Category Archives: Leisure

Staying Warm on a Cold Winter’s Night

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As fall begins to give way to winter, heaters are fired up and electric blankets come out of storage. The goal is to have a warm, snuggly environment in which to get a good night’s sleep. While some people may argue over the perfect temperature for the thermostat, few will dispute the psychological comfort provided by a thick quilt over flannel sheets.

There are other ways to stay warm in the winter . Sitting by a crackling, roaring fire with a cup of hot chocolate, spiked or not, is the dream of many living in colder climates. There really is something to the idea of mental warmth being nearly as important as physical warmth. Perhaps the appeal of flannel pajamas or an over-sized fluffy robe from sleepy heads is as much about the softness and the mental associations of comfort as it is about actually providing insulation from the cold.

For many people, the physical act of stockpiling wood by the door or putting up winter shutters on the windows evokes the same feeling as wrapping themselves in a blanket and sitting in a comfy chair by the fire. It’s all part of the process of insulating the mind against the dark nights ahead and the approaching cold weather.

Beaches and Nightlife in Miami

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There is so much to do in the southern Florida city of Miami that you are likely, well actually destined to run out of time before you run out of options. However, that should only entice you further to make your reservations in a Miami Spa Resort , and the statement was not intended to intimidate or deter you. In fact, if anything, it was a direct issued challenge. I dare anyone to see and do all there is in Miami in the week, or even two weeks that you are there. This challenge could even extend to the residents, though let’s not get carried away here. So, where do you begin in your exploration of Miami?

Well, one of the first places many people head is directly to the beach. Being that it is one of the of reasons this city is so famous and attractive to people from across the country, it must be true that the beaches are incredibly beautiful. See for yourself, if you question the truth of that statement. Yep, that was another challenge. Really, though, the beaches surrounding Miami are incredible and there are always throngs, that was throngs not thongs, of beautiful people enjoying the sun, the sand and the waves which only contributes to the view. You can even take up a new water sport and learn to surf or scuba dive while you are there. Or you can feel free to simply enjoy the relaxing charm of the beach.

In addition, the nightlife in Miami is the stuff of legends. It has a well known music scene and has developed new music genres, or extensions of existing genres. This is partly due to the diverse cultural heritage of the many residents of the city and different styles of music have combined to create new sounds. The Miami Bass is a well known sound that first gained popularity in the 1980s and 90s. It is similar to electric funk and continues to be a common club music genre. Meanwhile the night clubs in Miami are extremely diverse and cater to all types of music preferences as well as theme oriented atmospheres. You can find a quiet little candle lit piano bar or dance the night away in one of the hip clubs like Cameo .

The Kampong in Miami

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At the southern end of Coconut Grove, you’ll find hidden away The Kampong, one of the oldest landmarks in Miami, Florida.  One of the cities more celebrated citizens, Dr. David Fairchild, named this property adjoining the waterfront, after a Malaysian word for village.  It’s easy to overlook, if you’re driving fast, so it may pay to slow down and take a look for the sign for this National Tropical Botanical Garden, the only only Congressional-chartered tropical botanical garden on the mainland (there are four more located in Hawaii).  There’s also a gigantic Banyan tree which marks this historic spot, behind a wall of limestone.  This is a site that’s known not only for its natural beauty, its public education outreach, or its scientific research; it’s known, too, for the history, which begins as far back as the 1876, where a man named Jolly Jack Peacock made a deal with the Duke of Dade, or J.W. Ewan, selling the property for fifty dollars.

Ewan grew fruit and pineapple trees, then later, in 1892, sold the land to the first female doctor in the area, Dr. Galt Simmons, and she built a pine wood and limestone barn, a structure that still exits at the botanical garden.  In the 20th Century, in 1916, David Fairchild became the owner of the land.  Fairchild worked for the US Department of Agriculture as the Chief of Seed and Plant Introduction, and in that capacity he went around the planet and collected twenty thousand varieties of plants to bring back to the United States, and some of these have been planted at The Kampong.  It was Fairchild who was largely responsible for introducing America to a number of fruits found elsewhere in the world.  He even introduced California to the avocado.

On The Kampong, then, you’ll find an incredible array of plant life.  There are hundreds of trees on the property, including the Buddha’s Hand, which is sacred tree in Southeast Asia, and an African Baobab.  But the history of the place is not restricted to plant life alone.  Fairchild’s wife, Marian, happened to be inventor Alexander Graham Bell’s daughter.  Her sister was the wife of Gilbert Govesnor who was the National Geographic Magazine’s first editor.  The Kampong saw visits of the famous, such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, as well as Alexander Graham Bell.

Today, the site is partly a research organization, allowing students to explore different types of plants for which they might otherwise have to travel the world to find.  If you’re in the Miami area, staying in one of the great places the city offers its own travelers, then you can visit The Kampong, too.  You may take a self-guided tour, simply by calling and making a reservation.  There’s a fee of ten dollars for adults and five dollars for students, and its free for those children under the age of six.  Call here to find out more: (305) 442-7169.