Miami, the largest city in Florida, the Sunshine State, is known for its warm, winter-free climate. However, winter made an unexpected visit around Christmas 2022. Icy rain, freezing winds, and sub-40°F temperatures had me questioning why I had fled the cold of New York City only to find an even colder Miami.
Visiting natural attractions like Swamp Park became quite a challenge in this weather. Fortunately, the heavy coats we brought from New York were a lifesaver. Many of the other visitors on our boat tour through the park had flushed cheeks and chins from the biting cold wind, and I could see a hint of envy in their eyes for our thick layers. The aquatic plants and trees seemed unfazed by the chilly weather, staying as green as ever, but the alligators were sluggish, barely moving except in the nursery areas.
Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, is just an hour’s drive from Miami. We spent a few days exploring the park, captivated by the red mangrove trees in the swamps, the towering trunks of redwoods, coral-covered beaches, and the birds in the forests. On Christmas Day, we drove four hours to Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States. My visit to the Ernest Hemingway Museum there has already been blogged about (see “Ernest Hemingway’s Home in Key West, Six-toed Cats, and His Poems”).
Miami is also a vibrant beach city with a large Hispanic population, and its food and lively culture reflect this. The coastline is dotted with mansions owned by the wealthy. The tour guide enthusiastically listed the names of each mansion’s owner, but I couldn’t recall any of them because it didn’t matter to me. What truly matters is that everyone can enjoy the natural beauty Miami has to offer. After all, whether rich or poor, we are all just fleeting visitors—passing through the city, through nature, and through life.
迈阿密是阳光之州佛罗里达最大的的城市，以没有冬天而闻名，但冬天恰在 2022 年圣诞节前后来到了迈阿密。冰冷的雨、寒冷的风和低于 40 摄氏度的温度让我疑惑为什么我要从冰冷的纽约逃到更冷的迈阿密。
在这样的天气下，游览沼泽公园等自然美景是一个很大的挑战。 幸运的是，从纽约带来的厚外套帮了我们大忙。 同乘游船去沼泽公园的人，许多被冷风吹得双颊和下巴发红，我能看到他们眼里对我们厚厚保护层的一丝嫉妒。 水生植物和树木在如此寒冷的天气下似乎还不错，像往常一样绿意盎然。 只有鳄鱼行动迟缓，除了在育苗中心的以外， 几乎一动不动。
大沼泽地国家公园是美国最大的亚热带野地，距迈阿密仅一小时车程。我们在公园里玩了几天。 沼泽湿地的红树林、红木的树干、沙滩上的珊瑚、林间的鸟儿，都是独有的吸引我们的景色。 圣诞节当天，我们驱车前往美国大陆最南端的基韦斯特，车程4小时。 我在基韦斯特参观欧内斯特·海明威博物馆的感想已经写在了早些时候的博客中（请参阅本网站中的“欧内斯特·海明威在基韦斯特的家、六趾猫和他的诗歌”）。
迈阿密市也是一个海滨城市，有大量的拉美裔口， 其可口的食物和奔放的文化反映了当地的现实。 海滩周围有许多富人的豪宅。 导游不断地告诉我们每个房子的主人的名字，但我一点也记不住谁是谁的房子，因为这对我来说并不重要。 对我来说重要的是每个人都可以在这里享受这些自然美景。 其实每个人，无论贫富， 对于城市、自然美景和生活，都只是匆匆过客而已。
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