The Seven Mile Bridge is perhaps the most famous bridge on the 113-mile-long Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys to Key West. The Florida East Coast Railway build the original bridge, initially known as the Knights Key-Pigeon Key-Moser Channel-Pacet Channel Bridge, from 1909 to 1912 as part of its Key West Extension, also known as the Overseas Railroad. Following the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, the railroad, financially unable to rebuild the route, sold the remaining bridges to the government, which reworked it as a highway. A newer bridge, constructed from 1978 to 1982, replaced the original span, which largely remains in place.
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The Southernmost Point Buoy is a concrete buoy that ostensibly marks the southernmost point in the continental United States and is a popular photograph for tourists. The buoy, which sits at 18 feet above sea level, was established in 1983 at South and Whitehead streets. Cuba is about 90 miles south of the point, but the exact distance is disputed, as is the southernmost point claim. The southernmost point was initially marked with a small sign before city officials erected the buoy in 1983. Hurricane Irma damaged the paint job in September 2017, but the original artist, with support from the city of Key West, refurbished it.
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The Barnacle Historic State Park in Coconut Grove was built in 1891 and is the oldest house still standing in its original location in Miami-Dade County. The Barnacle was once the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, who was not only one of the founders of Coconut Grove but also the founder and Commodore of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. Furthermore, he was a prominent designer of sailing yachts. The Florida Park Service acquired the remaining five acres of Munroe’s original 40-acre property from his descendants in 1973. You can easily access The Barnacle Historic State Park by taking the Miami Metrorail at the Douglas Road and the Coconut Grove stations.
The Palace Saloon claims the title of the oldest bar in Florida and the last American tavern to close during Prohibition. Josiah Prescott built the structure, which opened in 1878 as a haberdashery. But, Louis G. Hirth purchased the structure in 1903 and converted it to the Palace Saloon. The establishment was apparently a favorite haunt of famous socialites, including the Carnegies and the Rockefellers. On the eve of Prohibition began, the bar apparently reported $60,000 in bar receipts, supposedly the most profitable day for the establishment. The establishment survived the dry era as an ice cream parlor until 1931 when the booze began flowing again,
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The Torch of Friendship is a monument on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami, Florida, at the northwest corner of Bayfront Park. It was built in 1960 to signify the gateway for immigrants coming from Latin America and the Caribbean to the United States of America. The flame was intended to act as a welcoming beacon for both old and new immigrants to the nation. In 1964, it was re-dedicated in memory of President John F. Kennedy following his assassination.
Businessman James Deering built Villa Vizcaya between 1914 and 1922. The house served as his winter residence until he passed away in 1925. Currently, Miami-Dade County owns the property in the Coconut Grove neighborhood. Besides exploring the 34-room house, visitors can also tour the 10-acre gardens on the premises. Several movies, including Bad Boys II, have featured the house.
The Wings Over Miami museum, situated at the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, is about 13 miles southwest of Miami’s central business district. It houses a fascinating collection of historic aircraft, with the 1992 Grumman F-14D being the star attraction. This particular aircraft is significant because it was one of the last active F-14s to serve with the Navy before its official retirement in September 2006. Other notable airplanes on display include a 1943 North American AT6D, a 1942 Ryan PT-22 Recruit, and a 1972 Nanchang CJ-6A. Additionally, the museum has a 1943 Consolidated PBY-5, which is another aircraft worth visiting.