Miami Pride 2019

Over the years, and for some unexplained reason, Dan and I seem to have a knack for unintentionally showing up at Pride events and parades. 

It happened in San Francisco one time when we were in town to see a Bella Fleck concert, which unbeknownst to us coincided with a Gay Pride Parade. It happened on a Sunday in Philadelphia another year when we thought we’d have downtown to ourselves for a tour of the city, and found ourselves in the middle of that town’s Pride Parade. It happened again in Provincetown, Maine (on the tip of Cape Cod where the Pilgrims first arrived in this country) during a day trip to this charming seaside town, only to find ourselves in the midst of a Pride festival . 

And, most recently, on April 7, 2019, the day we toured South Beach in Miami, it was the final day of Miami Pride week, where the festivities were also culminating in a spirited parade. What fun! We’ve always been delightfully surprised when we stumble into these colorful and celebratory gatherings, and are more than happy that we can show our support for the LGBTQ communities.

While most of our photographs that day were taken of the parade and festivities, we did manage to squeeze in a few shots of the beach and the surrounding area as well. 

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, located in Coral Gables (just south of Miami) opened to the public in 1938. In addition to a botanic garden, Fairchild is a museum, a laboratory, a learning center, and a conservation facility. Its main role is preserving biodiversity, and this 83 acre facility is home to extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycad, flowering trees, and orchids. A butterfly house called “Wings of the Tropics” features exotic butterflies mainly from Central America, South America and Southeast Asia flying freely in the 25,000 square foot conservatory.

Since 2003 Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has had art exhibits featuring a wide range of renowned artists, and the garden hosts a series of seasonal weekend festivals including the International Chocolate Festival, the International Mango Festival, the Butterfly Festival, the Bird Festival, the Orchid Festival, the Ramble, the Food and Garden Festival, and the Edible Garden Festival.

We spent one entire day in March 2019 touring this beautiful setting. A break for lunch at the Glasshouse Café provided us with vegan tacos, and panoramic views into the Wings of the Tropics exhibit. We also took a guided tram ride through the gardens where we learned much about the origins, history, and development of the property. Here are some selected photos of what was growing and blooming the day we were there.