Best Florida travel destinations from Jill Podehl

Jill Podehl Florida destinations 2024: In the mood for even more culture? Then pay a visit to the Norton Museum of Art. Established in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton, this excellent art gallery houses the industrialist’s vast collection of artworks from around the globe. Be prepared to take your time when you visit. The largest art gallery of its kind in Florida, the Norton Museum is home to some 7,000 works from Europe, China, and the US. In addition to its many galleries, there’s also a lovely courtyard to explore, as well as a sculpture garden. A variety of free tours are available, including fun after-hour tours on Friday evenings. The museum also offers a regular roster of lectures and educational programming. A restaurant and gift shop are also located on the premises. See more details on 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.

Jungle Island is one of the most popular attractions in the city of Miami. It is located on Watson Island and was formerly known as Parrot Jungle and even had Winston Churchill visit in 1946. The Jungle is only minutes away from South Beach and Downtown Miami. Through interactive experiences, Jungle Island enthralls park visitors with a sense of adventure and discovery. Why not catch one of the exciting shows which are a daily occurrence. But to truly enjoy a vacation you also need a nice place to stay.

Do you want to enjoy a blue sky on a perfect beach ? Miami is a fabulous place to relax. What can you do in Miami? The American Airlines Arena is the home of the NBA’s Miami Heat. It is also the main venue for large concerts and other special events, including top name singers and performers. It can hold more than 19,000 people. The structure itself, opened in 1999, has been awarded the Leed Green Building Certification for being an energy efficient building. The arena stands out prominently on Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami.

Essential Florida destinations from Jill Podehl: Key Biscayne holds popular tourist attractions, busy recreational marinas and fantastic beaches. Windsurfing and sailing are foremost along its windy causeway, known as Hobie Beach. Miami Seaquarium ranks as one of Florida’s first marine attractions, but keeps up-to-date with dolphin interaction programs and environmentally inclined exhibits. Nearby marinas offer everything from boat rentals to diving excursions. There are more ways to play at Crandon Park, a huge beach park with amusement rides, tennis and bike paths. At the island’s southern tip, a state park protects a historic lighthouse and the beach that fronts it.

Zoo Miami is home to more than 500 different animal species, and over 3,000 individual animals of all kinds call this fun Florida spot their home. The zoo is popular for its extremely natural environments that allow the animals to be safely separated from visitors without using things like cages or closed compartments, so the animals are happier and you get to see them in a natural manner. Not far from the downtown area, the zoo hosts plenty of programs and events to keep people of all ages entertained. Certain animals can be ridden and children will tremendously enjoy events like the giraffe feeding. Since it’s such a big zoo, you’ll be able to stay occupied all day long, and that’s why it’s one of the top 10 definite must do things in the city. See more info on https://www.youtube.com/@jillpodehl.

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.