We’re just back from a wonderful spring break in Miami. We left last Tuesday morning after picking up my mom and headed across the alley. First stop: The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens to view the hand-blown glass sculptures of Chihuly. Nigel loves sculpture so I knew this would be a big hit.
Photography here was limited to personal use for the Chihuly Show (you need a permit :P) so head over to flickr to see more of my pics! I’m so glad I remembered to check if they had reciprocal membership to our Naples gardens (they do!), as it cut the price in half. We had a blast touring the gardens. Nigel made sure I took pics of ALL his favorites! I can’t count how many times I heard “Ohh- this is beautiful, take a pic momma!” Lunch at the cafe was fabulous! Casual outdoor dining, tasty food, I had a chickpea quinoa wrap, plus free wifi which the kids took advantage of while they waited for our meal.
Here’s the details:
Art at Fairchild, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Dale Chihuly Sculpture Exhibit 2014-2015 Season
9am-4:30pm daily, 9-9 during Tropical Chihuly Nights
10901 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables
We stayed in a hotel down the street from my dad’s studio condo (30th floor-amazing views) so Vic could join us when he got off work in Lauderdale. My dad’s condo has a mid level deck pool- freezing water didn’t stop my kids- and a fun indoor playground. We all dined that night at the most amazing Cuban restaurant next door to my dad’s place in Brickell, Havana 1957. I had the Palomilla a la Plancha with creamy yuca and we all enjoyed a round of Mojitos with a stick of sugar cane. Nigel proclaimed it the best meal he’d ever eaten and said I need to learn to cook Cuban style. He was very insistent that I get the recipe for the roast chicken, which is the house special.
Wednesday we took it easy with a lovely stroll by the waterfront, maneuvering around near constant construction, and had a picnic lunch near the playground on Brickell Key. My Phil and Teds Explorer stroller with attachable skateboard was the best investment! It made it possible for much longer walks than would have been possible with little kids otherwise. What the kids were most excited about seeing: two giant Iguana’s!
Thursday we thought we’d venture out to see a new museum. We went to Pérez Art Museum on our last visit- the kids and I loved it- so we decided to give the Art Museum at FIU a try. Parking was a *&^@#! We found a spot just before giving up. I think it was student orientation for Spring, the campus was packed!
This museum was amazing! They have the most fabulous Children’s Art/Interactive exhibit, The Kenan-Flagler Family Discovery Gallery on the first floor- and it’s all Free! We spent over an hour there before trying to see the rest of the museum. Ami’s patience was running thin though, it was nap time, so we quickly looked over the second floor and never did get to the top floor. Right now they have a beautiful Calligraphy interactive exhibit which is just gorgeous from Artist Xu Bing, Square Word Calligraphy Classroom . You can check out the paintings and sculptures from the museums collection in a new exhibit of faces, 25 Sq Inches here. There’s also a wonderful sculpture garden out front.
We had another wonderful meal that night at OTC in Brickell on Miami Ave. My mom and I split some amazing appetizers since it was happy hour. Frito pie, eggplant spread, Thai wings and Fish and chips. Delish! My dad got a burger-there known for them-Nigel got his fav, chicken strips and my little Ami went with the quinoa bowl. If you’re in the area they’re brunch looks Amaze! (I’ve been watching way too much Barbie and the Dreamhouse with the kids-LOL!)
Here’s the info:
The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU
Modesto Maidique Campus of Florida International University
10975 SW 17th St. (107 Ave) Tuesday-Sat., 10am-5pm
FREE
For our last day on Friday we took a leisurely drive over the bridge to enjoy the view before heading over to the Science Museum. It’s almost directly across from Vizcaya gardens. The new museum, MOSI, is in the works right now in downtown next to the Perez Art Museum.
This was such fun to do with the kids (mine are almost 4 and 6) and just as fun for them as for the teenagers and adults visiting. A planetarium show is included with admission, but we left before the first show. My kids attention span usually only lasts about 2 hours. :) This museum had a wonderful array of exhibits on science, hurricanes, the human body, health and has a small nature preserve/rescue animal area in back. Something for everyone! I loved the outdoor wall which features growing mangrove seedlings as part of the Reclamation Project. The kids loved playing in the rescue aircraft, building experiments and puzzles, and Nigel and I did a health screening that was interactive-I’m uber healthy!
Here’s the info:
Patricia & Phillip Frost Science Museum
3280 S. Miami Ave. Daily 10am-6pm
We dropped my mom off at my dad’s and then headed back home early to beat the Friday traffic. The kids slept the WHOLE WAY! 2.5hrs! So relaxing for me. One of my fav vacations ever with the kids! Plus this was a great intro to our moving to the other coast this summer. The kids can’t wait to live in a city!
P.S. : Head on over to Closet Case Files to view all the makes for the Carolyn Pajama Party. I’d love it if you’d vote for my floral pj’s! :) Voting closes at midnight on Tuesday March 24th. Right now I’m working on fab Mommy and Me dresses out of a lovely, but very drapey, ikat jersey. Stay tuned!
P.P.S: I’m transferring my blog over to WordPress.org so I may be down for a short time. All done! My web address will stay the same so no worries there.
