Read more about the article Maclay Gardens State Park – Tallahassee, FL

Maclay Gardens State Park – Tallahassee, FL

We’ve traveled to Florida a lot in the past few months – including St. Petersburg, Miami, and St. Augustine. On a recent trip, we stopped in Tallahassee to see the Alfred Maclay Gardens State Park. The 1,100-acre park features over six miles of walking, biking, and horseback riding trails along two lakes, as well as a 28-acre historic garden teeming with over 60 varieties of azaleas and 150 cultivars of camellias.

The majority of the park and the trails are open year-round. However, park staff only open the Historic Gardens to the public from January through April.

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Read more about the article Miami Design District – Miami
Le Corbusier by Xavier Veilhan

Miami Design District – Miami

On our recent trip to Miami, we walked around the Miami Design District. While I’m not a big shopper (especially regarding high-end brands such as Chanel, Gucci, and Fendi), I loved visiting the 18-block Miami Design District with jaw-dropping architectural features.

High-end retailers thrive at Miami Design District
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Read more about the article Vizcaya Gardens – Miami, FL – Part 2

Vizcaya Gardens – Miami, FL – Part 2

In the previous post, I wrote about touring Vizcaya’s main house. This post will focus more on Vizcaya’s elaborate gardens completed in 1922. You could easily spend a few hours taking in this 10-acre area.

Vizcaya Background

Serving as the winter home of John Deering, founder of International Harvester Corporation, the original estate consisted of 180 acres and cost close to $26 million ($780 million in today’s dollars) to build. The 54-room house features a Central Courtyard filled with lush tropical plants, shrubbery, and a soothing fountain. Once open to the elements, glass now protects the area from heat and direct sunlight.

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Read more about the article Vizcaya Mansion – Miami, FL – Part 1

Vizcaya Mansion – Miami, FL – Part 1

One of the top places to visit in Miami is Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. Completed in 1916, the estate served as the final home of John Deering (1859-1925), founder of International Harvester. Who knew there was so much money in agricultural farming equipment?

The Mansion

Tucked in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, Viscaya encompasses 43 acres on Biscayne Bay. John Deering, who retired from his company in 1909, hired Paul Chalfin to design and furnish a 38,000-square-foot, 54-room estate in Miami.

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