Miami Backyard Traveler: Biscayne Bay to the Everglades

My beau and I spent a lazy Easter Sunday driving around South Miami-Dade County while enjoying the area's natural attractions and agricultural bounty. We covered Thalatta Estate in Palmetto Bay, Biscayne National Park, Card Sound Road, Florida City, the Redland and Chekika at Everglades National Park.

A HEAVENLY MILKSHAKE

Is it worth traveling an hour for a milkshake? For #vicequeenkitchen, it certainly is.

A highlight of any excursion to South Miami-Dade is a stop at Robert is Here, a fruit stand the now famous Robert began when he was just six years old in 1959 to sell his father's cucumber crop. The place is a cook's dream, filled with fresh produce, local handcrafted jams, dressings and more for the pantry. I stocked up on banana bread after the beau and I slurped on a luscious, creamy strawberry milkshake and munched on spicy boiled peanuts.

I asked Robert for a smile as he was slicing mangoes for customers to sample. "Better yet, come behind the counter and have him take a photo of you with me," he said.

I hadn't been here in ages. There was a line 50 people deep this Easter Sunday waiting for his world renown milkshakes. I remenber stopping here in the 90s on the way back from day-long fishing trips in the Everglades. The lines were shorter then. Way shorter.

"Did you ever think it'd get like this?" I asked. He smiled again. "The computer exploded. I'm just a guy working."

Humble. Maybe that's why that damn shake is so good.

And worth the wait.

Love hyperlocal Miami stories and Florida travel? Got questions? Follow me on Twitter @vicequeenmaria.

Here are some #lovefl tweets from our South Dade excursion.