Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Sitting at the southern end of Key Biscayne is Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. A big park, it is known for its great beach and natural surroundings on Biscayne Bay. But perhaps it is most famous for the Cape Florida Light, a lighthouse built in 1825 and the oldest remaining structure in Miami. I went there recently to get a tour of the lighthouse, and to my surprise, there was also historical reenactments, it being Cape Florida Heritage Day, sponsored by Dade Heritage Trust. I recommend everyone check out the lighthouse and lightkeepers grounds, they provide a great view of Biscayne Bay and can take you back in time to an isolated yet beautiful slice of Florida life. Pictures are below!

View from the top of the lighthouse

Looking out over the park

The actual light!

Biscayne Bay, in all her glory

188 years of Miami history!

Historical actors playing the sweet sounds of the dulcimer

The rare Miami fireplace

Wax makers

When nature calls...

Matheson Hammock Park

August in Miami. It is hot, it is humid, it is truly tropical. Where can you escape the heat but still enjoy the outdoors? The best answer might lie along the eastern edge of Miami, in Matheson Hammock Park. Here, the sea breeze cools you with its gentle yet constant presence, and the mugginess melts away.

Matheson Hammock Park is huge, one of the biggest and best in Miami-Dade County. It has that great, only in the tropics feel to it, pushing right into Biscayne Bay. Standing at the edge of the park, one is graced with some of the best views of downtown Miami in the distance.

Since it sits right on the water, the park is a great launching space for people participating in water sports like kite surfing.

Probably one of the most popular features of the park is the man made lagoon and surrounding beach area. Different from any other beach in Miami, this is a unique feature that makes Matheson Hammock one of the coolest parks around.

Retreating inland, the area takes on a different feel, becoming more like a tropical nature park. There are some great trees and funky structures that are perfect for parties or picnics.

The park also has a marina, and a beach side restaurant called Red Fish Grill. After I got home, I was surprised to learn that the park actually extends further inland, west of Old Cutler Road. Here, it turns into a nature hike through a natural hammock habitat that used to cover the whole area before it was developed. My hope is to return to this part of the park, take pictures, and use that for another update. For now, enjoy the rest of the pictures and if you ever need a cool beach to check out, try Matheson Hammock Park.

David T. Kennedy Park

David T. Kennedy Park is in the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove, the city's oldest neighborhood and certainly one of its most vibrant. The park sits on the eastern edge of the city, just before Miami gives way to the water. Public access to waterfront land is a big thing that is missing from Miami, but as long as places like Kennedy Park exist we should take full advantage of them.  Though at times the water might be hidden behind trees entirely, you can never truly forget it is there. In a way it is comforting, knowing that at some point the land must stop, Miami's rapid development must stop, we can all stop to sit and look out at the ocean.

When I first came to Kennedy Park, it was to play soccer, and we picked one of the many open space areas to set up matches. At times there were even nets to play with, although they were absent on this visit. There is also a sandpit and nets set up for beach volleyball.

Other features of the park include a playground for young kids, a bike path that surrounds the whole park, and a dock that leads you to the other side of the park, bordered by the water and mangroves. Mangroves surround the park, and the area is dotted with a mixture of different kinds of trees, from pines to palms. The most interesting trees to me were those seen below, all bending at the same way towards the water. 

 Once you cross the small dock to the other side of the park, there are two separate, fenced off areas exclusively for dogs. Although there were many dogs on leashes in the other parts of the park, this would seem to be the area where dogs can truly stretch their legs, roam free, and just act like dogs. There is even a water fountain fit for man and beast!

On a hot day like today, you might be tempted to jump right into the water that borders the park. Luckily there is A.C.'s Icees, a Miami institution! Quench your thirst with a frozen lemonade or delicious fresh squeezed juice.

Kennedy Park would be a cool place even away from the water, but sitting on the edge of Coconut Grove along Biscayne Bay really sets it apart. What Miami needs is public access to waterfront land, and more of it! More waterfront parks, more public beaches, more places where we can go and enjoy the coastal region we all live in. Thank you to Michelle for taking the photos, there are more after the jump.

Flamingo Park

Sometimes you might hear Miami referred to as the "sixth borough", in reference to its status as a haven for New York City vacationers and retirees. If you run with that idea, then maybe Miami Beach is a stand in for Manhattan island, and we can go ahead and count Flamingo Park as Miami Beach's own "Central Park".

Flamingo Park is located in South Beach, in between 11th and 15th street and Alton and Meridian. It is a large urban park with plenty of different recreational activities available. One of these is tennis. Flamingo Park is a popular place in the area to play tennis. Unlike in most tennis complexes, which utilize hard courts, the Flamingo Park tennis courts use clay. So if you want to channel your inner Rafa Nadal, then partake in some rallies here at Flamingo Park. It seems like they are hoping to renovate the court complex soon too.

The park houses not only a tennis complex, but a community pool as well. The pool area has a unique design, and looks like a fun place to go take a swim.
 

The pool and the tennis courts are just some of the draws to Flamingo Park. There is a nice area of wide open space to roam around in, areas to bring the dog, basketball courts, and places for racquetball and baseball/softball as well. There is even a football field with a track circling around it.

Some of the best qualities of the park are its landscaping. The park makes really good use of different kinds of trees and plants, and many areas of the park are well shaded. In a city where temperatures commonly approach triple digits, a little shade can go along way to making a park seem more welcoming.

Flamingo Park is a great park, and it shows given its high use rate by the community. When I went, there was a mixture of patrons: families at the park and playground, tennis players using the courts, basketball players, and even people just walking across the park to get where they needed to go. Its location is a great one, right in the heart of the aptly named Flamingo Park neighborhood. This area of historic art deco style apartment buildings surely benefits from having such a great park at the doorsteps, and given Miami Beach's condensed nature, the park is close to many of the city's other residents too. You can get up close and personal with the Flamingo Park neighborhood just by standing at the edge of the park, but you can also view some of South Beach's taller residential buildings just standing in the center too.

Flamingo Park is a well maintained and exciting place. It has everything from a pool to youth athletic leagues to a Boys and Girls Club. It has something for everyone, whether you're interested in sports, leisurely walking, or just sitting under the trees. Miami Beach is a dense, unique city, with plenty of cultural activities. Plus, there's also the ocean. Still, it was refreshing to see, even with all the other recreational activities available in the area, a public park remain so prominent in the area, filled with people. A great experience from a park I had previously known little about, despite my living in the area!

More images after the cut.

Margaret Pace Park

Plain and simple, this is a blog about parks. I'll use the blog to document exploration of a number of parks throughout Miami, the city that I live in. At times, I might venture outside of the county limits, but for now will stick with mostly Miami. There are a number of parks I hope to visit, and hopefully along the way other people will be able to learn more about the numerous places one can enjoy cheap or free leisurely fun.

Margaret Pace Park is the first park I visited for the purpose of this blog. I had been to it only once before, to play tennis with some friends who live in the neighborhood. It is a City of Miami park that is located at 1775 N. Bayshore Drive, in the area commonly called "Omni", over the by the Adrienne Arsht Center.

Hidden by high rise apartments, Margaret Pace Park is an urban, waterfront park that will make you appreciate the coastal nature of Miami. From the park you can see Miami Beach, as well as the different bridges and causeways linking the mainland to the barrier island, and small islands dotting Biscayne Bay. When I went it was cool, windy and cloudy, which made for an interesting view and feel of the park, in comparison to Miami's stereotypically hot and sunny days.

The park is multifunctional, with basketball, beach volleyball, and tennis courts, a playground and an outdoor gym. The best feature of the park though, is its wide open green space that leaves plenty of room for roaming, or just relaxing. You can even walk down to the edge of the water and stand on the rocks and look out onto Biscayne Bay.

Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it is the hidden nature of the park in a neighborhood under the heavy burden of road construction, but there was a surprising lack of visitors to the park. Despite the multiple recreation offerings, and its unique, waterfront location, most of the people I've seen on both visits have been a mixture of dog walkers and joggers encircling the park, never truly entering it. One would think that, with its proximity to a number of high rise residential towers, you would see more people enjoying a waterfront park right at their doorsteps. Hopefully in the future, I can visit Margaret Pace Park and see a more vibrant scene appreciating this true gem. In a coastal area with a surprising lack of public access to waterfront, a park like this one should be appreciated by all.

More pics after the jump, and thanks to Brian Ray for being the camera man!