Society for Photographic Education
44th National Conference in Miami

ENTERTAINMENT

Night Club      

THE FIFTH – NIGHTCLUB
1045 5th St.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 538-9898
Free cover for conference attendees from 10:30 pm - 5:00 am on Thursday, March 15 at The Fifth, a stylish art deco club.  Complimentary drinks by Hpnotiq from 10:30 pm -11:30 pm. Bring registration badge for entry. Transportation is not provided.

Tours & Excursions in the Miami Area

Miami has so much to do, we hesitate to tell you about its attractions lest you never return to the conference. But here are a few highlights for photographers and non-photographers alike. All these recommendations come, enthusiastically, from Miami residents. I have done two of these, a city-wide tour with Dr. Paul George, and the Biscayne snorkel trip, both outstanding.  - Sandy Sorlien

*** DOWNTOWN MIAMI and ENVIRONS

A resident recommends the historical tour up the Miami River.

Historic Tours with Dr. Paul George
Eco-tours and Lectures call (305) 375-1621, Monday-Friday 10 am - 4:30 pm.

For almost two decades, South Florida native, author and Miami-Dade Community College professor Dr. Paul George, historian for the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, has toured his way to local, national and international acclaim with his continuing series of historic tours.

www.historical-museum.org/educate/tours/tours.htm

*** LITTLE HAVANA

A Cuban-American resident recommends a tour of Little Havana on foot, up and down Calle Ocho (SW Eighth Street), on your own. Don't miss the famous Maximo Gomez Park aka Domino Park, a meeting point and a club for retirees who play chess and dominos there. More recommendations here:

www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Florida/Miami-763637/Things_To_Do-Miami-Little_Habana-BR-1.html

*** MIAMI BEACH  (across the causeway)

 ART DECO HISTORIC DISTRICT: South Beach has been called the American Riviera and an Art Deco Playground. The area has taken on new life as a big, ultra-chic, 24/7 street party. With its beautiful beach and whimsical architecture, the area has also become a favored location for films, music and television shows and a backdrop for fashion shoots. The Art Deco District offers the largest concentration of 1920's and 1930s architecture in the world. Architectural tours offered Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 am and Thursdays at 6:30 pm from the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive at 10th Street, (305) 672-2014, (305) 531-3484 Tickets, $20, children free.

www.mdpl.org/Tours/guidedtours.html

This ninety-minute walking tour provides an introduction to Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, and Miami Modern (MiMo) styles. Explore hotels, restaurants, and other commercial structures with a visit to a number of interiors. Advance reservations not necessary.

Or: Self-guided audio Tours are available at the Welcome Center 7 days a week, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. $15 Adults

*** CORAL GABLES, Miami:

FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN is one of the world's preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines. Established in 1938, the 83-acre garden is among the region's most popular visitor attractions and is an international leader in tropical plant research.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Miami, Florida 33156. Fairchild is adjacent to Matheson Hammock Park, about 20 minutes by car from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport.
Hours: Fairchild is open from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm every day except December 25th.
Admission is $20 for adults, $15 Senior citizens 65 and older, $10 for children 6 - 17, and free for Fairchild members and children 5 and under.  Free walking tours of the Fairchild collections are offered from mid-November through April.

www.fairchildgarden.org

MATHESON HAMMOCKS PARK, near the Fairchild Tropical Garden. Tranquil, scenic park with its own man-made "atoll pool," which is flushed naturally by the tidal action of nearby Biscayne Bay. Considered one of the best picnic spots in South Florida. Ideal for small children. A large sandy beach is dotted with palm trees that provide some shade. Restrooms, showers, changing rooms, two picnic areas, grills and nature trails. The park also has a full-service marina and the Red Fish Grill, a sit-down restaurant (open for dinner only) built into a historic coral rock building..

Park open daily, sunrise to sunset, Cost: $4 per car (305) 665-5475

www.gocitykids.com/browse/attraction.jsp?id=7895

*** COCONUT GROVE, Miami

KAMPONG NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN
Biscayne Bay laps the shoreline of The Kampong in Coconut Grove, Florida. The Kampong was the former home of famed plant explorer David Fairchild, who introduced to the United States a large number of tropical fruits.  The grounds contain significant collections of Dr. Fairchild's fruit cultivars and flamboyant flowering trees. A Miami resident writes: "The house itself is made entirely of coral rock, is very beautiful and usually empty. There are some fantastic houses in Coconut Grove near the water, which are fun to wander around." Monday - Friday by appointment. (305) 442-7169

www.ntbg.org/gardens/kampong.html

THE BARNACLE STATE HISTORIC SITE
Just off of Main Highway in bustling downtown Coconut Grove, this 40-acre site contains the oldest home in Dade County in its original location. On the shore of Biscayne Bay, the Barnacle was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove's most charming and influential pioneers. A resident writes: "Well worth it. A so-old-it's-cool aura. Lots of sidewalk bars and eateries across the street."  (305) 448-9445
www.abfla.com/parks/Barnacle/barnacle.html

*** HOMESTEAD (allow 45 minutes from Radisson)

Snorkeling in Biscayne Bay National Park. A three-hour boat tour takes you eight miles offshore to snorkel the longest living tropical reef outside of Australia.
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm (Daily) Fee is $35.00 for adults and $29.95 for kids 12 and under. Includes mask, snorkel, fins, snorkeling vest and instruction.

Glass Bottom Boat Tours
10:00 am - 1:00 pm (Daily) Sea turtles, dolphins, and colorful tropical fish are just a few of the surprises you might encounter. 

Reservations are recommended for both trips.

www.nps.gov/archive/bisc/visit/index.htm
www.nps.gov/archive/bisc/visit/concession.htm

Biscayne National Park, Homestead, FL  (305) 230-7275

*** EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK (allow one hour from Radisson)

A resident writes:  "Do the short Anhinga Trail - wooden boardwalk that meanders through the Everglades- lots of exotic birds and gators (and mosquitos if it rained a lot). The other one is the Coopertown Airboat Rides - old Florida attraction. Awesome if you have never done it. Guaranteed gators and birds. If you go to Coopertown, you should also then drive a few miles down the road to the other Everglades National Park called Shark Valley.  There you could walk, rent a bike or take a tram to see lots of gators and wildlife up close."

Private vehicle - $10.00 - good for 7 consecutive days at all entrances to the park.

www.nps.gov/ever
www.coopertownairboats.com