{"id":4893,"date":"2019-11-13T13:39:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T18:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=4893"},"modified":"2019-11-13T13:55:25","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T18:55:25","slug":"groves-barnacle-gives-a-glimpse-into-areas-lush-nature-and-rich-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=4893","title":{"rendered":"Grove’s Barnacle gives a glimpse into area’s lush surroundings, rich history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Posted November 13, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By SHANIKA ISAACS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coolness of the\nevening air invited the idea of going to Barnacle State Park. To dive into the\nhistory of one of Coconut Grove\u2019s most charming and influential pioneers, made\nfor an inviting Sunday evening treat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI chose to come to this\npark to learn about its rich history and to enjoy learning together with my\ngirlfriend. I presumed it to be a nice hangout spot for the both of us, a place\nfor accommodating its guest with picnic chairs and stables. The naturistic\natmosphere is a personal touch of its own, along with many programmed\nactivities throughout the months,\u201d Christian Atale, a tourist from Chile, said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visitors relaxing on the porch of the Barnacle (Photos by Shanika Isaacs). <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Barnacle State Park, located off the Main Highway in Coconut Grove, is the park of choice for many tourists and locals in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 19th<\/sup> century attraction owned by Ralph Munroe, was known for being one of the oldest residences in the Miami-Dade County. The park offered the opportunity of revisiting \u201cOld Florida,\u201d a time in history long before modern Miami was developed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day\u2019s adventure started\nat an old patio, that could very much be mistaken for an abandoned shed. The \u201cBarnacle\nHistoric State Park\u201d sign is sure to great you, that led the pathway to the\nBarnacle.  As the pathway grew congested\nby the intertwining of trees on either side, the journey became very relaxing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much can be learnt about\nthe park\u2019s surrounding environment, in passing the many informative display\nboards stretched out along the path. The Strangler Fig, one of the passed trees,\nwas said to cause no harm to humans themselves, but to other trees living in\nthe wild. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A welcome sign of The Barnacle Historic State Park at the entrance.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Strangler Fig, whom many of its competitors feared, received its \u201ckiller\u201d name from the act of stifling its victims to death. This was done by positioning their roots in the same place as their victim\u2019s and growing against their victim\u2019s bark to its canopy. This, over time, cuts off the tree\u2019s access to sunlight and moisture, which interrupted the process of photosynthesis.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the trail persisted deeper into the forest, you would first be greeted by someone directing in-flowing traffic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTickets! Ticket!\u201d she\nsaid, \u201cCome and get your tickets here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By having the extract $2\nfor the entrance fee, it made the journey much easier than having to join a\nlong line at the admissions office. The first sight on the property was the\ngift shop, that was some distance away from the woman selling tickets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are here to educate people and guide them on the journey of wildlife. It is an incredible opportunity to get involved in an outdoor park to learn about its history, architecture and see how old it has become,\u201d Giovawni Penagos, a senior park ranger, said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that many of the state park’s visitors were tourists who, alongside locals, had never set foot on park grounds. He explained the importance of being involved in the park\u2019s monthly events and historic ventures, especially when understanding the role they played in the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn my two years of\nworking here, I never truly understood the appreciation of knowing about the\nlocal history, until I came to this state park. The Barnacle house is one of\nthe oldest houses on a ship wreck salvage. The life Ralph Munroe lived was a\nsad starting story, but history has its hardships and that\u2019s what makes it\nhistory,\u201d Penagos said excitedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the stroke of 2:30 p.m., Jim Stamps, a 500-hours-served volunteer, led the campus tour for the Barnacle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The living room interior of Aspen Luxury Suites (Photo courtesy of Aspen Luxury Suites).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be alarmed but we\nstart out tours from the back door,\u201d Stamps said with a smile on his face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he secured the door\nbehind us, he led the way to the front of the property where he started his\ntale on the building\u2019s porch. The atmosphere was just right for a historic\nadventure as Stamp aided his presentation with picture representations of\nMunroe\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not long after, two more visitors\njoined in, after which Stamps said, \u201cI trust that you will pay the front office\n$3 for this tour. Only paid customers are allowed to be a part of this\njourney.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stamps led the way once\nagain inside the Barnacle, starting with the living room to introduce Munroe\u2019s\nfamily portraits and the role he played in the household. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRalph Munroe was an American yacht designer who grew up in New York. He was known for his drafting and engineering skills, that many witnessed from his yacht designs,\u201d Stamps said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was much to see from\nthe ancient d\u00e9cor and amenities, to the miniature sail boats that were actual\nrepresentations of Munroe\u2019s creations. It was the history of a house built in\nthe 1800s, that clearly showed the growth of society and technology, into\ntoday\u2019s modern society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tour ended with the\nboat house near Biscayne Bay. Stamps encouraged his participants to ponder on\nthe things that were taught from the tour and relish in the wonders of the\nproperty by using its amenities to one\u2019s advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owloween, an annually celebrated\nHalloween event, invited parents and their kids to take part in welcoming the\nowl of the moment. At only $2 per person and those under 6-year-old being free,\nthis yearly event catered to the likes of crafts, games and stories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you want to touch the owl?\u201d one of the park rangers said to the children that surrounded her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Family pictures taken by Ralph Munroe in the living room of his house.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do a lot of historic\nevents that connects our participants with nature. One of these events entails\nour yearly Owloween. What we do is book an owl for the event, that usually\ncomes from the zoo. The idea is to have the owl be the center of our planned\nevents of the evening,\u201d Katrina Boler, park manager, said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boler conveyed that, in her 16 years of service to Barnacle Historic State Park, her intentions were to introduce a diversified program for both locals and tourists. She boasted that Florida State Parks received four national gold medals, all of which identified them as America\u2019s first fourth-time winners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom September to May,\nwe have the Barnacle Moonlight Carnival and we have the Haunted Ballet coming\nup. The dancers set out to do a haunted house performance, that sits well with\nthe Halloween theme,\u201d she said excitedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boler shared that her\nlargest crowds came on Sunday afternoons, or on special days that hosted events.\nShe voiced how the entire park would transform into a representation of the\nevent being hosted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur crowds are always\nhuge during a special event and as a staff personnel I can vouch on how much we\nall appreciate that. Barnacle State Park is filled with lots of surprises and\nhas a vast history for many to explore. I believe we can all be one with nature\nand learn to enjoy the wonders of what the park has to offer,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If You Go <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n