Florida 12/23/2012 -- 1/1/2013 [Florida Gallery] [Back to Photo Page] [Slide Show]

Florida, a southeastern peninsula state between Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, has a relentless low-lying landscape with the highest point in the state being just 345 ft (105m) above sea level.  Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, encompassing approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km), and its sand beaches account for more than 1,000 miles of the coastline.  The Sunshine State deserves its reputation as the perfect family vacation spot with typical travel icons -- sun, sea, sand, and Mickey Mouse. 

Getting there ...

Visiting Disney was not on my top of to-do list in the past.  However, now that Linus and Iris have grown and become teens, I figure it will be too late if we don't have a family Disney vacation soon.  Combining a Disney trip with Everglades National Park in southern Florida was a fine idea for our winter vacation this year.

We had a red-eye flight from San Francisco (10:20PM on 12/23) to Orlando (9:30AM on 12/24) with a short stop in Charlotte in the early morning.  We got a rental car in Orlando, and drove down to Miami to start the journey of our Florida winter vacation.

[Miami, 12/24--12/25] [Everglades, 12/26--12/28] [Disney World, 12/29--1/1]

Miami (Day 1, 12/24) ...

• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
  Our first stop in Miami was Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.  Built by agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916 as the winter retreat, Vizcaya was Florida's grandest residence.  At the time of Vizcaya’s construction, Miami’s population was around 10,000. More than 1,000 workers were employed in the Vizcaya project, including laborers and craftsmen from the Caribbean and Europe. In addition to the house and gardens, the complex included a farm, livestock, and a variety of other service facilities covering 180 acres on both sides of South Miami Avenue.
  We did not spend too much time here since we were all tired and eager to go to the hotel after a day's long flight and drive.
  

• Miami Beach
  We checked in to our hotel in Miami Beach in the late afternoon.  My families were all so tired that no one wanted to go to the beach with me even though it was just a short walk behind the hotel.

• Miami Skyline at Night
  After dinner at Ocean Drive (we picked a place which has very low rating on Yelp....), we drove to Watson Island under MacArthur Causeway to see the night view of the Miami skyline.

Day 2 (12/25) ...

• Sunrise at Miami Beach

• Theater of the Sea
  Theater of the Sea is an educational and entertaining marine animal park located in the middle of Florida Keys.  I booked the "Swim with Dolphins" program for Linus and Iris. The program had ~ 20 minutes of orientation, and ~ 30 minutes of swimming time.  The trainer instructed dolphins for their maneuvers,  such as hugs, kisses, loop jumps, and dorsal tows, to interact with the swimmers.  Linus and Iris were excited with this rare experience of close encounter with dolphins.
  Both Linus and Iris commented about the freezing water, which was only 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Miami Beach
  We went back to Miami Beach to have dinner at a Cuban restaurant.  We then strolled around the Ocean Drive which was crowded at night with colorful neon lights and cool breeze.
  

Day 3 (12/26) ...

Before we headed to Everglades, we finally all went to the beach to have a short walk so we at least touched the sand on Miami Beach.

[Miami, 12/24--12/25] [Everglades, 12/26--12/28] [Disney World, 12/29--1/1]

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