finally Palm Beach, historically a play-
Boca Raton, all the way south to Fort
neighbor Fort Lauderdale is mostly about the
ground for the rich and famous.
Lauderdale and Miami Beach.
beach but it too touts an international flavor
The region’s most celebrated drive is the
and a vigorous shopping and entertainment
MUST SEE, MUST DO
Overseas Highway, the southern leg of US
scene. Venetian-like canals honeycomb the
Miami Beach boasts the largest collection of
Highway 1. It picks up in Key Largo and
city making it fun to take a gondola ride or ex-
art
world.
stretches south through the Florida Keys to
plore by water taxi (sunny.org). Farther north
Concentrated in the South Beach area, about
Key West, the city at the southernmost
and quieter than Miami and Fort Lauderdale,
800 significant buildings represent a period
point in the continental United States.
Delray Beach has one of the most charming
was being promoted and developed as a trop-
CITY LIGHTS
beach.com). It has a distinct sense of commu-
ical playground (miamiandbeaches.com).
As a crossroads between the US and the
nity with a main street lined with galleries,
Building after building sprang up in the art
Caribbean, Miami pulses to the beat of a dif-
shops and restaurants. Farther up the coast,
deco style, however the area eventually suf-
ferent drummer (miamiandbeaches.com). Its
Palm Beach has consistently been a play-
fered an economic decline and the vibrantly
confluence of cultures adds texture to a city
ground for the rich and famous and its
colored stucco hotels, apartment complexes
filled with skyscrapers, historic neighborhoods,
upmarket hotels, restaurants and exclusive
and homes fell into disrepair. Since then, a dis-
ethnic enclaves, fine restaurants, sophisticated
Worth Avenue shopping are a testament to its
trict-wide rejuvenation program has restored
beach resorts and high fashion. Next-door
affluent character.
deco
architecture
in
the
downtown sections in the southeast (delray
from the 1920s to the 1940s when the city
the majority of them and in 1979 Miami
ROADS CONNECTING FLORIDA KEYS • RICHARD SEMIK/SHUTTERSTOCK
Beach’s Art Deco Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the area is one of the city’s biggest attractions, particularly along Ocean Drive where some of the buildings are now popular restaurants, nightclubs, martini bars and chic hotels. Often frequented by the rich and famous, this is the place in town to see and be seen.
RECOMMENDED DRIVES Route A1A provides a beautiful oceanfront drive past the mansions of Palm Beach and the coastal communities of Delray Beach and MIAMI BEACH • R. GINO SANTA MARIA/SHUTTERSTOCK
HERITAGE AND CULTURE Miami has changed considerably since wealthy American industrialist Henry Flagler brought his railroad to town in 1896. The first newcomers to the city were warm-weather seekers from the northern states, followed much later by refugees from Cuba who settled in a neighborhood known today as Little Havana. The city’s ethnic blend also includes Haitians who populate an area called Little Haiti. Latter-day arrivals from other Caribbean islands as well as South America contribute to the mix of cultures that now defines the city. One of Miami’s most important cultural attractions is the Vizcaya Museum and 2011 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA
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