Renee's Miami Blog

The Community Forestry Project will be providing Miami-Dade County residents with two free trees this weekend. All residents who own property in the county are eligible to receive two trees by simply presenting photo identification. Renters must provide written permission from their landlord. Condo owners, apartment dwellers and trailer park renters are not eligible.

This weekend's event takes place on Saturday, July 26th from 9AM-noon at Miami-Dade County Auditorium (2901 West Flagler Street).

For more details, see the Adopt-a-Tree eligibility requirements

Miami's a very photogenic city! You commonly find our streets, skyline and attractions in the national media. Whether it's a flash of flesh from South Beach in a travel magazine or a helicopter tour of the harbor on CSI:Miami, photos of our city appear everywhere. In this article, I link to collections of some of my favorite Miami photos.

Visit the Gallery: Miami Photos: Attractions, Beaches, Skylines, Wildlife and More!

Photo courtesy Greater Miami Convention and Visitors' Bureau

In a recent forum posting, Laura wrote:

"Tomorrow I will be taking my Real Estate test for Florida on Statutes & Rules. I am a Realtor and live in Connecticut and since they have reciprocity with Florida this is the only portion that I must take. Has anyone taken this part and if so could you share any tips with me? I keep studying but the material is soooooo boring. I also have to drive to the test center which is 2 hours away and really want to pass first time around.

Any suggestions would be immensely appreciated."

Laura might want to check out our article on How to Get a Florida Real Estate License. If you have any advice for her, stop by our forum and join the conversation! Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Nothing says Miami like an ice-cold mojito! Learn how to make the perfect mojito for the beach or backyard this summer.

View the Miami Mojito Recipe

Photo by Aquatone282

We've received two new reader restaurant reviews this week! Take a look at the latest updates to our pages about:

• Rotelli Pizza & Pasta
• Los Ranchos Bayside

For more reader restaurant reviews, visit our Reader Reviews section. Also, be sure to take a look at our Guide Reviews.

Have you ever wondered about the system used for naming hurricanes? Where did those names come from, anyway? Will we have to suffer through another "Hurricane Andrew"? The system is not that complicated.

Take a look at the 2008 hurricane names

Image courtesy NOAA

On July 12th and 13th, Fairchild Tropical Gardens will host the 2008 International Mango Festival. This annual event features mango tree sales, educational lectures, a children's program, a mango cook-off and more exciting events using mangos from the Fairchild collection.

Read more about the 2008 International Mango Festival

Image courtesy Fairchild Tropical Gardens

July brings the International Hispanic Theatre Festival to Miami. This three-week festival begins tomorrow and runs through July 27th at various locations throughout Miami, Key Biscayne and Coral Gables. It includes a variety of cultural performances, social events and educational opportunities at venues throughout the Greater Miami area.

The festival is one of many events featured in our About Miami July Events Calendar.

Miami residents are always looking for a great way to beat the heat and there’s no better way to do that than take a dip in the pool! If you aren't fortunate enough to have a pool in your backyard, Miami offers a number of public swimming pools that are accessible to residents for a nominal fee.

View the list: Miami's Public Swimming Pools

This year, the choices for a fun Independence Day are better than ever. No matter what your speed, there are celebrations for you. Here is a list of some of the more popular places to see the rocket's red glare.

Read 2008 Fourth of July in Miami