As far as day trips around Miami go, options seem limited. There’s your great aunt’s house in Palm Beach, hanging with oldies in Naples or watching other people on their yachts in the Keys. It’s not like a day in the countryside is minutes away, more like a day in the swamp is an hour away. There are still a few roadside gems left in Dade County, the Coppertone Girl may have moved uptown, but Coral Castle remains right down south on US1, where it belongs.
If you’ve never been to Coral Castle, get ready for a full-on family treat. This stone structure was built over almost thirty years, single-handedly, by one tiny man, Edward Leedskalnin. This Latvian immigrant stood only about 5 feet tall, and he carved, masterminded and quarried all the stone for the whole 1,100 ton affair. Supposedly he built the place in honor of his love for some underaged broad that dumped him before their wedding, but the guides at the museum, who work for tips, will tell you that he was over her long before he was finished with his masterpiece.
A few of the most exciting features are the massive revolving door, the partial solar system, a rocking chair, sundial and water well, all made of limestone. The whole place is pleasant, historical and mind-blowing. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s located right near Homestead.
The first Saturday of each month is designated for psychic time at Coral Castle. It seems like it’d be a treat to hear about your future in such a spooky place, like celebrating Halloween in a cemetery. After you lift your jaw off the ground, you can grab a tropical shake at Robert Is Here, before heading home.
For more of Liz Tracy's Miami missives, visit her blog, Miami, bro.
