Island sights in Miami
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Pelican Island
Head south towards Vero Beach to see the nation's very first wildlife refuge, Pelican Island, designated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. Nesting season is from late November to late July. Although the island is closed off to us featherless types, you can get close enough to witness the avian action from the observation tower or on a kayak tour (around $50 per paddler).
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B
Brickell Key
Brickell Key looks like a floating porcupine with condos for quills, and is worth visiting to get a scary glimpse of a world where real-estate barons rule unopposed. To live the life of Miami glitterati, come here, pretend you belong, and head into a patrician hangout like the Mandarin Oriental Miami hotel, where the lobby and intimate lounges afford sweeping views of Biscayne Bay.
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Brickell Avenue Bridge & Brickell Key
Crossing the Miami River, the lovely Brickell Avenue Bridge between SE 4th St and SE 5th St was made wider and higher several years ago, which was convenient for the speedboat-driving drug runners being chased by Drug Enforcement Administration agents on the day of the bridge's grand reopening! Note the 17ft bronze statue by Cuban-born sculptor Manuel Carbonell of a Tequesta warrior and his family, which sits atop the towering Pillar of History column. Walking here is the best way to get a sense of the sculptures and will allow you to avoid one of the most confusing traffic patterns in Miami. Brickell Key looks more like a floating porcupine with glass towers for quills…
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C
Fisher Island
One day Carl Fisher purchased this little island and planned on dying here. But as is wont to happen, the millionaire got bored. When William K Vanderbilt II fell in love with the place, Fisher traded the island for Vanderbilt's 250ft yacht and its crew. Things were like that in those days. Vanderbilt proceeded to build a splendiferous Spanish-Mediterranean-style mansion, with guest houses, studios, tennis courts and a golf course.
Today, this exclusive resort is accessible only by air and private ferry. The condominiums that line the mile-long private beach range from $1-million hovels to a $7-million-plus pad President Bill Clinton once borrowed. It's said the sun…
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