Our first stop on the garden tour was Fairchild Tropical Gardens, the largest botanical garden in the continental United States. The 83-acre property is home to an extensive and quite magnificent collection of rare tropical plants including the largest collection of palms and cycads in the world.

Established in 1938, the garden is named after one of the most famous plant explorers in history, Dr. David Fairchild. Often referred to as the "Christopher Columbus of horticulture", Fairchild was a Miami-resident who devoted his life to exploring the world in search of plants for the United States. Many of his findings now bring millions of dollars annually to farmers of the U.S and many of the plants in the garden were collected and planted by him. It was Fairchild and a few other Miami residents including Robert H. Montgomery and Marjory Stoneman Douglas who worked tirelessly to establish the garden which is now one of the premier conservation and education-based gardens in the world.

It is also the premier spot for some of the world's top artists to exhibit their work. Big names including Dale Chihuly, Roy Lichtenstein, Fernando Botero and Yayoi Kusama have found the garden the perfect natural gallery for their art. Many of Chihuly's glass pieces are still sprinkled about the property.

On our visit, we loved the diversity of landscapes within the garden. We trekked through a lush rainforest complete with streams and waterfalls, a butterfly garden, spiny forest of cacti and succulents, and marveled under the great Baobab tree, an original David Fairchild collection from Africa.

The garden hosts many events throughout the year including the International Mango Festival, the Orchid Festival and the Chocolate Festival which attracts thousands of locals and tourists. For those who prefer a seated tour of the garden, tram tours are available hourly and tram guides provide plenty of information on the garden and its plants. If you're hungry, grab some lunch at the garden's cafe.

Our next stop on the tour was The Kampong, located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove. Although equally magnificent, the Kampong is a much smaller garden in comparison to the size of Fairchild Tropical Gardens. However, historically, the Kampong could be looked at as its predecessor.