Robert Is Here

After visiting R.F. Orchids on Sunday, El Sosio and I proceeded to Robert Is Here.

Robert Is Here was established in 1960 by a man named Robert. When he was just a young boy his father sent him on his way with a couple of fruits and orders to sell all of them. After a failed attempt, his father sent him out the following day and placed signs around him that read "Robert Is Here." That day he sold all of the fruits he had on sale, and the catchy name "Robert Is Here" was born for the famous produce spot.

Robert Is Here sell different fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade jellies, hot sauces, juices and snacks. When first approaching you may notice the long lines which is all for their famous and delicious fruit milk shakes. The produce stand has attracted much of the media throughout the years, and was nominated the Best Farmers Market in 2006. At the back of the store they have a farm with animals and benches for seating. Both locals and tourist come to visit.

Here are my favorite photos of our visit.







Celebrating their 49th anniversary this year!

On the weekends their is live entertainment. I didn't catch his name but he was pretty good with his guitar and harmonica.


Roberto!

I had the Mamey milk shake and El Sosio had the Strawberry Mango. Both were fresh and delicious!





Gobble Gobble!

R.F. Orchids

R.F. Orchids is home to a diverse species of orchids. The nursery is a beautiful tropical garden where all types of orchids are sold to the public. Located in Homestead and part of the Redlands, these tropical plants can range from $10-125 dollars, the most expensive being the rare orchid. The nursery is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. They offer private tours of their gardens, on Saturday and Sunday only at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and is located at 28100 SW 182 Avenue, Homestead FL 33030.

This past Sunday, El Sosio and I headed to the Redlands to visit R.F. Orchids. We were taken back by the beauty that these plants have to offer. There were so many breeds of orchids that neither one of us had seen before which left us in awe. If I wasn't short on money, I would've walked out of there with more than one orchid. Some orchids were on sale for a very reasonable price considering the health and size. Way better quality and price than Home Depot or Lowe's has to offer.





As soon as we walked in an employee greeted us with lemonade.






The table in the back had a sale on orchids. Only $15 and as you can tell they are huge!

I wanted these really bad! They are rare spider orchids that can grow 2-3 feet tall.


Orchids are placed on barks of tree to resemble nature for them.







This orchid is cross pollinated.





While roaming around the nursery we noticed some orchids had what looked like feathers or blown cotton on them. This is the plant causing that, which is found in the gardens. Part of the Ceiba family, aslo known as silk cotton tree.


I apologize for overwhelming with the amount of photos but I simply could not stop taking pictures. Like I said, it truly is a beautiful place, even for the non orchid lovers.

Deals around town

Listen up savage beast of freebies/deals. There are a couple of great deals being offered around town so take advantage of them.

Arby's: Buy a drink and get a free Roastburger sandwich. The deal is good only through March 9, so hurry up. For the coupon copy and paste this to your internet search bar. http://arbys.fbmta.com/members/ViewMailing.aspx?MailingID=27917289331

Bank of America account holders: Show your Bank of America credit or debit card and you can get into Museums around town and other U.S. cities for free this weekend March 7 & 8, April 4 & 5. Participating museums include, Morikami Museum at Delray Beach, Museum of Discovery & Science and Museum of Art in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Art Museum, Miami Childrens Museum, Miami Science Museum, and Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, South Florida Science Museum in West Palm Beach. http://promotions.bankofamerica.com/museums/

Starbucks: They're offering a pairing deal for $3.95. Offers include, tall brewed coffee with a choice of one of either an artisan bacon sandwich, artisan ham sandwich,reduced-fat turkey bacon sandwich, sausage sandwich OR tall caffee latte with reduced-fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake, or perfect oatmeal. This offer is only for a limited time and is not included at Barnes and Noble. http://www.starbucks.com/retail/new-in-stores.asp

Jamba Juice: JJ is introducing their new oatmeal made with organic oats with a "Jamba Economic Boost" offering the oatmeal for a $1 up until March 31. Here's the coupon: http://www.oatmealforabuck.com/couponfb.aspx

For more promotions and freebies visit miamiflonthecheap.com

What to do this weekend

There's no excuse for not having anything to do this weekend, as there are lots of events happening around town and for FREE!

Carnaval on the Mile is running all weekend long (March 6-8). Free! Family friendly. Beginning Friday the carnaval will kick off a concert at Ponce Circle Park, starting at 6p.m.-11p.m I suggest you check out a band called Conjunto Progresso which will go on stage at 8 p.m. These guys play a mix of Cuban, latin jazz, and sing in Spanish. On the site you can find all information, including entertainment lineup for the bands: http://www.carnavalmiami.com/home.html

Saturday the Carnaval opens at 10 a.m.-midnight. Again the event is FREE and will feature numerous stages with different artist going on at different times. There will be plenty of art/artists, music, and food. Some of the bands I suggest for all of you are: Afrobeta (3:15 p.m.) and Suenalo (7 p.m.) going on at the Lejeune stage, and Locos Por Juana (9 p.m.) at the North Main Stage.

The carnaval goes on until Sunday, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. If you can’t check out the bands Saturday, make sure to check out Suenalo at 4:30 pm. And Locos Por Juana at 7:10 p.m.

Suenalo at Jazid: Suenalo will be performing at Jazid on Saturday, starting at 11 p.m. These guys are a very talented group of musicians that play a mix of Dominican hip-hop, rumba, Cuban sumba, and American funk. The lead singer signs in both Spanish and English. Believe me, these guys will have you on the dance floor in no time and they really know how to put on a show. Definitely one of the local bands to see live in Miami. Cover is probably $10 and drink specials are $4 kamikazes and lemondrops. I.D. needed for entrance. More info: http://jazid.net/#saturdays

Sunday: The Antique Market is going on at Lincoln Road Mall in Sobe. Free event. Pet friendly. Beginning at 10 a.m. If you’re buying something from vendors then it will cost you. There will be lots of vendors selling different antique materials. The farmer’s market is probably open and will feature different fruits, vegetables, and flowers for sale. And for lunch, there are plenty of restaurants along Lincoln. I suggest Van Dyke Café. For more info: http://antiquecollectiblemarket.com/

I hope all of you attend an event! Feel free to share your experiences on here too.

Intruder

This little guy showed up in our yard 2 weeks ago and who knows how long he's been around without being discovered. He's been living off the grass and carrotts we feed him. After being around us for a few days, he's already getting use to us, sitting/running right by us and eating from our hands. Hopefully another animal won't eat him for dinner. He's right on time for Easter, too.

Shark Valley

Warning: Before you go on reading, promise me if any of you ever visit Shark Valley you will either take the Tram Tour or do it on bike. Do not walk because it certainly is not for the weak.

Shark Valley is on US Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) and 25 miles West of the Florida Turnpike. The park is part of the Everglades National Park, which has been open since 1983. The staff at Shark Valley offer educational tours through tram tours, bicycle, or on foot. However, the whole trail is 15 miles long with a tower at the end of it that offers spectacular views of the Everglades, so if you haven't been trained or know that you can walk 15 miles, opt for biking. And if your one that loves being really close (sometimes 10 feet or less away) to wildlife animals then this is an adventure for you. There's an entrance fee of $10.00 per car, Tram tours are about $20.00 per person, and bike rentals are $7 per hour.

Some friends and I ventured to Shark Valley this past weekend in exploration of wild life, alligators, and a nice time with each other. Although, we were unaware of what we were getting ourselves into. See, we overestimated our distance walking capabilities, ditched the bikes, and as a result unfortunately did not complete the 15 mile loop. Either way we had a great time, saw lots of alligators, and got some great shots. Here are some I took: