Our Voyage to the Bahamas

Vizcaya was built in 1914 on 80 acres overlooking the Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida to James Deering. Mr. Deering had his estate built to look like an Old Italian Renaissance Villa. Everything on the estate was made to look old and the inside of the estate was furnished with antiquities. He lived at this location only in the winter time. Currently the remaining 50 acres of the estate is owned by Miami-Dade County and is a museum that is open to the public.

Visiting the Vizcaya Gardens and Museum was an almost surreal experience. We visited on a Monday morning when there were very few people around. We were able to wander the gardens by ourselves and other than there being a few photo shoots on the grounds we were left to enjoy the tranquility of the formal gardens.

There was so much to explore and so many great photo opportunities at this estate. Unfortunately we were a little pressured for time considering we were leaving on our cruise that afternoon. None the less we had a great time.

Overall this was my favorite destination in Miami. The guided tour through the mansion was interesting and very educational and the estates décor and furnishings were beyond belief. The scenery, the gardens and the history made this an incredible place to visit. This is definitely one of the most amazing places that I’ve ever visited.