Homestead: Coral Castle and Fruit and Spice Park

Homestead, in southern Miami-Dade County, Florida, is about 30 miles (48 km) south-west of Miami and combines two unusual attractions with the farm country at the edge of the Everglades. The drive takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes via the Florida Turnpike or US-1. Metrobus Route 38 Busway MAX runs from Dadeland South Metrorail station for $2.25, but takes about 1.5 hours, so most visitors rent a car. Coral Castle, at 28655 S Dixie Hwy, is a landmark of oolitic limestone sculpture carved and assembled by Latvian immigrant Edward Leedskalnin in the early 20th century, including a 9-ton gate that pivots on a central rod, a sundial, a heart-shaped table and a moon-shaped fountain. Admission is $25 per adult and $10 for children aged 5 to 12. Nearby, the Fruit and Spice Park, a county-run 37-acre botanical garden, grows more than 500 varieties of tropical and subtropical fruit, nuts and spices, with a walk-through grove, samples when fruit is in season, and a cafe selling tropical-fruit milkshakes. Admission is $15 per adult and $8 for children aged 6 to 11. A typical day starts with a morning departure from Miami, a visit to Coral Castle before the heat peaks, lunch at Homestead's Cuban, Mexican or farm-stand restaurants, and an afternoon at the Fruit and Spice Park. Many visitors continue to a roadside stand for fresh mamey, lychee or key lime juice. November to May is the most comfortable period for walking, although summer is the peak for fruit such as mango and lychee. The Coral Castle phone number is 305-248-6345. Combining this trip with Biscayne National Park makes a fuller day.