Gardens and Parks and Sun – Hooray

We spend a beautiful day in Coral Gables exploring the 83 acre Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and the adjacent Matheson Hammock Park.

A huge coconut palm shades the area where there is a special exhibit of current African art. The young artists are there working and selling their creations. There are also beautiful installations of the work throughout the garden.

Flocks of Ibis keep the property pretty clean.

There is an amazing butterfly and hummingbird shelter that is loaded with the colorful creatures.

This is the state butterfly of Florida; the zebra longwing.

Kind of like a butterfly Dale Chihuly glass finds its way everywhere…not that it’s a bad thing. This one really works here.

Sculpture is a very important part of the garden, and installations change regularly. Here’s a rather unusual John Chamberlain piece; one of probably half a dozen.

Chihuly “cobra’s” adorn another fountain.

What a place. What a day.

More sculpture…a “lantern” tree.

And a desert garden.

We spent a lot of time searching for the Matheson Hammock Park. We actually found one side of the park first, but it was all water and water-sport oriented. It turns out the real hammock trails are just across the road. This was the entrance building; not exactly welcoming.

But the trails were beautiful, winding among the hammocks.

A pastoral setting as we head out for dinner and to get packed for our last day of our spectacular vacation.  On our way to the airport we’ll get our art fix visiting the Wynwood Art District and the surprising Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami. Come along….