BEST PLACE TO ROLLERBLADE 2003 | South Bayshore DriveCoconut Grove | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Miami | Miami New Times
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BEST PLACE TO ROLLERBLADE

South Bayshore Drive

Coconut Grove

On any given day South Beach has gaggles of in-line skaters rolling along Ocean Drive, but South Bayshore Drive (between McFarlane Road and Vizcaya) has the shade and the scenery. But first a word of warning: Rush-hour traffic is unpleasant and dangerous. Best time for this is very early morning or late evening. Weekend mornings are lovely. Start at Peacock Park, stick to the bike lane, and head north. After passing along Silver Bluff, the rock outcropping on the west side of Bayshore that long ago served as a landmark for sailors, you'll approach Mercy Hospital, behind which is located the Ermita de la Caridad church, a revered icon for the Cuban-exile community. Drop by for a visit. It's a perfect spot to catch your breath and a breeze from the bay. Back on Bayshore you'll continue north, frequently shaded by grand old oaks, till you reach Vizcaya. You can pull in, pay admission, remove your skates, and check out the place. Or you can continue on to the edge of the Vizcaya property and turn right at 32nd Road, then up the leafy stretch of Brickell Avenue to Alice Wainwright Park. Free admission and a wonderful view of the bay. Excellent place for a picnic before heading back. Once you're near the heart of the Grove, don't miss a detour through Kennedy Park, a sweet ending to a (roughly) five-mile trip.

Readers Choice: South Beach

BEST PLACE TO KAYAK

Myakka River State Park

Why should anyone drive roughly three and a half hours from Miami just to put a kayak in the water? Because Myakka River State Park offers fantastic paddling unlike anything in these parts. This is Florida's largest state park (roughly 45 square miles), and the Myakka is a rare gem, one of only two state-designated "wild and scenic" rivers. It flows for fourteen miles through the park boundaries, with many more miles downstream through protected lands -- all the way to Charlotte Harbor. The stretch between Upper Myakka Lake and Lower Myakka Lake meanders through a gorgeous landscape of moss-covered oaks, palm groves, and reedy marshes. A bazillion alligators live here, including some true leviathans. Up-close encounters are common. Between the lakes and the river, an earnest paddler would need at least a couple of full days to get a good feel for the place. And the place is much more than water, of course, including 39 miles of hiking and biking trails, plus camping facilities that range from primitive to comfy (the five historic log cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s). So plan ahead, make reservations (cabins book well in advance), and take a long weekend to enjoy an unforgettable kayaking experience.

BEST PLACE TO BIRDWATCH

Everglades National Park

Rodney Cammauf / National Park Service
According to no less an authoritative source than the Tropical Audubon Society, the southern portion of Everglades National Park is "one of the best winter birding locations in the United States." Check out Tropical Audubon's Website (www.tropicalaudubon.org) for a comprehensive list of species and specific locations, but suffice it to say that the sightings run from warblers (more than twenty species) to the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow to flamingos (real ones) to impressive natives such as bald eagles and every subtropical wading bird imaginable.

BEST UNDERAPPRECIATED PARK

A.D. Barnes Park

At 62 acres it is much more than just a neighborhood park, but not enough people outside the immediate vicinity make the effort to seek out A.D. Barnes. Their loss. Besides the amenities you'd expect at a park this size (swimming pool, basketball courts, barbecue huts, picnic pavilions), Barnes can boast two attractions that distinguish it: elaborate accommodations for the handicapped (including a wheelchair-accessible tree house) and an "urban nature preserve." Located in the northeastern section of the park, the preserve is a thickly wooded slice of untamed nature in the middle of suburbia. A network of cleverly designed hiking trails lead you through the forest primeval and among the many creatures that inhabit it. Keep your eyes open for everything from raccoons and nesting birds to colorful insects and spiders.

BEST POWERBOAT RENTAL

Club Nautico

Miami Beach Marina

In Miami anything can be arranged -- for a price. For example, if you have an uncontrollable urge to race over the ocean in an ear-splitting, teeth-rattling go-fast boat, the folks at Club Nautico on Miami Beach could make it happen. Of course, owing to steep insurance costs and the need for an experienced skipper, you'll have to put up your firstborn and your house as collateral. Instead the Club Nautico agents suggest their 29-foot Bowrider, a sleek little wave skimmer that will get your adrenaline pumping at speeds up to 45 miles per hour. Also available -- and highly recommended -- is their larger and more luxurious 450 Sundancer, a speedy yacht with two spiffy staterooms and space for six cruisers. More than a dozen boats are on hand at Nautico for half-day or full-day charters at prices ranging from $300 to $3500. To hire a captain, add roughly $100 per four-hour rental period.

BEST PLACE TO GO FLY A KITE

Crandon Park

Photo by Chris Garcia / Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
It's spacious (no throngs of sunbathing tourists) and it's always windy as hell. What else does a kite-flying enthusiast need? Sure, there are wide-open spaces in barren parts of Miami-Dade, but we don't want to send you to the middle of nowhere. Crandon Park is easily accessible, and provides beautiful scenery when you're not looking up. But we also don't recommend taking your eyes off your kite for too long. Wouldn't want to hit a little kid or something. The grassy athletic field between the north and south parking areas is an ideal spot to catch the prevailing southeasterly wind and unspool a few thousand yards of string.

BEST BOWLING ALLEY

Cloverleaf Lanes

Rave bowling? That's right. If you like your ten-pin experience on the freaky side, Cloverleaf offers its version of rave bowling on Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30 p.m. till 3:00 a.m., during which time the place transforms into a veritable South Beach nightclub, complete with blaring dance music and black lights that make the balls and pins glow in the dark. Beyond that, Cloverleaf boasts a wide range of attractions for everyone from novices to pros: 50 fully automated lanes, which happen to be made of synthetic wood instead of the traditional maple (it has as much to do with the environment as it does cost, says one employee); leagues for different skill levels and competitiveness; and a "Monday Night Mixer" party, where it's not how good you bowl but rather how good you look while bowling that counts. For the truly accomplished there is the Cloverrollers league, whose participants' average scores hover around 200. For the pros, there is the prestigious Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas, which Cloverleaf will host this July for the 39th year.

BEST GUERRILLA SKATEBOARDING

Florida International University

University Park Campus

Guerrilla skaters here regularly used to be escorted out by campus security, but today, thanks to Gov. Jeb Bush, a thrasher can ride for hours without being snagged. Simple reason. According to administrators, state funding cuts (the Bush connection) have forced a reduction in the campus security force of about twenty percent. Bad for late-night student stragglers trekking to their car in a distant parking lot. Good for thrashers. FIU's smooth concrete meanders throughout the center of the campus, with an angled descent into a central patio. The rest of the sprawling university is loaded with rails, small steps for wicked Ollies and McTwists, and plenty of handicap ramps. The courtyard area's smooth finish is perfect for smaller freestyle wheels and trucks, but if you want to go retro like a Z-boy, gleam the cube with an old-school, single-dip Vision or Santa Cruz board. Just don't eat it without a helmet. The health-and-wellness center is understaffed too. Thanks, Jeb!

BEST YOGA STUDIO

Miami Yogashala

This is not just a place for supermodels to sweat off water weight or body builders to stretch out their quads. What distinguishes Yogashala from the plethora of yoga studios and gym yoga classes in Miami is owner, director, and instructor Fred Busch. His positive attitude and serious attention to correct form and proper breathing not only enable people from all walks of life to get into yoga, he allows yoga to get into people from all walks of life. The studio offers classes in Ashtanga yoga, a branch of Hatha yoga. Nicknamed "Marine yoga" because of its vigorous nature, Ashtanga is a sequence of postures that synchronize movement and breath to create a moving meditation. It has become a favorite with one-word stars such as Sting and Madonna, but Yogashala is no temple for the body perfect. It's a sanctuary for those who want to calm the mind as well as strengthen the body. The space is minimalist in design, leaving room for Busch's soothing, almost liturgical voice to reverberate between its walls as practitioners of varying levels twist, turn, sweat, and om toward flexibility, strength, and serenity. Like any other yoga space, Yogashala on any given morning or evening heats up with sweating bodies, but it also radiates with something you won't find in a gym yoga class -- inspiration.

BEST SNORKELING SPOT

Government Cut jetty

For offshore reef snorkeling we highly recommend Biscayne National Park (reservations: 305-230-1100). But for viewing sea creatures, and for convenience and price, nothing beats the rock jetty that demarcates the northern edge of Government Cut. You don't need an inflatable life vest. It's great to have a quality snorkel and swim fins, of course, but in truth all you need is a mask. The only other thing you'll pay for is parking in the lot at South Pointe Park, where Washington Avenue ends at Government Cut. Head out on the north (Miami Beach) side of the jetty. The farther you go, the deeper the water and the bigger the fish. You'll encounter virtually all the species you'd find out on the reefs further south, including grunts, butterflies, angels, parrots, eels, barracuda, and more.

Readers Choice: John Pennekamp Coral Reef and State Park

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