miami fav #114 / oleta
oleta park is like narnia. you’re in south florida, sitting in traffic, and then boom. you take a quick turn and end up someplace that cannot actually exist where it is located. therefore, it must be otherworldly. well, until you encounter the mosquitos, and then you realize: no, i’m definitely still in florida. regardless, this place is beautiful. in a city full of beaches (which i love) this is like a hiker/biker’s oasis. oleta has over 15 miles of mountain-bike trails. i don’t have a mountain-bike, but that didn’t stop me. my teal beach-bike and i rocked it. i mean, we mainly stayed on the novice trails, but we killed it. and my seat might be bent a little more to the left than i would like it to be, but i’ll settle for that versus broken bones. which did seem possible at one point. but let’s ignore that for now. i found oleta so refreshing. trails lined with trees you don’t ever normally see in miami - like the exotic melaleuca and brazilian pepper trees (not that i’m saying exotic trees that take over our wetlands are good; but they’re there, and for now, they’re pretty). and the sounds of birds (not seagulls). and the feeling that you’re actually breathing in fresh air (i.e. not being surrounded by car fumes). and doing something active and getting dirty while doing it. who doesn’t love that feeling? and after you’re done, you can still get a little taste of the real miami. they have a little beach where you can lay and swim and even barbecue. i really liked it here. and i really appreciate knowing that such a diverse setting is so close-by. diversity is a real reason why i love miami so much. we’ll never get bored here. and that makes it a true paradise.
