Vizcaya: Escape and European Influence in Miami, Florida

Vizcaya is a gorgeous gem in Miami, Florida. The website - http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/ - states: "built by agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens features a Main House, ten acres of formal gardens, and a rockland hammock (native forest)...The house was intended to appear as an Italian estate that had stood for 400 years and had been occupied and renovated by several generations of a family.  It has 34 decorated rooms with 15th through 19th century antique furnishings and art objects...The expansive gardens combine elements of Renaissance Italian and French designs." Pretty cool, huh?

[click on image to view larger]

I live an hour away and felt transported, as if I had taken a plane overseas to Europe and arrived at a waterside villa. There were also moments, when the mangroves were in sight and I was quite aware that I was in Florida.  Truly well done.

The interior of the house was quite interesting and pretty, but I loved being out in the gardens and wandering the grounds.

This painting is on a ceiling of one of the structures in the gardens. Someone has a great sense of humor.

Definitely click on this image to view it larger. It's another structure in the gardens that fascinated me.

The gardens had plenty of fountains adding to the beauty of the experience.

When you're done exploring, or even if you prefer a break, there is a fantastic cafe on site.  The food was reasonably priced and good and there was plenty of variety.  The sorbet was my favorite. If I recall correctly, it was blueberry.

What places near where you live do you like to escape to?