Before exploring the Everglades National Park’s 1.5 million acres, start at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center in Homestead. The center, situated west of the city’s downtown, has brochures, orientation films and a bookstore; don’t forget to pick up bug spray while there. Head 18 miles to the Chekika Day Use Area for a picnic and a bike ride. This section of the park is open from December through April. The 172,000-acre Biscayne National Park, located east of Homestead, is known for its boating, snorkeling and scuba diving, not surprising given that 95% of the park is composed of water. Take note, however, that the park's Elliott Key Harbor and campground has been closed indefinitely (as of August 2013) because of damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy.
You probably won’t want to leave South Florida without spotting an alligator. To that end, the Everglades Alligator Farm lets you get up close and personal with these creatures. You’ll see a feeding show, learn how Native Americans captured alligators, and you'll even be able to take a picture with a baby alligator. You can also wow your friends by having a photo taken of yourself holding a snake following the farm's snake show. A highlight of a visit to the farm is an airboat tour through the nearby Everglades. For additional exotic animals, visit the Monkey Jungle, located nine miles northeast of Homestead in Miami. The 30-acre site showcases primates and an Amazonian rainforest habitat.
A broken heart inspired Edward Leedskalnin to create a stone sculpture garden now called the Coral Castle Museum. According to the museum’s website, Leedskalnin carved these structures after he moved to Homestead from his native Latvia in order to commemorate a lost love. The garden, built from 1923 to 1951, includes a fountain, pieces of furniture and other shapes meticulously crafted from coral rock. The Fruit and Spice Park provides a pick-me-up with the fresh fruit found in its tropical botanical garden. You can take a guided tour of the park's grounds and sample the fresh bananas, mangoes and other fruit at a tasting counter.
Every year in mid-November, the Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts the Ford Championship Weekend, NASCAR’s equivalent of the Super Bowl. The weekend features the season’s final races for the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. The track also has a full slate of racing throughout the year, including amateur racing events held on Friday nights called Speedway T-n-T. For a different kind of riding event, check out the Homestead Championship Rodeo in late January at Doc’s DeMilly Rodeo Arena. The annual three-day event, which started in 1949, includes a downtown parade through the city.
