If Florida’s beaches weren’t enough of an incentive to come to Miami, then perhaps the South Beach Art Deco Historic District will do the trick. This district is the core of the area — in fact, it’s the biggest area in the United States listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From around 18th Street down to Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, the area has been protected since 1979, for the last thirty-one years.
If you visited in the district in the 1980s, you’d have seen a much different sight, a place of crime and of buildings falling apart; today, it’s a different story and well worth a visit. Stop in at the Art Deco Welcome Center, over on 1001 Ocean Drive, where you can find out about this area in detail, learning about the history of the area, and find a number of walking tours; there’s even available self-guided audio tours), including a gift shop that sells art deco jewelry and post cards.
If you’re interested in staying the night in Florida, find one of the Miami hotels along the beach and explore everything the city has to offer, including Art Deco Historic District and the Venetian Pools, over in Coral Gables, where a limestone quarry in 1923 was transformed into an incredible 820,000 gallon pool. This, too, is on the National Register of Historic Places; you’ll find an incredible place, suitable for the entire family, that contains coral rock caves and waterfalls, an island surrounded by palm trees. Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller swam here (and if you’re too young to know who these people are, and chances are, you may be too young, perform a search on these two great talents; they’re worth checking out). Whether you end up swimming or not, it’s a great place to spend the day.