Page 301 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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The tranquil, palm-fringed lakes of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
y Key Biscayne of man-made lakes. The garden 20-minute ride on the monorail
also has an impressive array for an overview of the zoo, and
Map F5. 7 miles (11 km) SE of down-
town. @ B. Bill Baggs Cape Florida of cycads – relatives of palms then visit what you like; or
State Park: Tel (305) 361-5811. and ferns that bear unusual take the monorail to Station 4
Open daily. ∑ floridastateparks.org giant red cones – as well as and then walk back.
countless other trees and
The view of downtown from plants, including a comical- o Wings Over
Rickenbacker Causeway, looking sausage tree.
connecting the mainland to Guides on the 40-minute tram Miami
Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, is tours describe how plants are Map F5. 14710 SW 128th St, adjacent
one of Miami’s best. Views used in the manufac ture to Tamiami Airport. n (305) 233-
aside, this has some of of medicines and 5197. Open 10am–5pm Wed–Sun.
the city’s top perfumes (the Closed public hols. & 7
beaches. The most flowers of the ylang- ∑ wingsovermiami.com
impressive is at ylang tree, for
Crandon Park in the example, are used This museum is dedicated to
upper half of the Key, Palms in Fairchild Tropical in Chanel No. 5). the preservation of old aircraft.
which is 3 miles Garden The waterfront Its hangars contain a superb
(5 km) long and Mattheson Hammock collection of finely preserved
enormously wide, with palm Park is next door to the Fairchild examples of aircraft that are still
trees and picnic areas. At the Tropical Garden. Its highlight in operation, including a 1943
southern end, the Bill Baggs is the Atoll Pool, a salt-water AT6D Texan “Old Timer,” a
Cape Florida State Park has a swimming pool circled by Douglas B-23 Dragon, and
shorter beach joined to more sand and palm trees alongside a British Provost Jet, as well
picnic areas by boardwalks Biscayne Bay. as a wide range of other
across the dunes. fascinating exhibits such as a
i Zoo Miami machine-gun turret.
u Fairchild Tropical All these planes take to the
Botanic Garden Map E5. 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami. sky during the Memorial Day
weekend celebration, while in
Tel (305) 251-0400. £ Metrorail
Map F5. 10901 Old Cutler Rd. (Dadeland North) then Zoo Bus. February, they are joined by
Tel (305) 667-1651. £ Metrorail Open 9:30am–5:30pm daily. & 7 B-17 and B-24 bombers in the
(Douglas Rd) then bus 136 (limited ∑ zoomiami.com Wings of Freedom event.
service). Open Office: 8am–5pm daily.
Gardens: sunrise–sunset daily. This enormous zoo is con-
Closed Dec 25. & 8 7 sidered one of the country’s
∑ fairchildgarden.org best. Animals are kept in
Mattheson Hammock Park: Tel (305) spacious landscaped
665-5475. Open 6am–sunset daily. habitats, separated from
humans by moats. High-
Established in 1938, this lights include lowland
beautiful tropical garden is gorillas, Malayan sun bears,
also a major botanical research and white tigers. The Petting
institution. One of the world’s Zoo is a favorite with kids,
largest collections of palm and the Wildlife Show
trees (550 of the 2,500 known demonstrates the agility Resident lions relaxing in the green landscape
species) stands around a series of the big cats. Take the of Zoo Miami

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