Wednesday, March 23, Day 19 at Coral Gables

I forgot to mention yesterday. While at Bonnet garden during the tour, we passed a dug out area where a tree had gone down in the last hurricane; a couple archeologists looked around the tree root area and found arrow heads. They feel it was early Seminoles, but why there? Well it is the high point of the Ft. Lauderdale area, 17 feet; also it sits right on an area that has a spring fed small lake. But remember a hundred yards from the inner coastal area where there is salt water.

Also a couple days ago we saw that there speck’ or speckled perch is our crappie.

I have appreciated the comments and corrections to the blog with pointers on where to go. I mentioned that dolphin and mahi-mahi are the same. As an old submarine sailor who earned his dolphins on two different boats. I found that mahi-mahi is a dolphinfish and there is another fish the dolphin. Hope the sewer pipe sailors don’t take my dolphins away for this gross error. In the mid 60’s the terms were used interchangeably.

Arched trees we drove under

So this morning we go down A1A towards Coral Gables. We meander down the highway, sometimes on it sometimes off it. Again past those tower apartments hopefully filled to the brim with people. You look at all those windows and wonder? Where do they all come from? How much does it cost to own one of those? Well I’ll never know. Through Miami at noon time, oodles of people. Past south beach, youngsters at spring break. We travel through these arching trees headed south, will have to look for Fairchild, but where? We tool down the line and here is a sign,

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens next left. http://www.fairchildgarden.org/

We again use our Minnesota arboretum card for a free pass. This time $40 savings and the last two times were $67, cannot remember if we used it for others but for a membership that costs $85 a year we get that back and more!

We had visited this garden before, it was when Chihuly exhibited his works of glass art. We were told there are three pieces that members bought for the garden.



Multi-colored lizard







Metal crabs in this tree - art



This time there is a couple who are artists in their own right but different styles Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne. He metal smooth and line art, what I am trying to say is not the quirky detail that she does with her work.

We make sure we see all. I spotted one across the lake, a stag, Harry Potter where are you. To those who read those young adult books, as we did, you know what I am referring to.



As we looked across the lake while eating

 We ate at there Garden Café, lake side, with a grilled cheese, tuna salad wrap and chips. As the tram was starting I boorishly took my wrap aboard, otherwise I would have had to wait an hour for the next one. It is always good to hear about many of the items you miss on your own, then you can walk to see more on your own.

Here is a tribute to Elsie the cow out at Supersweet research farm back in 1968. she also had a hole in her stomach, from which we took samples to look at how she was digesting the feeds.

Could not resist the shot of cabbage with legs, taken for all you Krauts out there.


Cabbage with legs



This set of metal garden chairs and table were surprising nice to sit on and not burning hot in the sun.


Shirleen's orchid shot





Chihuly dancing snakes in the pond



We found all the art, plus Chihuly's work and other stationary art that exists.



Another exhibit on display is Yuko Ono Wishing Grove large trees with strings hanging down and notes attached to strings. Yuko Ono has many of these wishing grove, where people place there notes of peace on the Wish tree.

At sometime the wishes will all be buried deep in the ice in a cave in Iceland.

Conservatively we walked two hours, from one side to the other then another statue to find back to the other side. Got our walk in for the day. My lady again with the Lady of the Park. This time I spoke with here also, this lady died at 108 years old. Yesterday at the Bonnet garden she lived to 109. Something to say about being really wealthy, not just millions.

Jerry talking to The Lady

The ladies gave us some tips on hotels. Again they are not signed before you see them you have to spot there logo on the building or drive. Within a couple miles we finally found a place, Kendall Hotel and Suites, a hotel next to the Baptist hospital, big hospital. Thank goodness we got there around 5, as of 3pm they were full. Shirleen said apparently they had some people released by their doctor. The room is spacious and has a wide sliding glass door to go on the lanai to take in the night air.

The restaurant Paradise Bar and Grill on sight at Kendall Hotel had a limited menu but nice. Shirleen’s stand by a filet with demi-glace sauce, mushrooms, spinach – which I consumed – and a crostine potato. There was a Churrasco steak on the menu, have had one before, highly spiced. It is a marinated skirt steak; a large portion of caramelized onions lying beneath it, mashed potatoes with a gorgonzola topped thickly cut tomato with the chimichurri sauce. Nice dish at half the price of Wildfire’s in the cities which have a great one. jerr