Muck it up

The first time I saw the muck soils of south Florida, I thought I was back in the Midwest. Before my eyes stretched thousands of acres of soil, black as night. The soil got me excited, because it so resembled the black loam of my home state. I was disappointed however, when I got into the field and reached down to take a handful of dirt. It was not cool and moist like I suspected, but brittle and dry.








There are approximately 40,000 acres of muck soil in the Everglades area, and it has been farmed since the early 1900's. To the right is a postcard from 1920 showing fields of muck soil (from the J.S. Wooley photograph collection, University of Miami Libraries, Copyright 2006). The muck soil came from decomposing sawgrass that was exposed when the Everglades were drained. Composed of almost entirely organic matter, it is very rich, and capable of large yields. When you visit vegetable fields in the Everglades (around Belle Glade, for example), you see large-scale agricultural operations that blow your mind.



Thousands of acres of spinach, for example, with perfectly straight rows that stretch right to the horizon. I am used to large corn and soybean fields in the Midwest, which stretch along rolling hills, and are broken up by country roads, windbreaks, and wooded streams. The fields in the Everglades seem vast in comparison, with nothing to break them up besides the occasional irrigation canal.






Sadly, the muck soils are not built to last. The soil is continually lost by contact with air, through an oxidation of the organic matter. They are also prone to being carried away by wind, resulting in large tornado-like swells of soil, called "dust devils". Already in some fields the muck soil is so shallow that the underlying rock is exposed when the fields are tilled. At the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade, there is a concrete post which was driven down flush with the soil line in the 1924. Now it sits above ground about 6 feet, quite a bit of soil to lose in 80 years! (See a photo of it below.)


What will become of the muck soil land when it can no longer be farmed? Ideally it could be turned into Everglades restoration land. But I fear that much of it could be turned over to development, increasing the urban jungle that has laid claim to south Florida.

For more information on muck soil subsidence and future use of muck soil land, read this 2004 report from UF EREC.

Best Pizza--Tutto Pizza/ Tutto Pasta

On a streetcorner on Coral Way, right before the the I-95 overpass, one of the best pizza places in Miami sits inconspicuously under orange awnings. Tutto Pizza and its sister restaurant, Tutto Pasta, have never failed to satisfy me or anyone I have taken there. You can get great appetizers, pasta, pizza, and desserts, all served up by friendly and professional waitstaff. We appreciate not only the food, but the whole dining experience.

I like to sit outside when it's not too hot, but the dining room is equally nice, with comfortable, casual yet elegant decor. For appetizers, my husband and I like the salmon carpaccio, or if you are really hungry, the antipasti plate, which comes with fresh mozzarella, olives, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatos, and several Italian cured meats. It's a great, fresh start to the meal.

The pizza is traditional brick oven pizza, with a nice crispy crust, and innovative toppings. One pie easily satisfies two people. Our favorites are the Quatro Formagio, Popeye (with goat cheese, spinach, and sundried tomatoes), and the Superman (with fresh arugula and prosciutto). You can split your pizza in half so you get two types on one pie. The menu also includes paninis and salads.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I love to end with the hot, gooey-on-the-inside chocolate souffle with an espresso (David prefers the Tiramisu).

We have eaten pasta there a couple of times as well, and the pumpkin ravioli I had were great--just the right balance of salty and sweet.

Both of us can eat a pizza with an appetizer, dessert and espresso for about $60.00, a real bargain for the quality of the food and service. Tutto is one of our favorite restaurants, and we have never been disappointed. I just read on their website that the owner is working on a new bistro, Zucchero, and I can't wait to see what it offers.

Where are the beautiful people?

Travel and Leisure magazine has published their ratings of America's top 25 cities, and surprise, surprise, Miami is included (Des Moines, however, is not). And where does Miami come out on top? For the most attractive (#1) and stylish (#2) people, of course! I have to admit, on a day-to-day basis, the people I see are not taking my breath away. It led me to ponder...where are all the beautiful people?

One of my friends claims they all live in South Beach, which is certainly full of attractive-looking people. The same could be said for most of the city's more affluent hot spots where people go to be seen by other people: Miracle Mile in the Gables, the Grove, Lincoln Mall. Everyone goes there to watch people and to be seen. So we put on our best duds, do our make-up and hair, and hit the town. That's what most tourists see. Maybe that's why we are considered so beautiful. But I can guarantee you that driving home on I-95 in rush hour traffic, beauty is decidedly absent.

And there is a lot of wealth in Miami. So, does wealth make you more attractive? If you have the money to maintain your appearance (go to the salon for a stylish cut and colot, buy the fashionable, well-made clothes that fit well and flatter the body), you definitely have a head start. Do you have to look a little harder and longer to see the attractiveness in less affluent people (which there are plenty of as well in Miami)? I don't know if this is true, but the money and time spent on our appearances suggest a relationship between wealth and so-called "beauty".

What about the culture of Miami? Does it promote an obsession with appearance, and so do Miamians in general do a better job of maintaining their appearance? Probably. In Miami, appearance seems to be everything, and I admit I have started paying more attention to what I wear out now.

I dont' think there is anything inherently wrong with dressing well, and taking pride in how you look. The real problem with Miami culture seems to show up in the areas where Miami citizens ranked low: friendly (#21) and intelligent (#24). If we had beautiful people who were also friendly and intelligent, then we would have a place we could be proud of. The fact that we are missing the most important personality factors suggests a deep hole in the soul of the city.

On the up-side, Miami is a young city, and so may still need to grow up a bit to become a cultural, intellectual place. Time will tell...


I'd like to hear your take on beautiful people...leave a comment!

Before I sign out, since this blog is about a Midwesterner in Miami, let's look at the only midwestern included in the poll, Minneapolis. It ranked high in friendly (#3) and intelligent (#2), as well as in most quality of life and culture categories. I was in Minneapolis in August, and couldn't believe how nice everyone was. I love the city, and recommend it to everyone.

To pick your favorite city, visit Travel and Leisure's pick the favorite.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

This post will begin a monthly series on attractions in the Miami area that you should visit in the winter months, places you can't enjoy in the summer because of the heat. The first place I recommend is the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which is a National Historic Landmark . Vizcaya has something for everyone: history, antiques, a decadent villa, and palatial gardens. I have included pictures of the barge and gardens, but there's no photography allowed inside the mansion.

I visited Vizcaya this April (and it was already hot!), but I was really impressed. I had no idea Miami held such a gem! There are two main attractions at Vizcaya, the mansion and the enormous, beautifully landscaped gardens. You can tour them in any order, although the mansion is nice and cool, so it is a good break if it is hot out.

I personally love any type of historical residence, so I loved meandering through all 34 rooms of the villa, taking in all the marble, the murals, the rich textiles, antique furniture and tapestries. The whole thing was built in the 1910's to look like an old Italian villa. The furnishing and decoration are reminiscent of some of European castles minus the excessive gilding.

I recommend the guided tour of the house, which includes all of the rooms on the lower floor. It meets every half-hour or so in the central courtyard, and takes about 45 minutes. The guide will clue you in to the oldest and most valuable antiques, and all of the history and peculiarities of the house. James Deering really spared no expense in building and decorating this estate. There are beautiful views from the house of both the gardens and the bay. The top floor with all of the bedrooms (each with a different theme) is open to tour on your own. Vizcaya mansion holds one of the largest antique collections in the country. Some of my favorites in the Vizcaya mansion were the music room with a muraled harpsichord, the breakfast room, with a two-walled seascape mural and Asian decor, and the luxuriantly silky "Espagnolette" guest room (click here to see photos of these rooms and more).


The gardens at Vizcaya were reminiscent of Linderhoff castle, with the mansion opposite of a large hill ('The Mound'), with a grand pool in between. The gardens are like visitng another house all together, linked together as a series of 'rooms', including a 'Secret Garden' and the 'Maze Garden'. Aside from the magnificent landscaping, there are sculptures and lots of neat little accents, like coral rock planting baskets and shell murals. It seems everywhere you look stands a whimsical statue, and around every bend lies a romantic corner. Very inspiring. They are expanding their restoration of the gardens, and also of the surrounding buidling that were the Vizcaya's 'village', including a dairy and blacksmith shop. With all these improvements, Vizcaya can just get better.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is one of my favorite places I have visited in Miami...it provides a serene and majestic break from the hustle and bustle of the city, beyond the beaches and nightclubs. When you're at Vizcaya, it's easy to imagine you yourself are a wealthy early 20th century industrialist.

For more information on visiting Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, click here .

An introduction to Miami

This is the story of a Midwesterner in Miami.

So how did a girl like me get to Miami? I never saw myself living in a big city, I never yearned for the glitz and glamour, the fastness of a place like Miami. What I did want to do was study tropical fruits, and so that's what brought me here, to do my doctorate research.

I have been here for almost two years now, and I am beginning to be able to see some of the good of the city, although the bad is always still there. Let's go through some of my impressions of Miami:

The weather. A lot of people come here specifically for the weather. The winters are beautiful, the summers are hot! (and I think the heat makes people even more crazy). I love waking up to the sunshine almost every day.

The people. Anytime you have this many people in a small area, everyone gets a little nuts. Of course the Latin influence is very strong here, and can be overwhelming if you can't learn to embrace it (I'm working on that right now). My friend Robert loves it here, because he says it is like living in another country. Being from the Midwest, where people are painfully polite, Miamians are too pushy and rude. I am seeing first hand the metropolitan epidemic of self absorption, and it ain't pretty. But on the flip side, there is a vibrant energy here, mostly due to people's zest for life.


The food. It's great. Sure, there are about a billion Cuban restaurants (many of them very good), but if you want other type of cuisine you can definitely find it. One of my favorite activities is enjoying a good meal, and Miami has plenty of those. There are great Argentinian grills, Italian pizzerias, and heavenly gelato.


The sights. Everyone thinks of the beach when they think of Miami. In my opinion, the beaches on the gulf and up near Jacksonville are prettier. But if you want to watch people, you'll have a feast for the eyes on Miami beach. You never know what you'll see when strolling along the Boardwalk or Lincoln Mall. The drawback to living in Miami instead of vacationing on the beach is that you have to drive a while to get there. So you end up going not so often. There are plenty of other great places to visit: Vizcaya, FairchildTropical Gardens, the Redlands, Bayside, the Everglades, the Keys, and plenty of others that I haven't gotten to visit yet.


The traffic. Horrific. I am lucky that I commute against the traffic every day. I can't imagine driving downtown everyday for work. Gridlocked traffic and hot tempers abound. Even without traffic jams, it is kind of like being in one of those Driver's Ed simulators all the time. Within a fifteen minute drive, you may have several people cut you off, several others will honk at you for no apparent reason, a few pedestrians or bicycles will run out in front of you, and you will almost get side-swipe by an SUV that is mysteriously drifting into your lane. If you can, walk!




The lifestyle. I have some problems with the general worldview in Miami. Of course, Miami is a big city, and there is the diversity of lifestyles and opinions. But my overall impression is that Miami lives up to its glitzy reputation to the detriment of the city as a whole. Image is everything, from the car you drive to the clothes you wear. It all seems pretty empty to me, and the "me" attitude here is unhealthy for the sustainability of the city. People live outside their means to maintain the appearance of wealth.




These are my general impressions of Miami. And while my heart still longs for the Midwest, I want to use this blog to investigate what else this strange place has to offer, to try and improve my experience here and see what I can take away from it.