other freethinkers. Known not for their beaches (they have none to speak of), but for underwater beauty, the Keys are a snorkler’s paradise.

Back on the mainland and most tranquil of all is Everglades National Park. Covering one and a half million acres the Everglades provides refuge for all kinds of water and wildlife. Rent a canoe and see gentle endangered manatees, not-so-gentle alligators, exotic birds, gorgeous orchids, and a multitude of unusual creatures and plant life that inhabit this fragile ecosystem.

To Miami’s north, and once known solely for its beaches, is the city of Ft. Lauderdale. Having shed its title as the spring break capital, this westward-sprawling, seemingly endless city has beaches and shopping galore as well as the unexpected treat of downtown Venetian-style canals. These narrow waterways serve as thoroughfares for the magnificent yachts belonging to the mansions dotting the shoreline. In this affluent boating paradise known as the “Venice of America,” the magnificent yachts are specially adorned with white lights as they float down the Intracoastal Waterway during the annual Christmas Parade of Lights.

With its intoxicating year-round sunshine, world-renown beaches, ethnic enclaves and opulent excess, South Florida is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the US. While it can boast of being the cruise ship capital of the world, a retirement mecca, and an international finance capital, these aren’t what make South Florida so special. It’s the warm weather and the warm welcome that people of all cultures receive. So come on down to colorful South Florida—where the Americas converge.