We All LOVE the Water...

Biscayne Morning Paul Hampton Crockett

Yes, 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.

(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.

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":

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!

Location, Part 2: The "Lay of the Land"

When things were simpler. "Road to Cocoanut Grove," ca. turn of the century.

Miami is a sprawling city, and can be an awfully confusing place.

For larger view, simply click on image. Return to page via back arrow in your browser.

Starting to break it down just a bit, it's helpful to understand that throughout its (relatively) brief history, the metropolis has evolved as an interconnected patchwork of neighborhoods. Here is a current "working" map of Miami's neighborhoods, published by the City:

The Cottage sits in a private urban garden very near the city's center, a small but enchanting part of its history. The proper name for the surrounding neighborhood is "Shenandoah," a once-proud neighborhood that is reclaiming its identity and "voice."

As explored above, the real beauty of our location is that we are only about 5 to 15 minutes from Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, downtown Miami, Key Biscayne, and Miami Beach, allowing a full experience of those generally congested and often noisy places before retreating to your own private oasis. Of the established and generally recognized neighbrohoods mentioned, we are closest to the Grove. Here is a close-up of the map immediately above, with the "smiley face" marking our location:




And another angle on the same map, courtesy of our friend Google:



Our location has served us, and our guests, well. We have had the privilege of hosting satisfied visitors drawn to Miami by any number of events or happenings taking place in various parts of the city. For example, to Coconut Grove, for its epic annual Arts Festival, or one of the annual sailing regattas based there, on the bay front only 1 1/2 miles away; to the Coral Gables area, for events relating to the University of Miami, and to various other parts of the city for weddings, medical procedures, or just general good old-fashioned "just for fun" sightseeing.

Wherever your plans might take you in the Miami area, please give the Cottage your consideration. You are likely to find our location a sweet surprise. In this traffic-jammed, road rage rampant city, "getting there" can be more than half of the battle, and much less of the fun!

Travel safe, Godspeed, and enjoy!