Biscayne Morning Paul Hampton CrockettYes, it's true; we have no pool at the Cottage. (Though we do have a splendid waterfall alongside the coral reef.) But if you love to swim, and feel passionate about being in the water outside in the golden sunshine, that is far from the end of the story.
We are just a stone's throw from Biscayne Bay and from the Atlantic Ocean, as well as a number of perfectly fine (and in some cases absolutely magnificent!) swimming pools. So if feel the water calling, you should definitely be aware of these options.
We are just a stone's throw from Biscayne Bay and from the Atlantic Ocean, as well as a number of perfectly fine (and in some cases absolutely magnificent!) swimming pools. So if feel the water calling, you should definitely be aware of these options.
(I must note that as a boy growing up in Miami, I and my closest friends spent much of our time in the water, yet only a bit of it in pools. Of course we loved our pool time. The kids in my family learned to swim in summer classes at Shenandoah public pool, shortly after we'd learned to walk. The best part, of course, was the ice cream afterwards!)
Several of our guests have enjoyed that pool, which happens to be quite nice, generally uncrowded, and only blocks from the Cottage (1.1 miles and 3 minutes, according to Google maps). Admission will set you back $1.00!
Shenandoah Pool, 1805 SW 22nd Ave, Miami, FL 33145
Tel. : (305) 856-9549
On a grander (and suitably more expensive) scale is the truly legendary Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. That place offers an experience I cannot recommend highly enough, for children of all ages.
Several of our guests have enjoyed that pool, which happens to be quite nice, generally uncrowded, and only blocks from the Cottage (1.1 miles and 3 minutes, according to Google maps). Admission will set you back $1.00!
Shenandoah Pool, 1805 SW 22nd Ave, Miami, FL 33145Tel. : (305) 856-9549
It is a sensationally beautiful place, and the water's fine!
ALL that being said, while growing up most of our swimming time was spent in open salt water, mostly in Biscayne Bay.
We will always look back fondly on those days, based in a deluxe treehouse in the mangrove forest alongside Vizcaya, paddling around on homemade rafts in open water here, there exploring winding coves so lush and green we could easily imagine that we'd somehow been transported to the Amazon. We were often joined by the peaceful manatees, who'd swim alongside. Such quiet moments, under big open sky, will remain sweet in our memories, as so beautifully put by my beloved teacher and friend Jane Reno, "as long as we are able to remember beauty."
Think about it: aren't such scenic journeys much more what the "dream of Florida" are all about than any thing or place made by the hand of Man? Take a step beyond the "hotel pool" or its generic equivalents, I dare you! You will be glad that you did. In any event, you'll take home with you an experience worth really remembering.
The places listed below offer some of the most beautiful vistas in the city, if not the State, and really should not be missed. They often serve to remind me of the much more quiet and beautiful soul underlying this crazed city! I go to these places when I need them, and they are always there for me, awaiting patiently. Each is easily worth a trip for its own sake. (The locations can be "plugged" in to the Google map linked in the posting above:
http://www.shortenurl.com/GoogleMap_Cottage to get an exact "visual" on location, distance, and route. All distances are measured from the Cottage.)
Go on: get sand between your toes! You never know; you might catch a glorious sunset, find the most delicious hot dog you've ever bought from a seaside hot dog stand (OK, for that one, you gotta be really hungry! : ) ), or see birds soaring overhead that you might have seen before only in picture books.
Personally, "you never know" is exactly the way I like to take my adventures.
Here is a short breakdown on local "watering holes":
South Beach Paul Hampton Crockett
POOLS.
Go on: get sand between your toes! You never know; you might catch a glorious sunset, find the most delicious hot dog you've ever bought from a seaside hot dog stand (OK, for that one, you gotta be really hungry! : ) ), or see birds soaring overhead that you might have seen before only in picture books.
Personally, "you never know" is exactly the way I like to take my adventures.
Here is a short breakdown on local "watering holes":
BEACHES.
These are all excellent and generally very safe places to head out with your beach towels and...whatever:
Hobie Island Beach Park, Key Biscayne 2.8 Mi.
Biscayne Day! Paul Hampton Crockett
Virginia Key Beach, Key Biscayne 4.2 Mi.
Crandon Park Beach, Key Biscayne 7.2 Mi.
Key Biscayne Trail Paul Hampton Crockett
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne 7.0 Mi.
Lummus Park, Miami Beach (South Beach) 6.0 Mi.
South Beach Paul Hampton Crockett
POOLS.
Cool clean chlorinated waters await in a number of public pools within convenient proximity of the Cottage. To view a larger image of the map above, just click on it. You can then return with the back arrow in the browser, to the upper left of your screen.
To get to this map yourself, and thus be able to click on the available links for more information, etc., just visit the link to Google maps mentioned above, click on the blue "Find Businesses" tab right in the top middle, and enter "public swimming pools" as a search.
Wherever you wind up deciding to take your swim, do it safe and have a ball!
