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ARTS & ARCHITECTURE
largest hotel pool in the country resembling a minilake with a dramatic waterfall and Greek statues gracing the loggia. The pool was the center of social life in the 1920s and ’30s with frequent aquatic events and competitions, beauty pageants, and galas; it was the place to see and be seen. Lots of famous folks have stayed here through the years and recent guests have included former President Bill Clinton and presidential wanna-be John McCain during the last presidential campaign. President Clinton loves the Biltmore’s golf course and when he’s in town likes staying in the exclusive two-story Everglades Suite with a private elevator, going up to the tower. The two-story suite is well-ap-
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was built
pointed with a dramatic fireplace, Oriental carpets, and hand-painted ceiling frescoes depicting pelicans and flamingos and scenes from the Everglades.
in 1916 by John Deering.
VENETIAN POOL Created in 1923 from a rock quarry used to build the homes and roads of Coral Gables by city founder George Merrick, the Venetian Pool, is the only swimming pool to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places and rightfully so. This stunning architectural wonder is such a well-kept secret that some of the locals don’t even know about it. The Venetian Pool’s Mediterranean revival style is a delightful paradise in the midst of a suburban oasis with palm trees, loggias, grottos, caves, waterfalls, islands, and a special bridge bringing magic to the
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 09.4 SEPT.OCT
pools. While a romantic spot for adults, kids love to swim and hide in the grottos (but they have to be over age 3). The pool holds 820,000 gallons of spring water coming from an underground aquifer; every summer evening the pool is drained and refilled overnight.
VIZCAYA Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the palatial winter residence built in 1916 by John Deering of the International Harvester fortune, is the ultimate showplace of lavish excess. Vizcaya is a classic example of Mediterranean Revival with tiled roofs, exquisite formal Italian gardens, and superb decorative arts. Thirty-four rooms are filled with priceless treasures spanning 2,000 years. Take a tour with a welltrained docent and see one spectacular room after another filled with breathtaking European and Asian antiques; each room is influenced by a different theme including the Cathay Bedroom, the Adams Library, and Deering’s Napoleon Bedroom. The formal manicured Italian and French Renaissance gardens are heavily accented with statuary, fountains, coral grottos, sphinxes, griffins. The drippy grottos are gorgeous with their shell-encrusted mosaic ceilings and gargoyles. Mr. Deering and his interior designer Paul Chalfin made frequent trips abroad to purchase furniture and decorative arts sparing no expense. Marble floors, hand-painted murals, fine sets of china, and a 16th century inlaid marble table from the Medici workshop adorn this Palazzo on Biscayne Bay. If you’re more into Modernism, check out Miami’s emerging edgy MiMo district with lots of funky ’50s and cool ’60s retro architecture. Trendy galleries, boutiques and cafés seem to pop up overnight providing a fun addition to Miami, South Florida’s playground. Plan on attending Art Basel, the mega annual art event this December in South Beach if you can, and you’ll have a hard time deciding which is more interesting...the art or the people. For more info visit,www.miamiandbeaches.com. Michelle Newman is a designer, writer and photographer focusing on art, craft, design, fashion, and cultural destinations. She has written for Better Homes and Gardens, Womans Day, Belle Armoire and Expressions. Based in San Antonio, Texas, she can be reached at michellenewmandesigns@hotmail.com.