Cultural Treasures

More than vice, it’s really quite nice: the Capital of Latin America, Miami is the place to practice your Spanish. There’s no shortage of beautiful people, white sandy beaches and Art Deco design. Across the bay, the city glistens in the tropical sun with sizzling nightlife, botanical gardens, and its avant-garde warehouse district. Cinematic Ocean Drive features the world’s best collection of Easter egg colors, an art deco dreamscape of historic hotels with nautical motifs. Miami Beach is a players playground of sunny poolsides, outdoor lounges and sexy nightclubs. The food is outrageous. You’ll find all the tastes of the Caribbean and Latin America, fueling the creativity of bold young chefs. There’s no place like Miami!

The railroad arrived in 1902, bringing affluent winter guests. Then the famous American real estate and railroad magnate John Ringling arrived with his circus, setting the stage for Sarasota to become a major performing arts hub. The bright pink Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy is a world of fantasy with a sculpture garden and hidden surprises. Marina Jack is the downtown port with outdoor and fine-dining restaurants, sightseeing cruises and fishing charters. The Selby Botanical Garden has the world’s largest orchid and bromeliad collection, 80-year-old banyan trees, koi ponds on the bay. The Ringling Complex is a major attraction featuring the Circus Museum, Ringling’s private home and his Museum of Art. Sarasota will dazzle and amaze you!

The most underrated city with big time fun: Tampa has evolved from its gritty roots into a modern city with world-class theme parks, museums and ambitious restaurants. The downtown Riverwalk along the Hillsborough River sparkles with modern architecture and scenic public spaces. There’s enough entertainment here to last a week including Adventure Island Water Park, Busch Gardens, Lowry Park Zoo, The Florida Aquarium and the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A pleasant surprise is the Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple. For the best noodle soup and beef soup with fish balls, people flock here on Sundays for the food and flower markets. Get here early. Visitors may enter the temple barefoot and listen to traditional music.

A universe inside the earth? Koreshan State Park offers a window into the lives of a unique and eccentric pioneer group that chose to make their home under towering oaks on the banks of the Estero River located just down the road in Estero. The Koreshans were a religious sect founded by Dr. Cyrus R. Teed, who moved here in 1893 and built a communal settlement with a belief that the universe existed inside the Earth. Living celibate lives, the enterprising Koreshans established a farm, nursery and botanical gardens. The park is home to 11 restored and nationally registered historic buildings from the late-19th and early-20th centuries. A quiet and peaceful refuge amid busy Fort Myers.

Drivers start your engines: This is the famous American race track in Daytona Beach and home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR known as the “Great American Race” since 1959. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts motorbike races and daily tours in and around the track.