The best thing in Miami is not in Miami (not Miami Beach either)

Yes, Little Havana is culturally significant, and South Beach Art Deco district is architecturally interesting, but otherwise, as I have said before, Miami does not have that many redeeming qualities. There are curious little stops like Dr. Jackson’s house, The Barnacle and Coconut Grove, Vizcaya, Coral Gables, Winwood Walls, Miami Design District, Little Haiti, Gesú church, etc. This is understandable, it is a young city founded in 1896 -the first city in America founded by a woman, Julia Tuttle.

But otherwise. anonymous skyscrapers (Zaha Hadid’s 1000 Museum is a notable exception) and overrated and overpriced restaurants do not an interesting city make (Joe’s Stone crab is a historical exception).

But how many rivers have you been on that are 60 miles (97km) wide and over 100 miles (160km) long? That you can walk in (the average depth is about 130cm), that you can see alligators, turtles, snakes, and all sorts of birds? Well, go to the Everglades!

I discovered the Everglades -and its brother park Big Cypress in 2016 and fell in love! It really is an environmental miracle, a very slow-moving river (Florida has no elevation!). I have recently started taking tours of the Everglades. Airboat rides are great fun and I happen to know the best! Run by the legendary Miccosukee family the Tigertails.

So if you are in Miami, of course, visit the city, but make sure you experience the Everglades! You are welcome.

Here is a 7 minute documentary on the current situation of the 3 million acre, largest sub-tropical area in the world, what the Miccosukee call the “River of Grass.”

Camino Hack #752

After six Caminos I am willing to share one of my favorite hacks, which I have talked about in passing in my Camino chronicles but have never written a full post on.

After a day of hiking with a heavy backpack, one of the best -and fastest- ways of reducing, indeed eliminating, bodily inflammation is a good dip in cold water. So, when I get to the albergue I always ask the hospitalero about available local dips: streams, pools, rivers.

Sometimes there is a little stream running near the albergue where all you can do is dip your legs, on the Camino del Norte you occasionally have the privilege of stopping on the beach, and some towns and villages have rivers and streams where you can have a chilly dip.

On my recent Camino Aragonés, the Aragón River was flowing exceptionally big, fast, and muddy due to the recent rains, so I was unable to dip in Sangüesa. Fortunately, Jaca, Sangüesa, and Monreal all had amazing and inviting municipal pools waiting for me! Even though they were not the TikTok trendy Wim Hof ice baths, they still were refreshing and cool and offered a great opportunity to stretch and cool down.

Special mention goes to the Jaca facility where for 7 Euro I got the Olympic pool, plus Swedish sauna, steam bath, jacuzzi, water jets, etc. Amazing, the best 7 Euros I have spent on the Camino!

So next time you go on the Camino, pack a swimsuit. You are welcome.