Tag Archives: bikes

George Merrick and his Castles of Spain

Florida is relatively a young place! It took foreign powers much longer to settle this land due to its vast wilderness and tribal peoples. When it was such that much of the wilderness was cleared away and the railroads were established all the way down to Key West, it was much easier for people to settle the land.

In October 1915, a man by the name of George Merrick was appointed to aid in the building of roads in South Florida, including major roads that later would connect to his most famous endeavor – a well-planned community named Coral Gables in Miami Dade county (one of the first planned communities in the country, in fact). Famous roads like South Dixie Highway (which is also known as US-1 and is the longest North to South road in the country), Tamiami Trail (which connects across the Everglades) among others.

Merrick’s fame comes from the planning and building of Coral Gables, however. He had a passion for aesthetics so he hired many well known architects of the day as well as landscape architects to help him carry out his vision of broad, tree-lined streets with major Spanish influences. “In a 1925 interview with the New York Times, Merrick commented: ‘Just how I came to utilize the Spanish type of architecture in Coral Gables, I can hardly say, except that it always seemed to me to be the only way houses should be built down there in those tropical surroundings.”‘

At only 6 miles away from our location at Bayside Marketplace, Coral Gables is definitely worth a ride over if you’re visiting Miami.

Charles Deering Estate

VIsit the Charles Deering Estate on bike!

VIsit the Charles Deering Estate on bike! (Photo from SouthFloridaFinds.com)

Located in Palmetto Bay, Fl (in the southern edges of Miami Dade County), one will find a surprising addition to the National Register of Historic Places. That’s right! In a city that is only about 121 years old, stands the Charles Deering Estate which was built by the Richmond family which opened it as an Inn. In 1901, it was known as the southern-most hostelry in the country. One of the earliest registers of the inn included names such as Henry Flagler and James Ingrahm, both of whom went on to pave the way for future settlers in South Florida – Henry Flager especially, known as he is for having built the Gold Coast Railroad down the length of the state at the end of the 19th century.

Charles Deering bought the cottage and moved into it in 1922. As per the attraction’s website, it is a 444-acre “environment, archaeological, and historic preserve” which makes up the largest virgin coastal hardwood hammock in the continental US.

The estate also includes what is perhaps the oldest burial mound in the country as well, with about 12-18 Native American burials; it’s been disturbed repeatedly in the last century or so but luckily the State of Florida acquired it and added it to the Charles Deering Estate Park.

All-in-all, a totally surprising – and refreshing – taste of history in southern Florida that most tourists would be delighted and encouraged to check out!

Multitasking Wednesday: Try out your Spanish while you read up on our bike tours

Hooray! Congratulations Bike and Roll! We’ve gone international! Our friends in Argentina over at Miami Chic – Solo Para Nosotras have written about our coveted Miami Beach Bike Tour!

Ale Velardo at Miami Chic has written various articles on Miami Beach and the different activities you can find, like visiting the farmer’s market and antique market on Lincoln Road each Sunday, going to the more historic Coconut Grove, spending some time at any one of the various chic outdoor malls in the area as well, and of course, best for last: taking a tour of Miami Beach on our wonderful bicycles.

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Discovering Key Biscayne

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Most people visit us to tour Miami Beach, but what so many people don’t know is that there are
great rides outside of the city too!

Miami is the epicenter, but surrounding us are all these other sweet little hidden gems most Miami visitors seldom see; a key example of this is that of Key Biscayne. Bike and Roll has you covered! That’s why we are one of the few bike rental companies in Miami that actually offers guided and self guided bike tours of Key Biscayne.

Oh? You’ve never heard of Key Biscayne?/

Maybe you’ve never heard of the Sony Open either (it’s one of the largest high-profile sports event and sells out each March).

Maybe you’ve heard of Richard Nixon? Our former president used to vacation on Key
Biscayne on what used to be a coconut plantation which used to have over 76,000 palms on its
estate.

Maybe the best reason to decide to bike to Key Biscayne, whether it be with one of our fantastic
Miami know-it-all guides or with some of our rental bikes on a self-guided tour is for the
stunning views and the beautiful lighthouse (the Cape Florida Lighthouse).

Key Biscayne also boasts one of the top 10 beaches in the country! Pack up your towel, come by,
Bike and Roll Miami will take are of you. Call us now to book or inquire about our other bike and Segway tours: (305)-604-0001!