Vizcaya

I am very much a fanatical supporter of Miami, and I honestly believe it is the greatest place on earth. But in terms of traditional tourism, when I compare Miami to, let’s say 2nd tier vacation destinations - essentially only excluding New York and Chicago in the States, Miami lacks conventional hot spots or must sees. Miami lacks a world-class art museum, it has the third largest skyline (as measured by number of buildings over a specified height) but no particularly special skyscraper, and its youth and boom periods preclude historic buildings (Miami Beach art deco not withstanding). Instead, Miami beyond the beaches should be experienced in terms of areas or of absorbing unique populations and places. Little Havana, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Downtown, Coconut Grove, the Everglades, are all very cool and very worth while, but I fear the long weekend vacation your average tourist is on probably lends to very little experiencing other than a sun burn and the realization that your interpretation of Salsa dancing is anything but adorable.

All that being said, I recently visited Vizcaya for the very first time and was incredibly surprised. Vizcaya has a reputation as a beautiful mansion used primarily for Quinceañera pictures, and little else. But the history, architecture, décor, and gardens of the grounds are very impressive. The rooms are magnificently gaudy a cross between Versailles and Miami kitsch. The gardens are massive and worth a long afternoon or two, generally not in the summer where the heat and mosquitoes will feast on your unfortunate neck. The mansion and grounds were built between 1914-1916 by John Deering a capitalist extraordinaire and an anemic who required the gentler climes of South Florida in the winter months. A mere century is not much pedigree by most standards, but considering Miami was incorporated as a city only in 1896, it puts such a massive structure into perspective. Your average Miamian has probably never been to Vizcaya (particularly the male population) and it really is a shame, its well worth the entrance fee (though there is a discount for Miami-Dade residents and students) and is an excellent destination for any wide-eyed tourist. The John Singer Sargent portrait of John Deering viewable in the house was done at Vizcaya and is an excellent example of late Sargent.

- Eduardo E. Gesio