Miami - Gateway to the Florida Keys

Miami is a delicate blend of many different cultures and therefore some of the best Caribbean cuisine can be had here. You don’t have to go far if you are looking for Cuban food as a quick trip to Little Havana will take care of that. It seems that Cuban cuisine overwhelms and sometimes hides many other cuisines that are located in Miami. One of those cuisines is Haitian and the only Haitian restaurant is located in Miami Beach.

Tap Tap is a restaurant serving the greater Miami area and offers authentic Haitian cuisine. Haitian cuisine is a combination of African and French influences. Haiti was a slave colony where hundreds of thousands of African slaves were subjected to harsh treatment. Haiti became known as one of the most brutal slave states because of their tactics and many slaves died within the first few years. France along with Spain had owned and occupied the country from the late 1600’s until Haiti declared independence from France in 1804. Over the years the mixture of African and French cuisines came to give Haiti a unique cuisine all in its own.

The restaurant is located in Miami Beach near the South Beach area. The exterior of the building is pretty plain and it almost resembles a house. There is no parking lot so you must park on the street or there is an ally next to the restaurant where you can park without fear of having your car towed or ticketed. When you enter the restaurant, the bar is directly in front of you and Haitian Creole music is playing through the speakers. A waitress dressed in Haitian style clothing took us to our table.

As we browsed over the menu, we ordered the national beer of Haiti, Prestige. The beer was excellent and it went down smooth. It was so good that I have been searching for it ever since and have been unable to do so. The beer is bottled just like Jamaica’s Red Stripe.

The waitress came back to our table and took our order. My wife ordered the pork spare ribs and I ordered the stewed goat. Goat is a popular meat in Haitian cooking. When the dinner arrived, it looked more like a soup dish. I noticed in Puerto Rico when the menu says casserole, it actually means soup. The goat arrived in a spicy orange broth with sliced onions and peppers. The goat was very tender and the ribs practically feel off the bone. The entrees were served with Haiti’s staple side dish, rice and beans.

After dinner, I took a walk around the restaurant to admire the murals adorning the walls. The murals depict life in Haiti with a theme of music and family. Haitian cuisine is spicy but not overbearing. The beer is perhaps some of the best that I have ever tasted. If you are tired of Cuban food and are looking for something different, head to Miami Beach to the Tap Tap.

For anyone who loves railroads and trains, then the Gold Coast Railroad Museum is a must-see. It is located in Miami adjacent to the MetroZoo. The idea for the museum was hatched in 1956. The Naval Air Station-Richmond maintained over 2100 acres of land in southern Dade County and it was heavily used during World War II. After the war was over, the Navy leased the land to the University of Miami for research purposes. Then a business student at the university, William Godfrey, came up with an idea to use the miles of unused railroad tracks to house an active operating steam engine. He convinced the university president to go along with the idea and the Gold Coast Railroad Museum became a reality.

The museum now showcases many different locomotives from different eras. Most of them have since been restored and many more sit waiting on the tracks for their restoration. Some of the highlights of the museum are the California Zephyr Dome Car known as the "Silver Crescent." Built in 1948, this passenger car was entirely built out of stainless steel during the "Streamliner Era." The car took passengers on the Western Pacific line through the Colorado Rockies and through the Sierra Mountains. The Silver Crescent transported its last passengers in 1970 and it has called Miami home since 1981. As of right now, the interior of the car is closed to the public due to extensive damage caused by Hurricane Andrew.

The centerpiece of the museum is the Ferdinand Magellan. The President of the United States has Air Force One, Marine One, and at one time the Ferdinand Magellan. The only presidential railcar in US history, it entered service in 1943. The railcar saw the most service with Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Roosevelt first took the railcar to Miami where he caught a plane to Casablanca, making him the first president while in office to travel by both rail and air. Eisenhower barely used the railcar and in 1958 it was considered surplus. The museum acquired it after the Smithsonian decided not to purchase it. It has been in Miami ever since except for a short time when it was brought back into federal service. In 1984, Ronald Reagan decided to use the railcar on a one day campaign through Ohio.

The Ferdinand Magellan is no longer an open exhibit, although the exterior is still available for viewing. The Ferdinand Magellan was designated a National Historic Landmark and is the only railcar in the US designated a landmark.

The museum is self-guided and it is a great place to take a family. The museum offers 20 minute train rides in either a coach train or take a ride in the cab a diesel locomotive. Admission is $6 and it is open every day except for Monday.

Hotels in Miami can be very expensive and even more so in Miami Beach, especially if it is oceanfront. I found a hotel that is an exception to the rule. The Howard Johnson in Miami Beach sits on the ocean located on Collins Ave near the A1A and 87th St. The hotel contains 225 rooms on ten floors. The rooms are average in size with a modest bathroom. The rooms are air conditioned with cable television and free high speed internet. The rooms are equipped with an ironing board, in room safe, basic toiletries, and a complimentary USA Today newspaper.

The hotel operates a full service spa on site, the Nirvana Spa. They offer massage therapy, face and body treatments, manicures and pedicures, yoga classes and even a hair salon. There are also Jacuzzis and steam rooms as well as tanning beds. They also have an outdoor pool with a pool bar. There is also a fitness center downstairs.

The hotel serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in their 50’s and 60’s rock n roll themed restaurant. The booths are designed in the shapes of old Ford and Chevrolet vehicles. The walls are adorned with pictures of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. In the morning, they offer a breakfast buffet. The buffet is about $10 but my only criticism is that the food could have been a little better cooked. The scrambled eggs were runny and the meat was undercooked.

The hotel is less than a mile away from Haulover Beach Park. Haulover Beach Park is a popular beach in that section of Miami. Be aware that a section of the beach is clothing optional. The majority of it is for families, but signs are posted advising that pass this point is clothing optional. This is the only nude beach in Florida.

The rates are very reasonable. Depending on if you want an ocean view or city view room, the rates range from $50 to $100 and that also depends on the season. The hotel adds a $10 resort fee per day. Parking is also $11 a day.

Miami is the 2nd largest city in Florida after Jacksonville with over 400,000 residents. When it is combined with other cities such as Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the metro population is 5.4 million people, making it the 7th largest metro area in the US. Miami is a growing city due to its increasing ethnic population, for being a gateway to the Florida Keys, and a major port destination for cruise ships going to and from the Caribbean.

Miami International Airport is the largest airport in the area. It is a hub for American Airlines and it services most of its destinations to Central and South America. There are also two other international airports in Fort Lauderdale and in West Palm Beach. Both of these cities are near Miami and they make a great alternative to the large and busy Miami International Airport.

Miami has the largest foreign born population of any city in the world and only Toronto comes close with 50%. The majority of Miami’s foreign population is Hispanic with the majority being Cubans. 8th Street in Miami is the center of the largest Cuban neighborhood in the city. Named for the capital of Cuba, Little Havana is filled with shops, restaurants, and specialty stores. If you are looking for authentic Cuban food, this is one neighborhood you need to visit. But don’t forget about Miami’s other great cuisines from places such as Colombia, Uruguay, and Brazil.

For the sport enthusiasts, Miami is home to the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Florida Marlins, and the Florida Panthers. Landshark Stadium, previously known as Dolphin Stadium, is home to the Dolphins, Marlins, and even the University of Miami Hurricanes. The stadium also hosts the annual NCAA Orange Bowl after the stadium where it has been held since 1938 was demolished. The Florida Marlins will be leaving Landshark Stadium in 2012 to play in their new stadium which is being built on the site of the demolished Orange Bowl Stadium. NASCAR fans can watch races at Homestead Raceway in nearby Homestead.

Miami is known for having great beaches but it also known for its close proximity to the Everglades National Park. Most people forget that Miami is close to another national park, Biscayne National Park. It preserves the Biscayne Bay and 95% of the park is water. There is a visitor’s center and the only fee is if you want to take a boat tour through the bay. The Miami skyline is clearly visible from Biscayne.

From great cuisine, National Parks, and sandy beaches, Miami has something for everyone.

The Everglades National Park, located in southwest Florida, is one of the largest national parks in the US. Each year, over a million people visit the Everglades to witness one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. The Everglades is under attack from human and environmental factors and although Congress has passed legislation to protect it, there is still plenty of work to be done. UNESCO has included the park on its list of endangered sites. There are over thirty endangered or threatened species that live in the park which include the Florida Panther, American Crocodile, and the West Indian Manatee.

Due to the park’s enormous size, you should allow yourself two to three days to view it all. There are four different visitor’s centers located around the park. We left Miami on US Route 41 also known as the Tamiami Trail. We made our first stop at the Shark Valley Visitor’s Center. We paid our entrance fee of $10 which is good for 7 consecutive days at any of the visitor’s centers. The Shark Valley Visitor’s Center gave us our first up close encounter with the American Crocodile. As we were walking to the visitor’s center, I noticed two beady looking eyes staring at me from a small stream next to the building. I looked a little closer and noticed its scaly backside. I was a little mesmerized seeing how I have never seen an alligator in the wild and being so close that I could touch it. A park ranger walked over to us and began telling us that this particular alligator just likes to be lazy and drift up and down the river. There is no barrier separating the visitors and the alligators which just adds to the excitement. The park ranger informed us that alligator attacks are rare and that although they live in the wild, the alligators are pretty tame. We decided to pass on the Tram tour which is about the only thing unique to do here and instead opt to grab a few brochures and proceed to our next stop.

Our next stop was the Big Cypress National Preserve. A swamp which covers 720,000 acres, it is an essential lifeline of the Everglades as the freshwater helps feed the marine estuaries along the coast. Although it is closely associated with the Everglades National Park, it is its own separate national park. The similarities between the two parks are obvious, but there are unique differences. The Indians have the right to occupy the land unlike in the Everglades and businesses and homes can be located within the park’s boundary. We stopped in at the visitor center to see what there is to do in the park. Unless you plan to hike or go four-wheeling, there is not much else to do other than a couple of scenic drives. There is a 27 mile and a 17 mile loop that encompasses the park. There is no fee to visit the park. After doing some more alligator watching outside the visitor’s center, we decided to go get lunch.

On US 41 near the town of Ochopee, I noticed a small white building with a US flag outside and a blue mailbox outside. Upon closer inspection, there was a sign outside touting the fact that this is the smallest post office in the world. The building is just big enough to accommodate one worker and one customer. The post office actually serves mail to about 300 Indians who live within a three county area. Most people stop in to buy postcards and have them sent with the Ochopee postmark. There isn’t even a bathroom and if the worker needs to go, the post office closes up and he heads to a service station down the road.

We turned onto Florida Route 29 and drove to Everglades City, which is about the biggest city in the northern part of the Everglades. We stopped in at the Seafood Depot where we nibbled on alligator bites and grabbed a burger before heading to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. This visitor’s center is the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands. The Ten Thousands Islands are a collection of islands and mangrove islets along the coast. The name is sort of misleading as the islands only number in the hundreds. Most of them are uninhabitable, but some have been designated as camp sites. The unique activity here is taking a boat ride through the islands to the Gulf of Mexico. The cost is about $10 a person and it lasts about an hour. Dolphins will usually swim with the boat and showing off as they leap out of the water. Consider yourself lucky if you catch a glimpse of a Manatee. On the way back into the docks, our skipper pointed out a single runway airport, the Everglades Airport. It gained notoriety in the early 80’s when planes landed here bringing drugs into the US. Today, it is barely used except for a handful of private aircraft.

After three visitor’s centers, lunch, and the world’s smallest post office, it was time to call it a day and head back to Miami. We headed north on Route 29, where we went through a Panther preservation area. We picked up Interstate 75 or commonly known as Alligator Alley, as alligators like to rest on the side of the road. It is a toll road only if you are heading westbound. An hour later we were back in Miami to plan the next day.

The other two visitor’s centers are in the southern part of the Everglades. As we drove back from Key West to Miami, we stopped at the Ernest Coe Visitor’s Center. This visitor’s center has some educational displays and some short films on the Everglades. Other than some short walking trails, there is not a lot to do.

The last visitor’s center is the Flamingo Visitor’s Center. We were unable to make it to this one because of time. The Ernest Coe and the Flamingo Visitor’s Centers are on the same road with 38 miles separating the two. It takes about an hour to get to Flamingo from the Ernest Coe. Flamingo is the southernmost headquarters of the Everglades. This is a great place for hikers and those wanting to backpack through the Everglades.

The Everglades National Park is an endangered park and without extensive preservation efforts, the park may not be around forever. Volunteer opportunities are available and donations are welcome to assist in those restoration efforts. No trip to Southern Florida would be complete without a visit to the Everglades National Park.