Day 130 - February 8, 2013: Coconut Grove and Dinner Key Marina

It was with some regret that we departed Boca Chita for Coconut Grove. If the weekend wasn't upon us, with the expected hoard of boaters (one triple engine cigar-style go-fast boat had already arrived at 7:00 AM), we would have stayed another day. This wonderful sunrise tugged at me even as we departed.

Sunrise over Boca Chita

As we crossed Biscayne Bay, the Miami skyline rose to greet us. Still, it didn't have the personal impact for me that the Chicago skyline did as we crossed Lake Michigan.

Miami skyline

The Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove, just south of Miami, is the largest wet slip marina in Florida with 528 slips. The location, in the heart of Coconut Grove with nearby shopping and restaurants, makes it an attractive stop. The Miami Boat Show is coming up next week, and boats are already being moved temporarily out of that area. We were lucky to get in this marina.

We looked for some interesting history of the area and discovered The Barnacle, the oldest home in Dade County. Ralph Munroe, who moved to this area in 1887, was one of Coconut Grove's most prominent pioneers. He moved here when the only access was by boat and built a boathouse and lived on the second floor. This boathouse was designed to withstand hurricanes. The front and back walls were intended to blow out, letting water flood through, and the walls were held in place with cables (which you can see in the picture) to keep the building in place. The design worked (albeit after his death) when Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, and the second floor and most of the building survived.

Boathouse today

Boathouse surviving 1992 hurricane

Later, Ralph built a home on the same site and over time designed many sailing vessels capable of navigating the shallow waters of the bay. The Munroe Family donated the home and five acres, as a Florida State Park, to be preserved in 1973. 

Ralph Munroe's home