Cool Places To Spend The Afternoon

Living in paradise we too often get caught up in the day-to-day grind and forget "WE LIVE IN PARADISE." Every once in a while you have to put your normal day-to-day routine on hold and take an afternoon to yourself. But where do you go? Check out our top five picks.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

4000 Morikami Park Road
Delray Beach, FL 33446
(561) 495-0233
www.morikami.org

If you've never been to the Morikami Museum & Gardens, you may want to check it out. The museum has thousands of Japanese art pieces and artifacts which can be very interesting. The real draw, however, are the gardens. There are six diverse gardens to explore and wander through, each representing a major period of Japanese garden design.

Zoo Miami

12400 SW 152 Street
Miami, FL 33177
(305) 251-0400
www.miamimetrozoo.com

Celebrating 30 years, the former Miami MetroZoo is a great way to spend an afternoon as a couple or with the kids. With animals roaming free on more than 300 acres, this is one of the best zoos in the country. In addition to seeing the animals of the Amazon, Africa or Asia, you can also hand feed a giraffe. One thing to remember - wear comfortable shoes cause there's a lot of walking involved.

Everglades Holiday Park

21940 Griffin Road
Fort Lauderdale, FL 3333
(954) 434-8111
www.evergladesholidaypark.com

Living in South Florida we spend too much time working, shopping and getting stuck in traffic jams. If you really want to get away from it one afternoon head to Everglades Holiday Park. Play tourist for an afternoon and go on a really cool airboat ride. The guides are very informative and will do their best to point out alligators and other wildlife.

Oleta River State Park

3400 N.E. 163rd Street
North Miami, Florida 33160
(305) 919-1844
www.floridastateparks.org/oletariver

This park has a little bit of everything for everybody. It has a nice beach area for swimming. You can also rent a canoe or kayaks and paddle the river to explore this amazing natural area. The park is probably best known for miles of off-road bicycling trails, ranging from novice trails to challenging trails for experienced bicyclists.

(Source: www.lincolnroad.org)

Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall

Lincoln Road between Washington Avenue and Alton Road
Miami Beach, FL
www.lincolnroad.org

Just a hop, skip and jump from the famous South Beach, check out the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall between Alton Road and Washington Avenue. There are shops galore for her and lots of lovely ladies walking around for him. After walking the mall and doing a little shopping, pull up a chair at one of Lincoln Road's restaurants outdoor patio areas, order a drink and let the show begin. Another major plus is that the City of Miami Beach provides a city-wide free WiFi.