The Barnacle Historic State Park (Coconut Grove)
June 2, 2008: The Barnacle Historic State Park, in the heart of Coconut Grove, offers a lovely view of Biscayne Bay and of Old Florida. This beautiful house with a whimsical name dates to a quieter time. The Barnacle, built in 1891, offers a glimpse of Old Florida during The Era of the Bay. Situated on the shore of Biscayne Bay, this was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove´s most charming and influential pioneers. Munroe's principal passion was designing yachts. In his lifetime, he drew plans for 56 different boats. As a seaman, civic activist, naturalist, and photographer, Commodore Munroe was a man who cherished the natural world around him.
A walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. For the curious, the word hammock may be traced to an American Indian word Hamaca, which means a shady place. Pretty sure you wanted to know that :) In the 1920s, it was representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today, it is one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock.
Read MoreA walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. For the curious, the word hammock may be traced to an American Indian word Hamaca, which means a shady place. Pretty sure you wanted to know that :) In the 1920s, it was representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today, it is one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock.