#37 See Fairchild Gardens

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a Miami gem. It is home to more than 50 acres of palms, mangroves, agave, orchids, bamboo and ginger plants. Some are native to South Florida. Others come from around the world, from the Caribbean to Madagascar. 

I didn't just see the botanic garden.

I became a member of Fairchild. (Thanks to Groupon!)

I recently made my first visit with my sister E. and can't wait to head back, especially for the chocolate festival and later the mango festival. It is a fascinating escape from the urban grind.

We saw:

Lots of palm trees;

Bright and pretty plants that I don't know the name of;

Fruit so big it grows on the ground;

More crazy fruit; and 

A giant spider on a giant spider web. I'd call her Carlota.

#21 Swim in ocean

The sea is beautiful - Pacific, Atlantic and even my beloved Gulf of Mexico, where the water is always brown, sandy and warm.

Is there anything more relaxing than swimming in the ocean?

It’s like a massage, for free. And there must be some fish in my genes. My grandmother, even in her 90's, loves to go in the surf. Her father would row out on the Gulf and swim in the deep.

In South Florida, I am always amazed by how clear the water is. (This time I took a dip in the Ft. Lauderdale beach at dusk.)

#6 Walk in Coral Gables

I love walks. They are so relaxing, even when it's hot and steamy.


I have three favorite walks in Coral Gables.


One: walking around the youth center, where almost always there's a pick-up basketball, softball practice, or soccer game going on. It's also the lazy, short walk.

And the trees along the street are amazing: huge and prehistoric.

Two: The walk to the Biltmore, the historic, elegant hotel that's millions overdue in rent.

I get to stroll through the lushly green neighborhood.

And there are always lizards scurrying from my path.

And finally, three: the extra long walk around the Coral Gables golf course.

Can you see the steam?

#26 Meditate at la Ermita

La Ermita de la Caridad is the national shrine to the patroness of Cuba - Our Lady of Charity who appeared as a floating statue to three men at sea nearly 400 years ago.


The shrine itself is built to resemble a 90-foot Virgin, covered with a mantle and overlooking the sea.

People sit alongside Biscayne Bay and pray. The seawall looks toward Cuba, if not in reality at least in spirit. It is the wall of lament, the wall of hope for many exiles.

Some throw ofrendas - bright yellow sunflowers and coins - into the water. (I can't help but wonder what name they call la Ermita in Santería.) Many Cuban exiles want the site to be their last resting place. Some scatter the ashes of loved ones, despite the rules against the practice.


I sit and meditate. The water laps at the shore. The constant bay breeze rustles the palms. Our little boats get so easily lost at sea, I think.


Caridad.

#104: Hunt a gator

South Florida is full of alligators. But few get adopted by kids.

One lucky gator in North Miami Beach got befriended by some neighborhood kids. And they fed him hotdogs and ham. The ice cream was a mistake, one told me.

After several weeks of being apparently stuck in a storm drain, the 10-foot gator - named Patrick - escaped.

That prompted the tale of the great gator caper.

I was on the breaking news desk and headed to North Miami Beach to see where the gator had been holed up and find his young buddies. I have to admit, I got creeped out when I stepped at the edge of the lake where he might be swimming. I didn't want to cross paths with a 10-foot gator who liked to eat hotdogs. I didn't have any with me.

Here's the story, and here's a short follow-up.

Photo: An alligator swims in the Everglades. Credit: Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.