After starting off strong with the checking out the Biltmore (http://portlandermiamian.com/2012/04/01/historic-and-iconic-the-biltmore-hotel-coral-gables/) we drove down Coral Way (which is absolutely beautiful through Coral Gables) and stopped by the Merrick House. George Merrick was the visionary behind Coral Gables developing it and giving it a strict housing code that gave it a lot of its great charm and beautiful architecture and the Merrick House is where he grew up.
The Merrick House has some beautiful grounds with greenery and foliage that makes Coral Gables so beautiful. The house was closed so we weren’t able to go inside but the outside of the house was very cool and the walls have a really cool appearance and texture. The section of Coral Way that the Merrick sits on is one of my favorite parts- very dense foliage that makes it enchanting.
The cool texture of the outside of the Merrick House
Heavily treed Coral Way
After the Merrick House we headed to Miracle Mile. This is where we were when we first came to Miami for work and Miracle Mile is really beautiful with a lot of charm and cool architectural details. A lot of the buildings makes me think of a Spanish or Italian city and there are a lot of restaurants and shops to explore and walk around. A number of the buildings are quite tall for such a grand style, which makes it really cool. Check out the pics below!
Coral Gables' City Hall
The covered walkways that I love about cities in Florida
After Miracle Mile we checked out the Barnacle State Park in Coconut Grove. The Barnacle is the oldest house in Miami-Dade county still in it’s original location built in 1891. The house and boat house are cool for the history, but I really like the grounds. You walk down a path with dense vegetation native to Miami and you come out to a long sloping lawn to the ocean. There aren’t a lot of places I’ve come across in Miami that has such a tranquil and “untouched” spot on the water. There are a number of chairs and benches on the grounds and it’d be a great place to come sit, reflect, and relax. On the grounds there also is one of Miami’s oldest mysteries- a very deep hole with some rock steps going down. One idea was that Ponce de Leon dug the hole in his search for the Fountain of Youth! Walking back on the path it was cool to imagine Miami at its earliest days with the native vegetation and only a few structures like the Barnacle in existence. The park was close to closing so we didn’t have a lot of time to read about the history and explore inside so I’ll have to go back sometime to check it out.
The main house
Miami's oldest mystery
Merrick House- 907 Coral Way Coral Gables, FL
Miracle Mile- Coral Way between Douglas Road/37 Ave and LeJeune Road/42nd Ave. 3485
The Barnacle State Park- 3485 Main Highway Miami, FL
