Cauley
Square

Burr's
Berry
Farm

Redland
Ranch

Phil's
Berry
Farm

Knaus
Berry
Farm

Fruit &
Spice Park

R.F.
Orchids

Hotel
Redland

Florida
Pioneer
Museum

Robert
Is Here

Schnebly
Winery &
Brewery

Our family has always looked forward to an adventure through the Redland district, especially during the harvest season when the fruit stands are bustling with activity and the shelves are well stocked with the finest local delights.

We grew up on home-made guava jelly and strawberry jam, on fresh picked corn and green beans, tomatoes and other fresh garden treasures, grown locally in the scarified rocky red soil by pioneer farmers. We remember Kendall Drive as an endless array of U-Pick fields, horse ranches and pine woods.

As kids, the older folks took us birding in the Everglades and "bog trotting" for orchids, bromeliads and air plants in the swamps. There were hundreds of exotic plants in the "slat house" and ornamental flowering trees everywhere at our old home on the bay east of Biscayne Boulevard in old "Mi-am-ah."

We heard stories about trading with the Indians on the Miami River, festive barbecues at the Arch Creek, community social events at the Knights of Pythias hall, little one-room school houses and pioneer churches on the prairies started by a handful of families. They spoke of working at the packing plants and loading the first train cars full of fresh winter produce to be shipped to northern markets.

It is from this perspective that I present this information to you. I hope the Redland Riot Tour will offer a bit of insight into the rich history of this land while providing an excuse to enjoy an entertaining and delightful afternoon road trip through the countryside with friends.

-Rob

Robert A. Burr
rob@redlandriot.com
office 305-443-7973

Burr Family History
My family came to Florida in 1876, long before the rail lines and paved roads eased that chore. More than 130 years later, my siblings and I represent the sixth generation of our family to call the Sunshine State home and the twelfth generation in North America.

From proud Quakers and British colonists to American revolutionary heros and civil war patriots, from bold explorers, botanists and naturalists to World War veterans and modern entrepreneurs, a trail-blazing spirit resonates among these ancestors.

Among the first to come to Florida, they were pioneers of Windsor, Homeland, Little River, Arch Creek and Goulds long ago. They played prominent roles in the development of Dade County and the State of Florida. They left behind a legacy of public and community service and a love of the natural beauty of South Florida that we've happily inherited -- and now will endeavor to pass along to sequent generations.

a little family history - Dade County Commissioner EDV Burr (Rob's great-grandfather)

see Rob and Robin's Great Gables Guide to Coral Gables

a leisurely self-guided tour through the Redland Region -- known as Miami's Bountiful Countryside -- featuring a bit of local history and folk tales and a few notable places to stop along the way...