Explore The Redland Tropical Trail in Miami
There are various enchanting destinations in the Redlands that can offer families and children with an intriguing experience. Covered by the silhouetting, puffy and scattered cumulous clouds, the vast agricultural fields of the Redlands presents a serene scenery where your family can quench their thirst for an antiquated Sunday drive. Probably, you are so much into the bustling urban life of the Miami and not aware of the experience you can get from a 30-minute drive southwest of the city to the tropical lands of an area sandwiched by Biscayne and Everglades national parks.
The Redlands is undoubtedly an antidote for a glitzy weekend afternoon as it offers families and children a panoramic view of the lush extensive farmlands that rolls for miles while at the same time giving people a chance to get up close to free-roaming monkeys. This tropical landscape is dotted with old clapboard farm houses, an aquifer, an alligator farm and other unique attractions like coral rock walls. Below are some of the spectacular sceneries and places you and your family might want to visit during your trip to Redlands.
The Knaus Berry Farm
This farm should probably be your first stopover. You might want to have some fruit-flavored milkshakes and freshly baked cakes. You can as well get strawberries and fresh farm produce. Knaus family started this farm five decades ago and they still make the old-fashioned specialties you rarely see in Miami. The scrumptious sticky buns, herb bread sticks, pineapple upside down cakes and the black bottom cake are ideal for kids. In fact, you should consider buying some extra buns so that your kids can enjoy feeding the monkeys in Monkey Jungle. Their farm is just an introduction to the fruity, tropical history of the Redland region.
The RF Orchids
Have your children been in an orchid farm before? The RF Orchid is arguably the oldest South Florida orchid farm that gives you a unique spectacle of a leafy and a fruity tropical garden. You and your family can walk around the farm to educate yourselves on the various types of fruits. The farm has been acting as the purveyor for exotic orchids since the 1970s. Visitors are offered guided garden tours on the weekends between 11am and 3pm.
This is a perfect destination to travel to on the weekends with your family. Being one of the most mystifying structures in the Redlands, the Coral Castle Museum was built by Edward Leedskalnin in between 1923 and 1951. The castle gives you and your family a chance to know the history of this great builder. Edward used unique and unprecedented skills to carve out coral stone into a castle tower, rocking chairs, a telescope, and a wall. It’s intriguing how he was able to build the castle on his own. Experts say that the rocks weight about 1100 tons and it’s because of this weight that the structures have been intact for years. The Coral Castle is available for events for groups and for private people. It’s open daily to meet the ever-increasing number of visitors.
It has been documented that no one witnessed Edward’s labor when he erected this South Florida oddity. Edward was quoted saying he had knowledge of building ancient pyramids but some people say that he had supernatural powers. You can get the full history of Edward and the Coral Castle by visiting the museum. The 9-ton gate that opens with just a push is an amazing structure that has left even the most experienced builders bewildered. The Castle continues to be a mystery for those who try to study and explore it.
The Monkey Jungle should be the best place for families with kids to walk along the nature trails viewing various species of birds and monkeys. Remember to hire a guide to take you around so that you can make the most out of your trip. Established in 1935, the Monkey Jungle is an outstanding wildlife park & a discovery center that is immersed in a natural subtropical forest in Miami-Dade County. Whether you are a scientist, a wildlife enthusiast or just a visitor, this jungle provides you with unique close encounters with amazing varieties of monkeys hailing from different parts of the world. When walking the nature trails underneath huge subtropical trees, you would hear peacocks chirp and see the Orangutans gaze at your lunch box.
The jungle is a home to over 300 primates roaming around freely on a 30-acre piece of a scenic reserve. It’s the only reserve in the US where the public can explore and interact with the primates. With this exclusive chance, visitors can witness the Java monkey jump and dive in the wild preying on crabs and shellfish on mangrove swamps and riverbanks. These monkey groups perform these theatrics as they wade through their pond so that they can receive fruits from tourists. The Monkey Jungle provides you an opportunity to see the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin (a monkey hailing from the Brazilian Jungle).
The Bonsai Garden
Bonsai Garden is one of the places in the Redlands that are worth visiting because it’s not only rich in history but it also showcases the true power of a tropical landscape on agriculture. Bonsai Garden is located in the heart of the most fertile areas of the Redlands and it was founded in 1987 by Alva Hayes. It’s a garden consisting of the greatest line of elegant bonsai trees. The trees are carefully styled by reputed bonsai artists. If you’re interested, you can secure for yourself a finished or a pre-bonsai tree amongst the many available varieties. The garden is a home to over 30,000 bonsai trees you can choose from. The trees come with beautifully made custom bonsai pots. It's a great farm where you can teach your kids on the importance of environmental conservation and the value of trees in the modern day life.
The Everglades Alligator Farm
This is another great joint for a weekend family trip. As a home of the famous 14ft “Grandpa” alligator, the Everglades boasts of over 2000 alligators, that constantly provide visitors a unique experience. Airboat experts can assist you and your kids to glide across Everglades to view the spectacular sceneries found in this South Florida’s alligator farm. Apart from the enchanting airboat tour, your family can also enjoy the snake, alligator and wildlife show performed on an hourly basis. Everglades is an alligator reservation park and every year, alligator eggs are sold to other farms around the state. For a fascinating experience, you can choose snake handlers or alligator experts to tour you around the farm. A walking trail around the alligator farm is an exciting trip where you can see various forms of wildlife including caimans, crocodiles, wild birds, exotic snakes and alligators.
Traveling to the farmlands and tropical landscape of the Redlands exposes you and your family to a wide variety of cuisines, farmlands, old farming structures and wildlife. The Redlands area is named after the red soils of the region. It’s the only area in South Florida where you can find pick-it-yourself orchard farms, world’s prettiest primates, coral walls an old-time serenity.
Visiting one or more of the attractions during the weekend with your family is a great idea if you want to break away from your weekend routine in Miami.
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