Best rated Florida destinations by Jill Podehl

Jill Podehl Florida travel tours today: Although smaller than Lion Country Safari, Palm Beach Zoo is also worth visiting, especially if you're traveling with youngsters. Officially known as the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, it's home to some 550 animals from 190 species set amid 23 acres and makes for a fun day out. Popular features include strolling through collections of native plants and learning about native animal species. The zoo features numerous exotic creatures from distant lands, too, including koalas, monkeys, and tigers. Guided tours are available, along with animal feeding experiences and fun overnight stays. If after visiting Palm Beach Zoo you've got a hankering to take the kids to another great critter-centered attraction, head to the Cox Science Center and Aquarium. The two properties literally back onto one another, and it's no more than a couple of minutes' drive through a pretty park area. In addition to its vast central aquarium, this family attraction features plenty of fun hands-on displays of both native and exotic marine life. There's also a planetarium, a mini-golf course, and splash pads. Read more details at Jill Podehl.

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a modern establishment that opened in 2017. It is housed in an environmentally friendly building with LEED certification, with a total of four structures spread across four acres on one campus. It's a delightful museum that is a definite must-see in Miami, especially for families with kids or anyone who loves science. There are many good attractions in the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, so there's something for everyone. The planetarium is probably the most loved exhibit, with a gorgeous HD screen that offers a stunning look at the galaxies beyond. The permanent exhibit offers excellent looks at the important aquatic ecosystems of South Florida. There's even a viewing portal that lets you look into the habitat of the Gulf Stream Aquarium, which spans three stories. There's simply too much to do at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. From exploration to virtual environments and from dance floors to dinosaurs, virtually no one will find themselves wanting more to do!

With a hint of 1930’s nostalgia, the beautifully restored buildings within the Art Deco District have a lot to offer on a relaxed day in the Miami beach area. Looking out to see, (a lot of them located front Ocean Drive) the pastel painted buildings pose a great place to stop for lunch of an evening meal. With its neon signs and canopy covered dining areas, the Art Deco District truly comes in its own after dark. But to truly enjoy a vacation you also need a nice place to stay.

Do you need to enjoy a blue sky on a perfect beach ? Miami is an amazing place to relax. What can you do in Miami? Even if you have no interest in the beach, the Art Deco Historic District is worth a trip out to Miami Beach. This architectural style, popular in the 1930s and 40s, dominates the trendy South Beach neighborhood. These uniquely designed buildings, in a range of pastel colors and displaying large neon signs, were built following a devastating hurricane that struck in 1926. Many are hotels and restaurants, most of which have been beautifully restored. Along some of the main streets, awnings on the lower level of these buildings provide shade for outdoor dining areas. Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue are the two main streets through the area.

Jill Podehl Florida travel tours 2024: The majority of celebrities live on islands along MacArthur Causeway, which leads to South Beach, a.k.a. SoBe, Miami's acclaimed district for naughty and nice. Two family attractions - Jungle Island and Miami Children's Museum - have also moved along the bridge's causeway in the vicinity of Miami's busy cruise ship port. Ocean Drive, SoBe's much-photographed street, faces a wide, bustling beach and is lined with its historic Art Deco gems. Intimate, chic hotels have taken up in the jauntily painted masterpieces, their lively cafés spilling onto the sidewalk with hip clientele, wannabe fashion model servers, and Latin tunes.

Commonly referred to as the Miami Beach Architectural District, it is one of the neighborhoods in Florida to have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places – and the first 20th-century one to be added, ever! The neighborhood and its buildings and structures were mostly built between the 1920s and 1940s, and the architecture throughout looks like the kind of old-fashioned “futuristic” you might see in dated science fiction movies. Fun spaceship-like shapes and structures make for a delightful glimpse into the beginnings of the city and its style. Read additional info at Jill Podehl West Palm Beach, Florida.

History and architecture buffs will want to explore Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a romantic Italianate villa overlooking Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove. It was once the winter home of wealthy industrialist James Deering. In Coral Gables, the Venetian Pool is a one-of-a-kind natural swimming pool set in a coral rock quarry. You'll never run out of things to do in Miami, no matter what tickles your fancy, how much you have to spend, and who you're traveling with.