Coconut Grove welcomes First High-End Cuban Dining Fare: OCA

“OCA” The Grove’s soon-to-be first and only full-blown Cuban restaurant with full bar in the area. Courtesy: Florida Insider- Photo taken by William Prego It has been a difficult year for restaurant owners nationwide, especially in places like South Florida, where rent is well above the national average. But diamonds are created in the rough,

The end of an era: Greyhound dog Racing in Florida ends this week due to a 2018 Amendment passage

Greyhound racing – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image By Manfred Ruckszio Out with the old, in with the new. In the November 2018 Florida Primary Election, voters vigorously voted to pass Amendment 13, a vote that would ultimately ban greyhound racing across the state by 2020’s end.  Since the vote, ten tracks in Florida have suspended their

Duck’s Nest, Palm Beach’s second-oldest home earns Robert I. Ballinger Award

Duck’s Nest Palm Beach. Courtesy: Brantley Photography – Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach As with many things this year, the annual Robert I. Ballinger Award ceremony hosted by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The nonprofit foundation was slated to host its 32nd annual awards presentation luncheon at

Explore Florida’s Cultural Capital® Art Scene: The Palm Beaches

DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, USA – AUGUST 7, 2018: Lake at the Morikami Japanese Gardens with wooden bridge in foreground Courtesy: Shutterstock-Photo By Holly Guerrio With the holiday season well underway, Yuletide cheer and caroling is abound; and in South Florida it signals the pivotal restart of cultural and artistic happenings and events in The Palm Beaches,

Is Florida the Grinch of Christmas? One Study shows Florida Ranks Last in Christmas Spirit

Courtesy: GetCenturyLink graphic detailing U.S. states’ Christmas Spirit With the holiday season in full effect and Christmas just around the corner, holiday cheer is a certainty. But according to the third annual GetCenturyLink state Christmas Spirit rankings, Florida is the Grinch. According to the study, Florida is so anti-Christmas spirit that the dog from the

Christmas and Celebration Florida: Cities with best Holiday-themed monikers

Welcome to Christmas, Florida Sign. Courtesy: Florida Backroads Travel As we turn into the final stretch of 2020, Christmas is in sight, and holiday carols are being sung. In the spirit of the holiday season, our Florida spotlight is on two small census-designated towns in Central Florida. Christmas and Celebration, Florida. Located in Orange and

Sights Spotlight: Coral Castle Museum, the Taj Mahal of Florida

Edward Leedskalnin next to a segment of Coral Castle. Courtesy: Coral Castle Museum website Nestled in an unincorporated portion of Miami-Dade County between Leisure City and Homestead lies a vast collection of hand-carved, multi-ton, megalithic coral structures.  Recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, Coral Castle is a bit of a mystery,

Hurricane Season Has Come To An End—Should Florida Consider Itself Lucky?

Courtesy: Image by David Mark from Pixabay Florida. We did it. The extremely busy 2020 Atlantic hurricane season will officially come to a close today, November 30. Meaning the season for perfect storm conditions spanning the Atlantic and lower Caribbean waters does not have to be revisited until June 1, 2021. That’s not to say

Thanksgiving Week: Florida’s Most Popular Side Dish May Not Be What You’d Think

Homemade Roasted Thanksgiving Day Turkey with all the Sides. Courtesy: Shutterstock – Photo By Brent Hofacker Thanksgiving. The one day in the year where you don’t have to make an excuse to go in for another plate at the dinner table. Heaping piles of mash potatoes and gravy, turkey, stuffing, rice and beans, cornbread, apple pie,

Did America’s First Thanksgiving Actually Happen In Florida And Not Plymouth Rock?

First Thanksgiving depiction—Courtesy: State Archives of Florida/Florida Memory Leave it to Florida to somehow be connected to everything. For years, it has been thought and taught in many schools that the first Thanksgiving gathering and feast was held between the Pilgrims and resident Indian Wampanoag tribe of New England at Plymouth Rock in 1621. Some