South Florida: Redland Riot Rallye

Posted on January 20, 2014 By KFBuchsbaum

The “Greeter” at The Aviary, in Cauley Square Historic Village where the Rallye fun began.

Beautiful orchids, incredible variety, great prices (and more) at RF Orchids.

We love road rallies and this week we experienced one of the best. Robert Burr (of Burr’s Berry Farm fame), puts on a fun-filled day through the countryside of south Miami-Dade County. It’s a trip back in history as well as a peek into the wonderful locally grown and produced treasures of the area.

Even though our group was pretty familiar with the area we came away with some new experiences and some new favorites places to return.

The route started at charming, quaint Cauley Square (where the Tea Room is a long-time personal favorite) to register and pick-up our clue sheets. We hunted throughout the interesting shops in the area, briefly chatting with a raccoon trapper and rubbing elbows with the hundreds of others getting their start on the route.

Our quest led us to Burr’s Berry Farm, which I’ve described in an earlier post, as well as Phil’s Berry Farm, Knaus Berry Farm (famous for their fabulous cinnamon buns and baked goods) and the Fruit & Spice Park. We made time for lunch at the delightful White Lion Café in Homestead, a new spot for us and a real treat. The great food was only matched by the super –friendly staff. We will be back.

After our fortification we visited RF Orchids, Redland Hotel, The Florida Pioneer Museum, and uber-fruit stand, Robert is Here, before ending at Schnebly Redland’s Winery. We are also going to go back and try the Hotel Redland’s Whistle Stop Café and their Tea Room.

We learned, we had yummy treats along the way, and were very pleasantly surprised by Schnebly’s. This was our first visit and it was a stunning, beautiful setting. They have wine, beer and soft drinks as well as a few snacks; but you can bring your own picnic (just no drinks) for lunch or dinner. Friday and Saturdays they feature live music and dancing.

For a great day in the country, for any age, plan to visit the venues individually or take a #Redland Riot Tour. For information, visit www.redlandriot.com.

Just the Facts:

For more info on each of the places we visited you can check hours and details at the following websites or by calling:

Once a bustling railroad village at the turn of the century, #Cauley Square now plays home to an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants; learn more at www.cauleysquare.com.
#Burr’s Berry Farm is open from “sometime in December” through the end of April, for up-to-date info, visit http://www.burrsberryfarm.com.
#Phil’s Berry Farm has lots of treats and the unusual Miracle Fruit, find out details at 305-905-2284.
#Knaus Berry Farm is open mid-November until the end of April, and the lines get long on Saturdays (they are closed Sundays), so go early or during the week www.knausberryfarm.com.
#Fruit & Spice Park is on 30 acres with more than 500 varieties of herbs, nuts, spices and unusual fruits; call 305-247-5727.
#RF Orchids has thousands of orchids for sale and tours are available, call 305-245-4570.
The historic #Redland Hotel first opened in 1904. Now featuring a popular restaurant, the renovated hotel is a perfect spot from which to visit all the sites described in this post, as well as Miami-Dade County’s two national parks, Everglades and Biscayne National. Check out the free trolley service, www.hotelredland.com.
#The Florida Pioneer Museum is open November through May, Wednesday & Saturday 1- 5:00PM; 305-246-9531.
#Robert is Here is celebrating turning 60, stop in for amazing fruits and vegetables, a petting zoo, and shakes extraordinaire (Key Lime is their most famous); www.robertishere.com.
For tours and/or tastings, or just to relax in a beautiful setting, visit #Schnebly Redland’s Winery, http://www.schneblywinery.com.