Best rated Florida attractions by Jill Podehl

Jill Podehl Florida destinations right now: Although smaller than Lion Country Safari, Palm Beach Zoo is also worth visiting, especially if you’re traveling with youngsters. Officially known as the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, it’s home to some 550 animals from 190 species set amid 23 acres and makes for a fun day out. Popular features include strolling through collections of native plants and learning about native animal species. The zoo features numerous exotic creatures from distant lands, too, including koalas, monkeys, and tigers. Guided tours are available, along with animal feeding experiences and fun overnight stays. If after visiting Palm Beach Zoo you’ve got a hankering to take the kids to another great critter-centered attraction, head to the Cox Science Center and Aquarium. The two properties literally back onto one another, and it’s no more than a couple of minutes’ drive through a pretty park area. In addition to its vast central aquarium, this family attraction features plenty of fun hands-on displays of both native and exotic marine life. There’s also a planetarium, a mini-golf course, and splash pads. Discover even more information at Jill Podehl.

The Ancient Spanish Monastery is famous in Miami for being one of the country’s best examples of historic religious buildings. It was built in 1133 in the northern region of Spain, where it was named The Monastery of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels. It was a home for many Cistercian monks for over a whopping seven centuries. During the First Carlist War, the monastery was seized and turned into a stable and granary. But in 1925, William Randolph Hearst, who had fallen in love with the monastery’s building and history, decided to purchase it for himself. The monastery was slowly dismantled, each stone placed in 11,000 or so crates to be shipped to America. It was a long time before the monastery was eventually rebuilt – in fact, it was after Hearst’s death! It was set up as a tourist attraction 25 or so years after its original purchase.

Recognized as one of Miami’s greatest treasures, The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens with its stunning architecture, grounds and artwork are certainly worth a visit. Featuring 34 rooms arranged around a breath taking courtyard, the Renaissance-style villa is filled with the most exquisite European furniture and arts reaching from the 15th to the 19th century. Over 1,100 craftsmen were bought over from Europe for true authenticity in design, to complete this 28-acre estate. But to truly enjoy a vacation you also need a nice place to stay.

Do you need to enjoy a blue sky on a perfect beach ? Miami is an amazing place to relax. What can you see in Miami? This National Historic Landmark, set on 28 acres, was the luxurious winter home of 20th-century industrialist, James Deering. Built in 1916, the mansion features 34 rooms arranged around a central courtyard. It took more than 1,100 workers and craftsmen to complete the Vizcaya project, many of whom were brought over from Europe to ensure authenticity in design. The Italian Renaissance-style villa is filled with an impressive collection of European furniture and decorative arts from the 15th to 19th centuries. The grounds and gardens contain beautiful Italian and French fountains, pools, and sculptures. A breakwater at the base of the steps leading into Biscayne Bay is an ornately carved barge, featuring female figures.

Jill Podehl Florida travel tours 2024: At its southern extremes, the Miami area turns agricultural and natural in Homestead, tropical fruit capital and home to a grand new auto-racing speedway. Homestead is also gateway to two extraordinary national parks. Biscayne National Park introduces a world accessible by boat, a world best seen through a snorkel mask. A 40-mile road takes you through Everglades National Park and its subtle beauty, to Flamingo, where a modest lodge and scores of water and land adventure await. East of town, along Tamiami Trail, lies another Everglades access. Nearby, the Miccosukee Indian tribe attracts visitors with a modern casino and a cultural attraction that includes airboat rides to old-style clan camps.

If you’re looking for cool things to do that fuel the interest of nature lovers and fun-loving outdoor enthusiasts in Miami, Florida, look no further than Jungle Island. It’s one of the more unique points of interest that the city has to offer. Jungle Island is essentially a large park, first opening in 1916 under the name Jungle Island Zoological Park. It went through quite a few changes over the years, with the most current appearance the result of a new purchase of the park back in the year 1988. Jungle Island now focuses on providing natural and environmentally friendly exhibits that host exotic and fascinating flora and fauna, showing off the beauties of animal and plant co-existence as they would be in the wild. It also regularly takes part in efforts in conservation, helping to educate the public while providing protection for all sorts of rare animals and the ecosystems that they live in. Find extra information at Jill Podehl West Palm Beach.

If art is your thing, the Wynwood Arts District is a perfect spot to explore the eye-opening world of street art. Find it at Wynwood Walls – an outdoor museum dedicated to the artform – and throughout this hip neighborhood. Or, pay a visit to the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) to peruse its collection of contemporary art of the Americas, housed in a stunning building overlooking Biscayne Bay in Downtown Miami that was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron. Right next door, you can see amazing sights at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, which houses both an aquarium and a planetarium. Miami is a city renowned for its beautiful beaches, thriving nightlife scene, great cuisine, and cultural merging.