Tropical Gardens of Miami and Southern Florida February 4-10, 2019

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Estella Farmer
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1 Monday, February 4, :39 AM JetBlue flight #2465 departs Buffalo to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (Non-stop) 10:58 AM Approximate arrival into Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. Upon arrival you will need to claim any checked luggage at baggage claim prior to departing the airport. Page 1 Once you have collected your luggage meet your host, Sally Cunningham and depart the airport for Miami. Welcome to the City of Miami, Florida, nicknamed the Capital of Latin America. The 42nd largest city proper in the United States. Classified as an Alpha City Miami is a recognized leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, nightlife, entertainment, arts, as well as international trade. 1:00 PM A lunch stop will be made enroute to Miami (at your own expense) 3:00 PM Arrive at the Hampton Inn Coconut Grove Coral Gables for your 6 night stay. Unwind in a spacious guest room with a clean and fresh Hampton bed. Discover their outdoor sparkling pool as well as their completely free WiFi. Hampton s Hot Breakfast is included every morning in the breakfast area. Later in the evening the group will meet in the lobby and walk to dinner (included). You will also meet your local host Sylvia Gordon. Sylvia Gordon is a landscape designer and wholesale grower of tropical plants, who has (with her business) survived several hurricanes. She will share her passion and expertise in tropical plants, medicinal and Asian herbs, and edible landscapes, as well as her deep knowledge of southern Florida. She has been awarded repeatedly for service to FNGLA (Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association) and to other tropical farming and environmental concerns. She is an activist on behalf of cancer patient advocacy, and a leader on behalf of the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation s Education Committee. The rest of the evening will be on your own to explore the Coconut Grove area or rest from a long travel day. Tuesday, February 5, :30 AM Depart the hotel this morning for Coral Gables and the famous Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. 11:00 AM Arrive to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Fairchild is of the premier conservation and education-based gardens in the world and a recognized international leader in both Florida and international conservation. Currently Fairchild has field programs in over 20 countries including support to protected areas in Madagascar and Africa and botanic garden development and renovation projects in South and Central America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

2 11:15 AM Enjoy a optional tram tour of gardens. Sally and Sylvia will be leading you on a fun and informative tour through the impressive displays within the center. Lunch is included today at the conclusion of the garden visit at the Glasshouse Café by Le Basque. Choice of: XXXX Page 2 2:00 PM Depart Fairchild Tropical Gardens for our next stop, Pinecrest Gardens. 2:15 PM Arrive to Pinecrest Gardens South Florida s Cultural Park. Take a stroll through paradise. Pinecrest Gardens, South Florida's Cultural Arts Park, features over 1,000 varieties of rare and exotic tropical plants and palm trees in a native tropical hardwood and cypress setting. The dramatic landscape enhanced with natural streams, caves and fissures provide most dramatic stage for our historically designated structures and buildings. 4:30 PM Depart the gardens for Coral Gables. 5:00 PM Enjoy some free time and dinner (at your own expense) in downtown Coral Gabel s Miracle Mile. Downtown Coral Gables Miracle Mile is a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with more than 150 property owners and over 350 merchants including restaurants. Infused with a chic European feel, tree-lined streets and Mediterranean architecture, the historic area boasts some of Miami s finest boutiques, acclaimed restaurants and lively cultural venues. Downtown Coral Gables, with its Miracle Mile, is an elegant and sophisticated destination to shop and play! It is Miami s charming gem that locals like to keep secret and visitors fall in love with when they find it. 8:00 PM After the group will return to the hotel for the evening. 8:15 PM Approximate arrival to the hotel. Wednesday, February 6, :30 AM Depart the hotel for Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Coral Gables. Vizcaya was created as James Deering s subtropical winter home in the 1910s and today it is a National Historic Landmark and accredited museum. We will learn about Vizcaya s fascinating history and the individuals responsible for the unusual estate s origins, evolution and ongoing management. 9:45 AM Arrive at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens for your guided house tour. After Sally and Sylvia will give you an overview of the Vizcaya Gardens. 1:00 PM Depart for lunch at a local seafood restaurant.

3 1:15 PM Arrive for included lunch. Today s choices are: XXXX 2:30 PM Depart the restaurant for Miami Botanical Gardens. Page 3 3:00 PM Welcome to Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, a 2.6 acre urban oasis featuring subtropical plants from all over the world. You will enjoy a tour with Sylvia and Sally of this Miami gem. 5:00 PM Group will return to the hotel for the evening. The rest of the evening will be on your own, there are many options for local dining within a short distance of the hotel. Thursday, February 7, 2019 You will have some free time this morning to relax and recharge! 10:30 AM Depart the hotel for your mid-day Little Havana History and Food Tour. 11:30 AM Taste authentic Cuban cuisine and listen to the stories behind those doing the cooking.learn about spiritual beliefs the community practices including Santeria. Visit a cigar factory, explore Domino Park and The Cuba Ocho Art Museum. 2:00 PM Tour ends. We will meet our motorcoach and depart for Perez Art Museum and Hanging Gardens. 3:00 PM Arrive at Perez Art Museum and Hanging Gardens. Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries. 5:30 PM Tonight we will enjoy a fabulous dinner at Verde. Verde, located in Pérez Art Museum Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, is a modern, casual restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is locally inspired, featuring dishes prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Dinner tonight will be family style. Wine will be served with dinner. 7:30 PM Depart Verde for the hotel. 8:00 PM Approximate arrival back to the hotel for the evening.

4 Page 4 Friday, February 8, :00 AM Meet Sally and Sylvia for a fun day of touring Dade County! 9:45 AM Arrive for your 10am tour of Patch of Heaven Sanctuary. Patch of Heaven Sanctuary is a one of a kind, 20- acre private estate located in the Redland area of Miami-Dade County. This unique venue encompasses tropical hammock forest, pine rock-land, exotic gardens and historic structures. 11:45 AM Depart the sanctuary for a quick bite to eat on the Dixie Highway strip (at your own expense). 1:15 PM Arrive at the R.F. Orchids Plant Shop. Here you will be able to view and purchase (they can be shipped) different orchid and plants. 2:00 PM Depart the shop for the Biltmore Hotel. 2:30 PM Arrive at Miami s luxurious Biltmore Hotel. The hotel was designed by Schultze and Weaver and was built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick as part of the Biltmore hotel chain and when completed was the tallest building in Florida at 315 feet. The guided tour highlights the architecture, history and culture of the beautiful hotel, as well as background of the city of Coral Gables and some surprising facts that are not widely known. 4:00 PM Depart the hotel for South Beach! 5:00 PM Tonight you will enjoy some free time on the world famous Miami South Beach! Sally and Sylvia will give you options to enjoy. 8:00 PM Depart South Beach for the hotel. 9:00 PM Arrive back to the hotel for the evening. Saturday, February 9, 2019 This morning due to an early departure the hotel will prepare breakfast to-go backs for each person to take on the bus. 7:15 AM This morning we will have an early departure to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. 8:45 AM Approximate arrival to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Here we will board the Spirit of Pennekamp. 9:15 AM Enjoy a unique glimpse into the serene undersea world in style and comfort. At 65 feet in length, this highspeed catamaran is capable of transporting up to 130 passengers to the various nautical destinations of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The itinerary includes a number of shallow reefs teeming with wildlife.

5 11:45 AM Tour ends and we will do a quick comfort break before we depart for lunch. 12:15 PM Arrive at the Islamorada Fish Company, here you will have variety lunch options (At your own expense) 2:00 PM Depart for the hotel with a stop at the world famous shop Robert is Here. 4:30 PM Arrive back to the hotel for time to refresh and change for our final dinner together this evening. 6:00 PM Meet the group in the lobby to depart for dinner. 6:30 PM Dinner at Ortanique on the Mile known for their Caribbean fine dining tonight s dinner will be a memorable one. Wine will be included with dinner tonight. After we will say goodbye to our good friend and host Sylvia Gordon. 8:30 PM Depart back to hotel. 8:45 PM Approximate arrival back to the hotel. Page 5 Sunday, February 10, 2019 Enjoy some free time to pack this morning before our mid-day departure. 11:30 AM The motorcoach will depart the hotel for the Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. Group will check in with JetBlue Airlines upon arrival to the airport. 12:30 PM Approximate arrival to the airport. You will be able to have lunch (at your own expense) once we have cleared security. 2:49 PM JetBlue Airlines flight #2466 bound for Buffalo, NY (Non-stop) 5:47 PM Approximate arrival to Buffalo International Airport. END OF TOUR

Welcome! Welcome to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden! We ask that you please read the following rules to your group before you begin your tour.

Garden Explorations Welcome! Welcome to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden! We ask that you please read the following rules to your group before you begin your tour. Stay with your group during your entire