An extremely successful and poignant panel discussion took place on Friday, January 13^th at the Wolfsonian-FIU in South Beach.  The panel discussion was part of a lecture series organized by the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) as one of the activities for the 35^th Anniversary Art Deco Weekend.  Charles J. Kropke, moderator for the event, assembled the panel of noteworthy nightclub owners, event promoters and nightlife professionals who created the entertainment scene for which South Beach became internationally renowned.  Represented were Lee Schrager, founder of  the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, David Wallack owner of Mango’s Tropical Café,  Jane Wooldridge, business editor for The Miami Herald (formerly nightlife editor for South Beach during its heyday), Michael Capponi, club promoter extraordinaire, and Louis Canales, one of the first successful nightclub owners in the resurgent South Beach.

The event was filmed by Carl Hersh of Close-Up Productions to record for posterity a remarkable era in the history of South Beach.  The sometimes humorous, sometimes melancholic, warm recollections from this phenomenal group of cultural trendsetters was a delight for the audience to witness and in some cases, to remember themselves.

South Beach: Stories of a Renaissance, written by Charles J. Kropke, was chosen by the Miami Design Preservation League as the official book for their inaugural “MDPL Reads” program, a community-based effort to encourage everyone to discover the intricacies and eccentricities of South Beach.

Not only has our corporate main tour season started, but our multi-day Road Scholar programs for this year are well under way!  In the past few weeks we have led adventurers through many of South Florida’s ecological and cultural gems.

A walk through the Montgomery Botanical Center led by its Executive Director,  Dr. Patrick Griffith, offered an exclusive exploration of one of the world’s foremost horticultural institutions.

Armed with walking sticks and a new found courage, two waves of participants waded through the Big Cypress on swamp-walks learning about the flora and fauna of this primeval preserve.  Their experience came full circle when they were introduced to the stunning photography of Clyde Butcher in his Big Cypress Gallery.

Cultural discoveries through South Beach on a program designed after Charles J. Kropke’s book, South Beach: Stories of a Renaissance, led to witnessing an impromptu private performance at The Miami City Ballet.

These are the kind of uncommon adventures that only Dragonfly Expeditions can create. In the months to come and through the end of the year lucky participants will immerse themselves in Road Scholar travel learning adventures led by our unique and experienced guides.  Road Scholar, the world’s leader in educational and lifelong travel has entrusted Dragonfly Expeditions with showing their savvy travelers the greatness that is South Florida.

If you are interested in participating in any of Road Scholar programs please call 1-800-454-5768 or visit www.roadscholar.org.

The November 2011 issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine featured Dragonfly Expeditions’ “Tour de Grass” (a bike tour in the Shark Valley area of the Everglades) and our “Half Moon Archaeological Snorkeling Tour”.  Seattle-based author Crai Bower emphasizes the unique opportunity of having both very urban and ecological experiences when staying in Miami. The following is an excerpt highlighting the tours:

To read the entire article, click here

Sometimes the Christmas/Holiday season slows long enough for us to savor it, and sometimes it does a head-long rush until the day is right upon us.  For me, last year was the former and this year is the latter.  I wish this season would slow down some but the likelihood is small.  Nevertheless, the greatest aspect of the season for me is the collective mood. In short, I love the love.

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By the time the sixth full-time Dragonfly Expeditions employee (with an occasional seventh or eighth in residence) came to our light-filled office with its full-sized windows facing the large Mexican-tiled patio and the looming Biltmore tower as a backdrop, the writing was on the wall.  It was time to expand into a new office.  As much as I had admired the spacious corner office that we had passed in our seven years at the Biltmore Hotel, I hardly expected that things would conspire to make it available to us when moving became inevitable.  But it did happen and we were ecstatic.  We moved in with paint and carpet samples, broke down desks and shelves; bought more bookcases for our expanding library and began the long shuffle down the hallway.

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As part of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau’s effort to present Miami as an increasingly eco-friendly destination, Dragonfly Expeditions several times has hosted journalists on our “Great Discoveries on the Bay – A Kayak Journey” to allow a glimpse into the area’s history and ecology in the middle of the city’s urban core. The following excerpt is from the recently published article in the German daily newspaper Hannoversche Allgemeine:

Pamela Jones-Morton has been a guide for Dragonfly Expeditions since 2006 and what drew her towards working with us was the prospect of teaching others to experience the world around us in an eco-friendly, yet challenging way.  After growing up in Maryland, she received her undergraduate from Frostburg State College, her MA from Michigan State University and finally her PhD from the Ohio State University. In addition, she holds a Florida Master Naturalist degree from the University of Florida and a Certification for Birding Biology from the Cornell School of Ornithology.  Her initial career as a teacher led her to several positions around the world: Tokyo/Japan (5 years), Wilmington/Delaware (1 year), Düsseldorf/Germany (4 years), Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (3 years), and London/UK (1 year).  After holding an assistant professor position in West Virginia, Pam moved into the corporate world, working for Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. as a Manager in the Expatriate Administration and the Integrated Human Resources Departments.

Currently residing in Estero, the proximity to the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve allows her to spend her free time kayaking, hiking, photographing, bird watching and playing with her black lab Margee.  As an activist, she shares these passions by volunteering with Lovers Key State Park as an interpretive guide for beach walks, birding tours, dolphin and manatee talks, as well as wading and photography trips.  In addition, she also volunteers with the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida where she oversees the “Senior Dogs for Senior Citizens” program.

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Each year, Dragonfly Expeditions is asked to convey its knowledge of the local arts scene into customized tours for groups visiting Miami for Art Basel.  Below you will see the foreword to one section of a customized program for a group interested in French art and design.

Starting on November 25, 2011, the Wolfsonian/FIU at 1001 Washington Avenue on Miami Beach will offer an ‘opportunité magnifique’ to visit this venerable, local institution.  This date kicks off ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity,’ an exhibition exploring French cultural identity through design produced from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Before continuing on to the subject of the exhibition, I would like to suggest that just about any time of the year is a great time to visit the collection created by Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, Jr. and the institution that houses it.

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For the second straight year, Dragonfly Expeditions partnered with the University of Miami Family Weekend program to provide new students and their families the opportunity to explore Miami and its surroundings on our tours.

The five tours that were offered throughout the weekend featured Miami’s Cuban Heritage, the historic Miami City Cemetery, Kayaking on Biscayne Bay, and two Miccosukee Indian Heritage airboat tours.

The goal of the partnership between the University of Miami and Dragonfly Expeditions is to showcase Miami as a metropolis with historical, ecological and cultural treasures beyond its usual party reputation. Here are some quotes from participants:

“Very interesting information. Loved it!” – Xavier, Cuban Heritage Tour

“Very informative and a beautiful way to see the bay” – Ann, Great Discoveries on the Bay – A Kayak Tour

“Fabulous trip, tour guide was superb. Airboat was so relaxing. Great way to see nature at it’s best!” – Sheila, Miccosukee Indian Heritage Tour

Dragonfly Expeditions would like to send a special thank you to the University of Miami Family Weekend staff (Brian Orefice, Danielle Howard, and Carrie Whiteside) for their amazing work and dedication in ensuring that our partnership was again a success. We are looking forward to Family Weekend 2012.

We are often lucky to experience amazing ecological occurrences on our tours. This video was taken on a 3 hour kayaking excursion to Peanut Island in Palm Beach and illustrates just such an occurrence. Watch the video all the way to the end for a surprise!

Over the years there have been numerous theories concerning the leaping of mullet. The three most accepted theories are: predator avoidance, aerial respiration and… because they want to!

Click the image to see the video