Knauss Berry Farm is OPEN!

At least once or twice a year, we head south on a Saturday morning to Redlands and Homestead area. Knauss Berry Farm and Robert is Here! are our true destinations, and we throw in some great Mexican food and sometimes a visit to Shark Valley too. Didn't know Homestead was a family fun destination in South Florida? Read on...

Knauss Berry Farm is owned and operated by Dunkers, and is NOT open on Sundays. I'm not too familiar with the Dunker church, but based on my visits to Knauss Berry Farm, it involves some sort of Cinnamon Roll worship. OK, kidding, but this place is FAMOUS for its cinnamon rolls. I mean, long lines through the parking lot kind of famous. They are very, very good, and part of the fun is making it a destination for the kids--the rolls taste even better after you've been obsessing about them in the car for 30 minutes, and then waiting in a line for 20 more minutes! They sell other fresh baked breads, and also vegetables, fruits, and milk shakes.

Knauss Berry Farm also has u-pick strawberry and tomato fields out back, which are not open yet. I think the u-pick opens in December--your kids will love looking for fresh berries, especially. (The fields are not organic, FYI.)

Now on to Robert Is Here! I discovered Robert Is Here! when I first moved to South Florida, and worked for a specialty fruit and nut company. They were on my existing customer list, so I headed off to pay a visit. After driving through farmland for a few minutes after turning off of US1, there it was--a crazy looking open-air fruit stand with the words "ROBERT IS HERE" plastered on the metal roof. (For the fantastic story of the name, and the sign, click here.) I was intrigued, and then charmed--I do NOT make a trip to the Keys without stopping, and when we have houseguests that are staying a while and want to see more of Miami than SoBe and Calle Ocho, I take them straight to Robert Is Here! OK, enough gushing. Here's why the place is so great.

* The milkshakes. They have milkshakes at Knauss Berry too, but I think these are waaaaaay better. So much better, in fact, that I FREAK if anyone even tries to sneak into the milkshake line at Knauss Berry...they must wait until Robert Is Here!

* The local jellies/jams/sauces/etc. From Hot Guava Butter to Key Lime Mango Hot Sauce, the place is filled with hundreds of jars of South Florida-themed treats. Great inexpensive gifts for non-Florida residents, FYI.

* The fresh fruit and produce. Great selection and great prices. Need I say more?

This tripadvisor page provides a good list of other fun things to do in Homestead, and this article lists some of the great Mexican restaurants in the area. Gotta run feed the kid;-)