Digging up the history of Miami’s exclusive Fisher Island

Fisher Island – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by FloridaStock A few months ago, we covered a Bloomberg Wealth Report highlighting the country’s wealthiest zip codes. Coming in at number one on that list was the historic private barrier island of Fisher Island off Miami Beach.  With an estimated average resident income of $2.2 million in

FBI Agents remembered for their service with separate ceremonies in South Florida

Courtesy: CNN Last week Tuesday, a dark day in law enforcement fell upon the state of Florida and the United States. One of the deadliest Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cases took place in a South Florida home in the city of Sunrise in Broward County. Two FBI agents, Daniel Alfin, 36, and Laura Schwartzenberger,

Central Florida time capsule buried in 1995 gets opened 25 years later—here were its predictions for 2020

Orange County Courthouse capsule in 1995 Courtesy: Orlando Sentinel A time capsule buried at an Orange County Courthouse in 1995 was opened yesterday, Feb 2— 25 years later, and in it came some predictions for 2020… 25 years ago, construction on the Orange County Courthouse was completed: fast forward to today, Orange County Mayor Jerry

Watson Island’s Jungle Island attraction set to get extreme facelift in contemporary resort expansion

Rendering of new Jungle Island resort and hotel – Courtesy: EoA Group One of Florida’s largest eco-adventure attractions is about to go from 0-100 over the course of the next few years thanks to a slate of resort and attraction additions on the roughly 18.5-acre plot overlooking Biscayne Bay. Jungle Island, as it is known

Florida is staying cool—Rivaling La Niña typical seasons

Young girl sitting in front of the fireplace and holding cup of tea in hand on legs and warming. Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Emmily Who would’ve thought Florida’s record-breaking warm 2020 weather would crumble in the final month of December? Probably no one. Thanks to a few consecutive cold fronts towards the end of

Miami’s Historic Hampton House: An iconic segregation-era Motel

Muhammad Ali pictured at Hampton House after Sonny Liston fight 1964 – Courtesy: historichamptonhouse.org As the nation approaches Black History Month and celebrates the lives of the African-American community, beginning with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan 18., Florida Insider is here to detail an iconic gathering place in the African-American community that

Florida’s Lighthouses and Our List of the Ones You Should Visit on your Next Trip

Courtesy: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park | Florida State Parks Occupying thousands of miles of coastline, it’s no surprise that the Sunshine State is home to some of the coolest lighthouses in the nation! Florida comes in at number seven in the U.S., with over 25 lighthouses across the state on and offshore.  Lighthouses were

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

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,

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