DK Travel : Miami : History & Culture

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Santería and Vodou Botánicas

South Florida at its most darkly exotic. The botánicas (shops) carry all sorts of magic potions and power objects used in the practice of the hybrid religions of Santería and Vodou (voodoo) – a little Roman Catholicism mixed with a lot of ancient West African ritual and belief (see Santería (mystical belief system)).
South Beach Lifeguard Huts

In all the world, it is unlikely that you’ll find any lifeguard huts so aesthetically pleasing as these Deco-style delights (see Beach Patrol Stations).
Stiltsville, Key Biscayne

Drive to the southernmost tip of Key Biscayne, look way out on the water, and you’ll spy six lonesome structures built on stilts. These fishermen’s bungalows are the last of what was once quite a community. Their number has dwindled considerably due to hurricanes and legal squabbles.
Stranahan House

Fort Lauderdale’s oldest house, built originally in 1901 as a trading post for the Seminoles. The handsome two-story riverside house is furnished with period antiques, but it is the photos that best evoke the past, such as Stranahan trading alligator hides, otter pelts, and egret plumes with the local Seminoles. Such prizes were brought in from the Everglades in dugout canoes.
The Barnacle

Built in 1891, this is Dade County’s oldest house, which cleverly uses ship-building techniques to make it storm proof as well as comfortable (without the use of air-conditioning) in Florida’s steamy climate (see Barnacle State Historic Site).
The Deering Brothers

James and Charles built homes that are now major attractions (see Charles Deering Estate).
Versace’s Murder

Andrew Cunanan shot the fashion magnate on his front steps on July 15, 1997.
Vizcaya

James Deering’s opulent monument celebrating Western civilization and its rich artistic traditions has become Miami’s most beloved social and cultural center (see Villa Vizcaya).
William Brickell

One of the first men to take advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862.
“The Garden of Eden,” Key West

Devoted nudists can find an appreciative milieu in this bar (see The Bull), as they can within the walls and gardens of many guesthouses around town.