Weekend In Miami: Key Biscayne

by Willy Volk on

After we’d cooled off at the Venetian Pool, it was time to get hot again. So we put the top down on the convertible and headed to Key Biscayne. A barrier island only 6 miles off the southeast coast of Miami, the beaches on Key Biscayne are way more fun — or way more laid-back! — than any ordinary beach. Plus, Key Biscayne has a cool lighthouse.

Key Biscayne is home to two great beaches. After leaving mainland Miami and traveling over the Rickenbacker Causeway, past Virginia Key, and past the Miami Seaquarium, we came to Crandon Park. Here, on the northern end of Key Biscayne — with the Atlantic Ocean on the east side and Biscayne Bay to the west — parking costs $5. Nature-loving visitors can explore the various ecosystems of the Key (dunes, mangroves, coastal hammock, and seagrass beds) and observe herons, ospreys, songbirds, hawks, sea turtles, and butterflies. You can even track rare plants like the beach peanut, Biscayne prickly ash, and the coontie. This area, set aside as a Nature Area, is rough and wild — just like Old Florida.

Don’t want to hunt wildlife? No problem, because the adjacent beach is picturesque. Often ranked among the world’s best beaches, Crandon Park’s beach features an offshore sandbar, which makes wading in the area’s warm waters very enjoyable. Alternatively, if you’re a “beach active” person, there’s plenty of opportunities here for great fishing, parasailing, ultralighting, or jetskiing.

With virtually no waves and a shallow lagoon, it’s easy to see why Crandon Park is popular with day-trippers wanting to get away from the mainland’s more tourist-y beaches. Finally, with its soft, white sand, just sitting on the beach is pretty fun, too.

After checking out Crandon Park, we passed through the Village of Key Biscayne and wound south to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, which is totally worth the drive. Entrance to the Park is $5. We parked and darted to the beach (also awarded a “best beach” status), which wasn’t nearly as crowded as Lincoln Road Beach. Then I saw it: the lighthouse.

I had to climb it.

We hustled back out into the parking lot and around to the entrance for the lighthouse. As we approached, it slowly revealed itself.

Almost there…

We rushed to the door and raced up the 119 stairs to the top. On the way up, there were several windows to peer through. From some windows, you could see the ocean…

…from others, you could see the Keeper’s Cottage below.

Finally on top, we gazed out at the Atlantic Ocean.

In the distance, you can see some small buildings on the water. This is Stiltsville, a small collection of “shacks” in the flats of Biscayne Bay, built in the 1920s. These well-known landmarks are in danger of being torn down.

The view looking back at Miami. Uh… not so pretty.

The original lighthouse and cottage, built in 1825, were attacked and burned in 1836 by Seminole warriors protesting U.S. presence in the South Florida wilderness and resisting deportation from Florida to the West. Both structures were rebuilt in 1855. You can guess what happened to the Seminoles.

Looking down was exciting… but somewhat disorienting.

Nearby, a sea kayaker was enjoying the area’s lack of waves.

We clambered back down the steps and walked over to the Keeper’s Cottage.

Inside the cottage, you can watch a short film about the life of a Cottage Keeper.

If you’re in Miami, and you have a car and a free afternoon, I definitely recommend a trip to Key Biscayne. Although the Village doesn’t have that casual, anything-goes feeling shared by the rest of the Keys, the Park and beaches are beautiful, and there are plenty of opportunities for either beach-y adventure activities OR for just sitting on the sand.

Despite the beautiful day, the great beaches, and the fresh air, however, it was time to leave. We still had another stop to make! And it was bound to be the most fun — and the most unusual — yet!

Previously: Weekend In Miami: The Venetian Pool

Weekend In Miami: The Venetian Pool

by Willy Volk on

After enjoying our fine cafe con leches in Little Havana, we decided to get some exercise. Though we had visited the beach the day before, we wanted to test the waters of the Venetian Pool. I know, it sounds weird to visit a pool when you’re in Miami. However, this isn’t just any pool. The Venetian Pool is “world’s most beautiful swimming hole.”

Originally a coral rock quarry, in the 1920s the Venetian Pool was converted into a swimming pool. Today, it’s filled with 820,000 gallons of cool — and I mean cool! — spring water. Featuring two waterfalls, as well as coral caves and grottos you can swim through, this isn’t just the “world’s most beautiful swimming hole” — it’s the world’s coolest swimming hole.

Located in Coral Gables, the Pool is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Playing host to thousands of families and visitors who want to swim in artesian water and pretend — if only for a while — that they’re on a movie set, the Pool is a great way to kill a few hours under the glare of the Miami sun.

Upon entering, visitors enter a small foyer celebrating the history of the Pool.

Thereafter, the building opens up into an expansive courtyard…

…and, of course, the Pool itself. There’s a small island on which people may lounge.

But the focal point of the Pool is definitely the large waterfall in the corner.

The Pool is so big that there are plenty of places to splash and play and not bother other people. In fact, during its heyday, visitors to the site enjoyed gondola rides! Entire orchestras surrounded the Pool, serenading poolside dancers and visiting dignitaries.

Don’t feel like swimming? There’s a good-sized beach on one side of the pool for relaxing.

My favorite part of the Pool is the caves you can swim through. Situated right below where I’m standing when I took this photo…

… the caves are so cool, I spent most of my time in them. I even shot this short video. Come with me on my tour of the caves.

Don’t like caves? Here’s a 360-degree look at the Pool — from inside the Pool.

If you want to chill out in Miami but the beach isn’t your bag, this is the coolest place in town to kick it.

Now that we were cooled off, it was time to do some more sight-seeing. Biscayne Bay, anyone?

Previously: Weekend In Miami: Calle Ocho & The Hunt For The Perfect Cafe Con Leche

Weekend In Miami: Calle Ocho & The Hunt For The Perfect Cafe Con Leche

by Willy Volk on

After cruising through Star Island, we headed to Calle Ocho, which translates as “8th Street.” This 23-block-long section of Miami is also known as “Little Havana,” as it houses the largest population of Cubans outside Cuba.

I wanted some cafe con leche, and what better place to try it, outside Castro’s homeland?

Calle Ocho is a beautiful, vibrant community. Each February/March, the area stages a huge block party — the Calle Ocho festival — a colorful, frenzied celebration of Cuban heritage that includes a beauty contest, a cooking contest, and a domino tourney.

That said, although you see bursts of Cuban energy and art throughout the area, don’t expect to head to 8th Street and feel like you’ve been transported to another dimension. Though there are plenty of Cubans in the area engaging in Cuban activities…

…it’s still *just* a residential neighborhood.

That said, I think they’ve done a great job making the area their own.

They even have their own Walk of Fame.

Many of the local shops feature hand-rolled cigars, guayberas, plastic roosters (?), and Cuban music: but I was there for Cuban Coffee. We had heard that the Versailles was *the* place to eat in Little Havana, so we headed there. However, on the way, we saw the El Cristo and agreed that we had to stop.

At the walk-up window, we ordered two cafe con leches, one empanada, and a bag of plantain chips. This woman made our drinks in front of us. I can only assume that the two-by-four in the window was there to beat unruly customers.

The coffees and plantain chips arrived first…

… followed closely by the empanada.

Hot, sweet, and strong, the cafe con leche provided just the right pick-me-up to power us through the rest of the day. Maybe it was because of the feel of Calle Ocho, but this was probably the best cafe con leche I’d ever had. Moreover, both the plantain chips and the empanada were fresh and steaming, and I loved their bold flavors. If you’ve never had plantain chips dunked in mojo sauce, you’ve not truly lived. In short, El Cristo turned out to be an excellent spot to stop. Muy bien!

After eating, we swung by a small gift shop down the street, and saw the Latin American Motorcycle Association roll in. Though they looked threatening (especially the guy in the middle!), they were a bunch of kittens. Hi, guys!
Okay, enough shopping. Let’s go have some fun!

Previously: Weekend In Miami: Star Island, Palm Island, & Hibiscus Island

Weekend In Miami: Star Island, Palm Island, & Hibiscus Island

by Willy Volk on

Of course, not everything worth seeing in Miami is on South Beach; there’s plenty to see and do off the island.

On the morning of our second day, we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the Greenview and headed across the causeway to the city of Miami. On the way, we decided to swing by Star Island, Palm Island, and Hibiscus Island. These three islands — tucked between South Beach and the mainland — are home to some of the wealthiest Miamians. Although we didn’t see any famous people pulling weeds in their shrub beds, I understand J Lo, Liz Taylor, Shaquille O’Neal, and Gloria Estefan all live here. We just wanted to see how the other half lives.

Evidently, they live very well.

Since the roads on these islands are public, they have to let in non-residents. However, there are guard shacks placed at the entryways, to intimidate you. Drive up, tell the guard you just want to look around, and they’ll let you in.

This wasn’t the most fun part of our trip, but it was worth a few minutes.

The entryway to Hibiscus Island.

Next door to the above property was this vacant lot. I’m sure it’s for sale. If you’re looking to move, let me know, and I’ll get you the phone number.

If you want to get a better sense of what Star Island looks like, you can watch this minute-and-a-half clip we shot while driving down the island’s single street. Please ignore the irony wherein we note how “quiet and private” the area is.

If you want to see what the homes look like from the water, check out this 9-minute clip.

Finally, if you’re looking for a more formalized tour of this area, several companies provide excursions, including:

Weekend In Miami: The Nightlife

by Willy Volk on

After finishing our excellent dinner at Afterglo, we decided we needed to explore South Beach’s nightlife. First, we headed two blocks south and two blocks east to The Clevelander. Beautifully-lit, jam-packed, and featuring a live reggae band, The Clevelander was… a dud.

We’d heard The Clevelander was an awesome place to party, so we were necessarily eager to see for ourselves.

However, the expansive club was filled with middle-aged guys trying to pick up drunk college girls. Okay, so there was this one really drunk guy twirling on the dance floor and acting like a fool, but other than that, it wasn’t a lot of fun. And the band was only so-so. After all, there was no need for them to kill: no one was even paying attention. We stayed for two beers ($11/round), and then left.


We wandered up Ocean Drive, past Casa Casuarina and the hotels, and slipped into the Hotel Victor. It was beautiful inside and featured a large tank containing swimming jellyfish. Some people were dining in the Lounge, and there was a private party going on up on the second floor (I swear we saw a slideshow featuring Star Jones!), but overall — this wasn’t for us, either. So we moved on…

Personally, I wanted to go into this store, but for some reason, my wife didn’t think it was a good idea. Why not? I thought. The models certainly appear natural.

We passed the tattoo parlor where they film Miami Ink.
Our waiter at Afterglo had told us about a couple places he liked. They included Jazid, a live music venue. We stopped by, but nothing was happening. He also suggested Felt, a pool hall with techno music — but nothing was happening there, either. It was 11:30. Was it too early?!?!

At this point, you’re probably saying, Willy, what about all the clubs? Isn’t South Beach renowned for its club scene? Yes, it is, dear readers. There are lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of clubs in South Beach. There are gay clubs and Latin clubs. However, my wife and I aren’t really into dancing to thumping techno and battling throngs of folks to get drinks. (If that’s your thing, then Miami is where you need to be.) So — despite all my emphasis pre-departure planning — I figured we’d kinda wing this one aspect of the trip and just stumble onto an awesome party. I’m here to tell you that, for a first-time night-time visitor, it isn’t that easy. Maybe I’m wrong, and if I am, I’d be happy to hear otherwise.

Ultimately, we headed back to Lincoln Road to see what was going on there, and we ended up at Finnegan’s 2, which was jammed with college kids Spring Break’in’ it. We enjoyed some more beers and then headed back to the hotel — but not before stopping off at Ghiradelli’s for a late night brownie. Mmmm… brownies.

Ultimately, I learned three things during this evening’s walking tour.

  1. You can easily get around all of South Beach on foot.
  2. Having an idea of where you want to go will serve you well.
  3. South Beach at night is beautiful. As proof, I submit to you Rocco Caramello’s great 2½ minute montage of the area all lit up. Very cool.

Previously: Weekend In Miami: Afterglo