Biscayne National Park

How do you explore a National Park that is more than 90% covered by water?  How about gliding over it in a sailboat, sticking your face in it with a snorkel mask, and for your first time ever trying stand up paddle boarding over it.

A beautiful day to explore Biscayne National Park!

I had not been to any of the National Parks in Florida until this year (much to this Floridian's embarrassment) and made it my mission to get to at least a couple of them.  Well, mission accomplished!  I have now visited all three National Parks in Florida in just this year!  I met a friend for the day to take a sailing trip and get to spend some time in the last park on my list.

Biscayne National Park's headquarters is located off of Homestead, FL but the National Park and its waters stretch through Biscayne Bay from Miami down to Key Largo.  The bay is at most 10 feet deep and is home to many sea creatures especially when they are still young as it is a more protected environment.  After being on the sailboat about 20 minutes we spotted a very large hammerhead shark gliding past the boat in the water and not too long later spotted another shark, although I am not sure of the variety.  They were several sea turtles that swam near the boat and many jellyfish floating through the water that, if you are not aware of the pain they can cause, are quite pretty to see.

Our ride for the day

Our first stop was at a sunken shrimp boat to do a little snorkeling.  When a boat sinks, it acts a little like a reef and fish are attracted to it as a safe haven to be able to hide from predators.  I have been lucky enough to snorkel in different parts of the world and the fish were less exciting than other places, but it was still fun to see.  There is a reef as part of the park but we did not go out to it and I think if I ever go again, then I would make it a point to get out to the reef.

Fish photos taken courtesy of Stacy

Our next stop was on Adam's Key.  Unfortunately there was not a lot to see on the key itself other than many no see'ums biting the heck out of us.  When we first docked, there were tons of fish hanging out along the pier.  More than I have ever seen in one place at one time without being inside an aquarium and with different species as well.  My favorite thing about Adam's Key is that I had the opportunity to try stand up paddle boarding for the first time.  I was a little nervous if I would be able to stand up ok but it was a success!  The hardest part was trying to paddle against the current which kept pushing me towards the mangrove trees and the hungry jaws of the no see'ums. Once I was able to stand up and get away from the trees, it was fun to paddle around and look down into the sea grass.  It is definitely a work out.  My legs are a little sore today and I may have a little fear of the sound of a passing boat and the waves that they create but it was a good experience and I am eager to try it again.

Lots of fish hanging out by the dock

The view from my paddle board

We tried to do a some sailing on the way back but sadly the wind was not cooperating to get us in the direction we wanted to go.  It was nice to relax on the boat and enjoy the peaceful surroundings as we slowly motored back to shore.  There is something about being on the water that is always so calming.  In the distance we could see the city of Miami and it is interesting to think of the bustling city in contrast to the serene nature right at its back door.

Miami in the distance

Day Trip to Sarasota and the Ringling Museum

I lived in Bradenton (just north of Sarasota) for 3.5 years and like most locals who know the attractions will always be there and don't feel the urgency to go explore now, I never actually made it to the Ringling Museum before I moved away.  I decided to combine it with a trip to see my friend and mentor who I hadn't seen in almost 7 years and drove the hour and 40 minutes from where I live in Ft. Myers to check out the museum, home, and beautiful grounds of John and Mabel Ringling.

John Ringling is one of the Ringling Brothers of circus fame.  He and his wife, Mabel, wintered in Sarasota and thought it would one day become a resort paradise.  Unfortunately, they did not live long enough to see just how right they were!  They bought land along Sarasota Bay and lived in a smaller home on the land before eventually building the very grand Ca d'Zan, which means House of John, on the bay.  The Ringlings had a love of Europe and especially Venice and modeled the home in the architecture and grandiose style that would be found in Venice, Italy. 

The museum is made up of three different buildings.  Two focused on the history of their circus and circus life in general and one dedicated to art with many pieces being from Johns Ringling's personal art collection.  The Ringlings did not have any children and wanted their collections to be gifted to the state of Florida.  Sadly, John Ringling died asset rich but cash poor and had many creditors after him at the time of his death, but the estate still made it to the State and is now run by Florida State University so that the public is able to enjoy the beauty and history of the area.  The entrance to the family home is a separate fee than the museums but to me was definitely worth the extra price.  I have been lucky enough to visit a few homes of the wealthy that were built in and around the 1920s and it is always intriguing to me to see how different life was.  This home did not disappoint.  With beautiful painted ceilings, glass windows specially chosen in colors that matched the styling of the home, ornate furnishings, and sparkling chandeliers, it was as grand as you would hope it to be to match the opulent lifestyle of a wealthy couple in the 1920s.

 The view to the bay through the stained glass windows

Beautiful stained glass windows from the outside

The art museum had collections from John Ringling's personal art collection but also houses art from Asia and different modern art displays as well.  It was nice visiting in September before the rush of high season begins again.  I was able to spend time in many of the exhibits completely by myself like it was my own private tour.  It also has a replica of the famous statue of David in the courtyard surrounded by palm trees and other sculptures in the garden.

Statue of David replica in the courtyard

The circus museum had a miniature replica of what the circus would have looked like when it was all set up.  The attention to detail was amazing with intricately carved people and animals creating a scene of what it would look like if you attended the event when it pulled into town.  There was a room with different interactive circus features including a high wire walk and the top part of a model horse that you can stand on and practice your poses.  Walking around the room, I couldn't help but play circus music over and over again in my head.

The elephants miniatures

 Miniature circus tents

 Anyone dream of being shot out of a cannon?

The train car that the Ringlings lived in while on tour with the circus.

I capped the day off with a quick visit to St. Armand's Circle and met my friend for dinner at what was one of my favorite restaurants in Bradenton Beach when I lived there.  It was a great day to learn something new and reminisce about the old for me.